GNU bug report logs - #69606
[PATCH] Ensure default-directory exists when generating diff

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Message #20 received at 69606 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Philip Kaludercic <philipk <at> posteo.net>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Michael Albinus <michael.albinus <at> gmx.de>, 69606 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#69606: [PATCH] Ensure default-directory exists when
 generating diff
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2025 14:07:36 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Michael Albinus <michael.albinus <at> gmx.de> writes:
>
>> Philip Kaludercic <philipk <at> posteo.net> writes:
>>
>> Hi Philip,
>>
>>> The reason I was thinking about a more general solution, is that
>>> something like
>>>
>>> (let ((default-directory "/this/does/not/exists"))
>>>   (make-process :command '("true")))
>>>
>>> will always fail, even though "true" doesn't use the current working
>>> directory.  I think it would be useful to have some :fallback option for
>>> these situations, to ensure that if `default-directory' doesn't exist,
>>> any other directory should be used instead.
>>
>> This is a more general request than just make it work for "diff".
>>
>> Well, there is a reason that `default-directory' isn't set to something
>> else behind your back, if it doesn't exist. Processes can use relative
>> file names as arguments, and it is always better to fail with an error
>> message instead of doing something unexpected you even don't know about.
>
> I tend to agree with Michael that we shouldn't make our fundamentals to
> DWIMy.
>
> But this bug fix is clearly useful, though I'd also agree that we might
> as well use a temporary directory for this instead.  I'd also set the
> file mode to 600 so that we don't inadvertently leak user data to random
> places on the file system.

Temporary directories are 700 by default anyway, so I don't think we
need any additional provisions (especially seeing as if I am not
mistaken, diffing doesn't create any files), which would just bloat up
the patch.

> Philip, could you update your patch along these lines and install?

Sure, hope this is OK?  If so, I'll push it:

[0001-Ensure-default-directory-exists-when-generating-diff.patch (text/x-diff, attachment)]

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