bug-coreutils
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

bug#72707: install: need_copy (for "-C") should use stat instead of lsta


From: Frank Heckenbach
Subject: bug#72707: install: need_copy (for "-C") should use stat instead of lstat
Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:44:52 +0200

install dereferences symlinks given as sources (and I think that's
good). The "-C" option, however, uses lstat rather than
stat in need_copy and returns true if !S_ISREG.

So the (dereferenced) file will always be copied despite "-C".

Even worse, since "-p" cannot be combined with "-C", the installed
file will always get a new timestamp which may trigger rebuilds
(e.g. if the file is a header) even if nothing was changed, e.g.:

% touch a
% ln -s a b
% install -C b c
% ls --time-style=+%T -l
total 0
-rw------- 1 frank frank 0 23:46:51 a
lrwxrwxrwx 1 frank frank 1 23:46:54 b -> a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 frank frank 0 23:46:58 c
% install -C b c
% ls --time-style=+%T -l
total 0
-rw------- 1 frank frank 0 23:46:51 a
lrwxrwxrwx 1 frank frank 1 23:46:54 b -> a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 frank frank 0 23:47:06 c
% install -C b c
% ls --time-style=+%T -l
total 0
-rw------- 1 frank frank 0 23:46:51 a
lrwxrwxrwx 1 frank frank 1 23:46:54 b -> a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 frank frank 0 23:47:08 c
%

I asked Kamil Dudka who implemented "-C" originally and he pointed
out that requiring both the files to be regular files was suggested
by Jim Meyering in the review:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-coreutils/2009-02/msg00106.html

However, I don't see a real reason there, only his question:
"Have you considered requiring that both files be `regular', too?"

I don't know if install didn't dereference symlinks back then, but
now that it does, it seems consistent to dereference them in the
check as well, i.e. use stat rather than lstat.





reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]