Re: coreutils v5.2.1 - stat.c

[Bob Proulx]

Bob Proulx wrote:
> ThMO wrote:
> > the `stat' command doesn't return an errorcode in case a given file
> > couldn't be stated.

I couldn't find a Changelog or NEWS entry for this since I am sure the
bug was fixed as part of a general cleanup and not because it was
recognized at the time as specifically a stat exit bug getting fixed.
But perhaps I missed it.

I seem to recall this getting reported more than once from users so it
would be useful to record it specifically.  Let me suggest the
following for a NEWS entry in the "Bug fixes" section.

  stat now exits with status 1 upon failure.

Or perhaps more verbosely:

  stat previously failed to detect errors and would exit with a
  status 0 success indication even if the FILE failed to exist.
  Now stat detects this error and exits with status 1 upon failure.

Bob