Re: [PATCH] test: switch to POSIX compliance symlink check

From: Carlo Arenas <carenas@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 21, 2019, 20:45 UTC
Message-ID: <CAPUEsphavRpYeJGLY73rzy18VFvTUfhsb=y6pC53e8b9aEbfRw@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20191221164057.24616-1-congdanhqx@gmail.com>

On Sat, Dec 21, 2019 at 8:50 AM Doan Tran Cong Danh <congdanhqx@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> POSIX doesn't specify `-L' flag for test(1), POSIX specify `-h' for
> checking symlink instead.

https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/test.html

seems to indicate both are valid and equivalent

> While most shells and test(1) implementation provides both `-L' and
> `-h' for checking symlink,
> OpenBSD and NetBSD says we shouldn't rely on its existence. [1]

and macOS (from FreeBSD[1]) says the exact opposite :

     -h file     True if file exists and is a symbolic link.  This operator
                   is retained for compatibility with previous versions of
                   this program.  Do not rely on its existence; use -L
                   instead.

agree it would be a good idea to use only one for consistency though, but it might be in that case a good idea to add it as a "recommendation" by adding this rule in t/check-non-portable-shell.pl or something like that IMHO

Carlo

[1] https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?test