GNU bug report logs - #60981
Bug in man page for the "test" command

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Kaulkwappe" <kaulkwappe <at> prvy.eu>
To: <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Bug in man page for the "test" command
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2023 01:15:19 +0100

Dear colleagues,

this might have been reported before (or not), but there is a confusing description in the man page of the "test command:

###
-e FILE
  FILE exists

-L FILE
  FILE exists and is a symbolic link (same as -h)

###

The problem here is the situation of a broken symlink. When flag -e is used on a broken symbolic link, it fails. But when -L is used on a broken symlink, it returns true.

While this may be the expected behavior, it does not reflect what the documentation says. Because if -e fails on a broken symlink ("FILE exists") one would assume that the same of course is true for -L. The correct description for -L should be:

###
-e FILE
  FILE exists or is valid symbolic link

-L FILE
  FILE is a symbolic link, whether broken or not (same as -h)

###

Kind Regards,
Kaulkwappe

Message #8 received at 60981 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org>
To: "Kaulkwappe" <kaulkwappe <at> prvy.eu>
Cc: 60981 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, kaulkwappe+0cvos0vxyd <at> prvy.eu
Subject: Re: bug#60981: Bug in man page for the "test" command
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2023 10:10:29 +0100

The man page already addresses this:

       Except for -h and  -L,  all  FILE-related  tests  dereference  symbolic
       links.

-- 
Andreas Schwab, schwab <at> linux-m68k.org
GPG Key fingerprint = 7578 EB47 D4E5 4D69 2510  2552 DF73 E780 A9DA AEC1
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