Re: [PATCH] Implement AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag for linkat

[Ulrich Drepper <drepper@redhat.com>]

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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).  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.

-- 
➧ Ulrich Drepper ➧ Red Hat, Inc. ➧ 444 Castro St ➧ Mountain View, CA ❖


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