Re: proposed fix for some race conditions in mkdir and install

[Eric Blake]

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According to Paul Eggert on 9/15/2006 4:39 PM:
> Like most utilities, mkdir and install are vulnerable to race
> conditions involving file names, e.g., if given a file name that
> resolves through a non-sticky directory that is writeable by some
> other user.  Here's a patch to fix that, just for these two utilities.
> It's a bit outre, since it requires forking off a subprocess in some
> cases, but it should resist the race condtions better.

Interesting; looks complex, but I agree that there isn't really any good
alternative algorithm that achieves O(n) processing when chdir won't work.
 Would it make sense to depend on the fatal-signal or wait-process module,
so that you can kill the child process when the parent is sent a catchable
fatal signal?

- --
Life is short - so eat dessert first!

Eric Blake             address@hidden
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