bug#21130: test fail: 'tests/ls/stat-failed'

[Paul Eggert]

Pádraig Brady wrote:
> > On 24/07/15 22:46, Assaf Gordon wrote:
> > > If I understand correctly,
> > > The test creates a symlink to a directory then removes execute permissions:
> > >      mkdir d
> > >      ln -s / d/s
> > >      chmod 600 d
> > >
> > > Then tries to dereference it:
> > >       $ ls -Log d
> > >       ls: cannot access d/s: Permission denied
> > >       total 0
> > >       d????????? ? ?            ? s

> Another possibility might be that the chmod(1) and stat(2) are racy
> thus allowing the stat() to succeed? If that was the case then
> a stat d/s && skip_ ... would avoid the false failure?

Sorry, I don't understand the scenario here.  If the stat succeeds, why would ls 
output '????'?  The '????' means that the stat failed.