Re: [PATCH] Implement AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag for linkat

[Al Viro <viro@ftp.linux.org.uk>]

On Sun, Jun 18, 2006 at 12:40:43PM -0700, Ulrich Drepper wrote:
> Linus Torvalds wrote:
> > Well, the patch as sent in does seem sane, as long as glibc doesn't start 
> > defaulting to the insane behaviour. Giving users the _ability_ to link to 
> > the symlink target is certainly not wrong, regardless of any standard. 
> > Doing it by default is another matter.
> 
> I do not intend to change the link implementation in glibc.  That would
> be majorly stupid, it'd break the ABI.
> 
> The AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag to linkat was the result of the discussion
> how to resolve the issue of the conflict between POSIX and the Linux
> implementation of link (BTW: the Solaris link syscall behaves the same
> as Linux's).

... while FreeBSD still doesn't have that 4.2BSD bug fixed, the suckers.

>   This is an easy an non-intrusive way to help people who
> depend on the questionable POSIx-mandated behavior to work around the
> incompatiblity.  Nothing more.  Don't change the link syscall, don't
> assume the glibc will be changed.  This is only one little extra bit of
> new functionality.

*shrug*

Fine by me; it's not really useful, but it's not a serious bloat either.

ACKed-by: Al Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>