# Re: \[BUG\] Generic syscalls -- chmod vs. fchmodat

- From: Roland McGrath \<hidden\>
- Date: 2011-01-25 17:45:33 
- List: linux-api
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-api/2011/01/3669681
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-api/2011/01/3669681/t.md

```text
> My feeling is that it should be in glibc: as Mike mentioned, we don't normally
> change the behavior of existing system calls unless they are obviously
> broken to start with. If we want to keep fchmodat getting the implicit
> "." directory, and at the same time keep fchmod returning an error, the fchmod
> wrapper around fchmodat is the only place that can enforce this.

My point was that it's quite arguable that the *at syscall interfaces were
broken to begin with.  I've never seen anything suggesting their intent was
other than to permit relative pathnames, and the empty string has never
been a valid relative pathname.  To fit the POSIX requirements as I read
them, the *at functions must refuse to resolve the empty string.  So if the
kernel does not change and my interpretation of POSIX stands, then libc
must wrap all the *at syscalls with a function that checks for the empty
string and fails with ENOENT as a special case.

I don't have any strong opinion about this subject, but it makes the most
sense to me for the kernel's behavior to change.  I know of no reason to
think that the current treatment of the empty string was ever intended at
the creation of the *at interfaces.


Thanks,
Roland
```