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

- From: Arnd Bergmann \<hidden\>
- Date: 2011-01-25 18:21:34 
- List: linux-api
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-api/2011/01/3669721
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-api/2011/01/3669681/t.md

```text
On Tuesday 25 January 2011 18:45:15 Roland McGrath wrote:
>  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.

I always assumed that this was done so that the *at syscalls can replace
both the ones that take a file descriptor (e.g. fstat) and the ones that
take a pathname (e.g. stat), which is sensible for the non-AT_FDCWD case,
although not documented in the man pages.

Treating the empty string special for AT_FDCWD is rather pointless, but
at least consistent.

	Arnd
```