The *command line option* --never-interactive was added in version 2.5.6 (along with long command line options in general). That version was released somewhere between 2002-04-19 and 2002-04-23;
I guess 20 years ago is long enough, barely :). Though if it's just as easy to use the %option, why not ... since we already have to assume flex (specifically) either way ... --thanks, karl.