Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:20:51 -0500 (EST) From: Benjamin Kaduk <kaduk@MIT.EDU> To: arundel@freebsd.org Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org, perryh@pluto.rain.com, nox@jelal.kn-bremen.de Subject: Re: easy way to determine if a stream or fd is seekable Message-ID: <alpine.GSO.1.10.1111210112050.882@multics.mit.edu> In-Reply-To: <4eca40f5.fvA0Xb1G9w%2BwuGj6%perryh@pluto.rain.com> References: <20111116102239.GA2687@britannica.bec.de> <20111116131428.GA40723@freebsd.org> <20111116232152.GC21793@britannica.bec.de> <20111117002438.GA55931@freebsd.org> <201111172055.pAHKtZso061118@triton8.kn-bremen.de> <B06B2304-A1BC-49A3-A811-F05625138D58@kientzle.com> <20111118203122.GA9508@freebsd.org> <E693FAEB-1D8D-41A0-AEB7-3EB00419F432@kientzle.com> <20111120124034.GA54811@freebsd.org> <20111120140450.GA62286@freebsd.org> <20111120142131.GA64913@freebsd.org> <4eca40f5.fvA0Xb1G9w%2BwuGj6%perryh@pluto.rain.com>
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On Mon, 21 Nov 2011, perryh@pluto.rain.com wrote: > Alexander Best <arundel@freebsd.org> wrote: > >> here's a revised patch. >> ... >> +.Sh CAVEATS >> +If the >> +.Fn lseek >> +system call is operating on a device, which is incapable of seeking, >> +it will request the seek operation and complete successfully. > > I think it would be better without the first comma (after "device"). Definitely. Also, +.Sh CAVEATS +If the +.Fn lseek +system call is operating on a device, which is incapable of seeking, +it will request the seek operation and complete successfully. I would prefer something like "request the seek operation and return as if the seek was successful, even though no seek was performed." +The value of the pointer associated with such a device is undefined. "Which pointer?" That it is "the file offset" was clear from context where this line was moved from, but is no longer, here. +Device types which can be incapable of seeking include, +but are not limited to, tape drives. This is an awkward phrasing; perhaps just "Many tape drives are incapable of seeking and can trigger this bug."? -Ben Kaduk
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