"Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)" <mtk.manpages@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > Hi Mike, > > [Al, Aneesh, there is a question for you below] > > On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 3:25 PM, Mike Frysinger <vapier@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> Signed-off-by: Mike Frysinger <vapier@xxxxxxxxxx> >> --- >> man2/open.2 | 16 +++++++++++++++- >> 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) >> >> diff --git a/man2/open.2 b/man2/open.2 >> index a655fae..61689cf 100644 >> --- a/man2/open.2 >> +++ b/man2/open.2 >> @@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ >> .\" FIXME . Apr 08: The next POSIX revision has O_EXEC, O_SEARCH, and >> .\" O_TTYINIT. Eventually these may need to be documented. --mtk >> .\" FIXME Linux 2.6.33 has O_DSYNC, and a hidden __O_SYNC. >> -.\" FIXME: Linux 2.6.39 added O_PATH >> .\" >> .TH OPEN 2 2012-02-27 "Linux" "Linux Programmer's Manual" >> .SH NAME >> @@ -428,6 +427,21 @@ For a discussion of the effect of >> in conjunction with mandatory file locks and with file leases, see >> .BR fcntl (2). >> .TP >> +.B O_PATH >> +The path is opened for accessing its file attributes only. Since the file >> +itself is not opened, most operations (such as >> +.BR read (2) >> +or >> +.BR write (2)) >> +will return >> +.BR EBADF . >> +You may however use functions that operate on the file descriptor itself >> +such as >> +.BR close (2), >> +functions that duplicate file descriptors, and as the dirfd argument with >> +all the *at style of functions (e.g. >> +.BR openat (2)). >> +.TP >> .B O_SYNC >> The file is opened for synchronous I/O. >> Any > > Thanks for the prod. Adding this has been on my list for a while. > There's actually quite a lot more to say, and I've written the patch > below. Could you check it over. > > Al, Aneesh, there is one question for you in a FIXME below. Could you > take a look please? > > Thanks, > > Michael > > > --- a/man2/open.2 > +++ b/man2/open.2 > @@ -428,6 +427,66 @@ For a discussion of the effect of > in conjunction with mandatory file locks and with file leases, see > .BR fcntl (2). > .TP > +.BR O_PATH " (since Linux 2.6.39)" > +.\" commit 1abf0c718f15a56a0a435588d1b104c7a37dc9bd > +Obtain a file descriptor that is used only for fetching file attributes. > +The file itself is not opened, and most file operations (e.g., > +.BR read (2), > +.BR write (2)) > +fail with the error > +.BR EBADF . > +The following operations > +.I can > +be performed on the resulting file descriptor: > +.RS > +.IP * 3 > +Closing the file descriptor > +.RB ( close (2)). > +.\" FIXME Commit 1abf0c718f15a56a0a435588d1b104c7a37dc9bdcw > +.\" message says that closing the file descriptor does not affect > +.\" POSIX locks or dnotify. > +.\" However, my testing shows that it DOES affect dnotify (and inotify). > +.\" Does close() affect POSIX locks? > +.IP * IIUC what an O_PATH descritor doesn't do is to flush dnotify markers if (likely(!(filp->f_mode & FMODE_PATH))) { dnotify_flush(filp, id); locks_remove_posix(filp, id); } I don't know much about markers, but as per fsnotify_backend.h /* * a mark is simply an object attached to an in core inode which allows an * fsnotify listener to indicate they are either no longer interested in events * of a type matching mask or only interested in those events. * * these are flushed when an inode is evicted from core and may be flushed * when the inode is modified (as seen by fsnotify_access). Some fsnotify users * (such as dnotify) will flush these when the open fd is closed and not at * inode eviction or modification. */ struct fsnotify_mark { It also doesn't remove posix locks. I tested this with a test prg struct flock flock; flock.l_type = F_WRLCK; flock.l_whence = SEEK_SET; flock.l_start = 0; flock.l_len = 0; fd = open(argv[1], O_RDWR); fcntl(fd, F_SETLKW, &flock); fd = open(argv[1], O_PATH); close(fd); The close doesn't result in lock release. > +Duplicating the file descriptor > +.RB ( dup (2), > +.BR fcntl (2) > +.BR F_DUPFD , > +etc.). > +.IP * -aneesh -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-man" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html