Re: touch --inside: new option for gzipped files

[Jim Meyering]

Bruno Haible <address@hidden> wrote:
> OK, taking these suggestions into account, here is a revised patch.
> Thanks Paul.
>
>
> 2003-05-25  Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>
>
>       * src/touch.c (look_inside): New variable.
>       (longopts): Add --inside.
>       (time_from_inside): New function.
>       (touch): Handle look_inside case.
>       (usage): Document option -i.
>       (main): Recognize option -i.
>       * doc/coreutils.texi (touch invocation): Document option -i.

Hi Bruno,

Thanks for doing that.
I like the idea, but have a couple questions.
Shouldn't it give a diagnostic and fail when the open from
`time_from_inside' fails?  At least when the failure is due e.g.,
to permission problems, like when trying to touch an unreadable file.

  $ ./touch --inside /etc/passwd

And wouldn't it be better also to use O_NONBLOCK | O_NOCTTY, as
for the other open call?

Jim