GNU bug report logs - #44587
ls prints garbage when listing contents of a directory without exec permissions

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Message #13 received at 44587-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Jan Schaumann <jschauma <at> netmeister.org>
Cc: 44587-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#44587: ls prints garbage when listing contents of a directory
 without exec permissions
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2020 19:41:08 -0800

On 11/11/20 3:24 PM, Jan Schaumann wrote:
> $ ls -la dir
> ls: cannot access dir/.: Permission denied
> ls: cannot access dir/..: Permission denied
> ls: cannot access dir/file: Permission denied
> total 0
> d????????? ? ? ? ?            ? .
> d????????? ? ? ? ?            ? ..
> -????????? ? ? ? ?            ? file
> $
> 
> 
> Expected output:
> 
> $ ls -la dir
> ls: cannot access dir/.: Permission denied
> ls: cannot access dir/..: Permission denied
> ls: cannot access dir/file: Permission denied

As Bernhard mentioned, the actual output is intentional. The expected output 
would be less useful, as it would give the user a bit less information (e.g., it 
would not tell the user where 'file' is a regular file or a directory).

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