Subject: Re: special-casing access to image files
To: Luke Mewburn <lukem@wasabisystems.com>
From: Hubert Feyrer <hubert.feyrer@informatik.fh-regensburg.de>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 08/20/2001 01:47:42
On Mon, 20 Aug 2001, Luke Mewburn wrote:
> Many of those tools complain if they're not given a block or character
> special device, and some also access the disklabel of the underlying
> device. An image in a regular file satisfies neither of these
> properties.

I understand that, but why not test on the return code of the assorted
ioctls etc, or even on the file type (stat(2) :), instead of a command
line switch. 


> As supporting file system images in regular files is useful
> functionality, yet not necessarily something we want on by default
> because it changes existing behaviour, I'm adding an explicit flag
> (-F) which allows specific control over the new functionality for
> safety and compatibility reasons.

What existing behaviour is changed - that I don't get prompted if I really
want to do what I asked for? With that reasoning I wonder if we want to
make the "-i" option to rm(1) the default, and add -I to turn it off?


 - Hubert

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