Re: coreutils-5.2.1: test failure - chgrp/posix-H

[Paul Eggert]

Michael Deutschmann <address@hidden> writes:

> So it looks like there are three paths out:
>  1. Declare that it's okay for chgrp -H to change the link ownership only
>     (whether this option is available depends on what the standards say.)
>  2. Get my kernel mod adopted into 2.0.41, then define Linux >= 2.0.41 as
>     a coreutils prerequisite.
>  3. Alter coreutils to defend against the possibility that chown() is 
>     really lchown().
>
> #2 looks promising, however if other OSes have this `bug' #3 would be 
> better.

I think the same problem occurs in older BSD systems (pre-4.4BSD, that
is, so for example SunOS 4.x is affected) and in Linux version V where
2.1 <= V <= 2.1.80.

In SunOS 4.x, the "link" system call follows symbolic links.
coreutils/m4/link-follow.m4 tests for this.  Since the "chown" problem
is of the same vintage, perhaps a similar test needs to be written for
it.  (I don't have an old system with this problem myself, though....)