GNU bug report logs - #15926
RFE: unlink command already uses 'unlink' call; make 'rm' use 'remove' call

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Message #176 received at 15926 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 15926 <15926 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>, Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>,
 Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net>, Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
Subject: Re: bug#15926: RFE: unlink command already uses 'unlink' call; make
 'rm' use 'remove' call
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 10:55:55 +0000

On 11/23/2013 02:32 AM, Eric Blake wrote:
> On 11/22/2013 06:30 PM, Pádraig Brady wrote:
>>> +
>>> +# Pull rm(1) the teeth by intercepting the unlinkat() system call via the
>>
>> s/the// ?
> 
> Pull the teeth from rm(1) by...
> 
>>
>> So the real case where this could not be handled (and what might
>> actually catch users out) is when various synonyms of '/' are specified.
>> i.e. // //. /./ /bin/..
>> It would be good to have tests for those.
> 
> Careful on the // case, for systems like cygwin where // is a distinct
> root from / (it has a separate inode, but should likewise be forbidden
> to recursively delete from // - hmm, I don't know that I've ever been
> brave enough to actually test whether --preserve-root preserves // on
> cygwin).

I would expect // to be treated the same on all systems in this regard

> Also, if a user does 'ln -s / root' and does 'rm -r root/.'
> (technically, this should also be done for 'rm -r root/', but Linux
> doesn't obey POSIX with regards to 'rm symlink-to-dir/').

If rm is going to do this at all it might as well
handle all corner cases (that are much more likely to
catch users out). I.E. it should be working on the
canonicalized name.

cheers,
Pádraig.

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