Re: Multiple bugs reported on Ubuntu on file type checking

[Assaf Gordon]

Hello,

On 2018-12-28 11:21 a.m., C de-Avillez wrote:
> We have had some bugs reported recently at our BTS:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1807295
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1807797
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1808092
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1808095
>
> They deal with sort, split, fmt, and uniq, respectively, and provide
> tentative patches.

A summary other mailing-list readers:

The "filetype" in question is regular files vs fifo / char devices / 
block /devices.

The four requests all say something like:

==

"Sort like many other applications does not check for file types of the 
inputs that are passed in as arguments. [...] For example, sorting files 
that of type block/character/fifo does not make much sense as it will 
just hang or use up all cpu cycles. "

==

> I would like to re-direct the reporters to upstream (i.e., you folks),
> but I feel it would be nice to do the redirect with a small blurb of
> what upstream thinks about that.

First and foremost,
I think these are not bugs, and this is perfectly valid behavior.
If a user wants to process a non-regular file, they can do so.

The reasoning of "wasting" CPU/memory can be just as valid to
processing arbitrary large binary files.


---

Also,
Few observations:
1. These four issues were reported by different people (all new 
LaunchPad users), during very short time period (second week of
december).

2. Three out of the four link to this
document, which explains about different file types as part of what
looks like a sys-call exerciser:
https://github.com/pkmoore/rrapper/blob/master/anomalies/weird_filetypes.md

3. The above document mention but does not explain what "S_IFSOCK" is,
and (perhaps as a result) none of their patches deals with S_IFSOCK
(despite that everything said about char-devices and fifos applies
to sockets as well).

4. Rejecting FIFOs as input indicates the submitters have some lack of
familiarity with unix command-line.

Given all the above,
I suspect this is part of a homework exercise given to students at some
college, perhaps something like "find bugs in an free software project
and submit a patch to them".


While good intentioned, these suggestions should be rejected as
"wontfix".


For any students or potential contributers who want to start working on
GNU coreutils - PLEASE write to address@hidden and introduce
yourself, and we will easily provide ideas on useful contributions
that would be accepted.


Of course, the above is just my opinion, and others are welcomed
to chime in.

regards,
 - assaf