[Bug 1818548] [NEW] namei -l incorrect error message

[Seth Arnold]

Public bug reported:

Hello, namei -l gives incorrect error messages if a directory is not
readable:

$ namei -l /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
f: /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
drwxr-xr-x root root     /
drwxr-xr-x root root     etc
drwxr-xr-x root root     ssl
drwx--x--- root ssl-cert private
                         ssl-cert-snakeoil.key - No such file or directory
$ cat /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
cat: /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key: Permission denied
$ ls -l /etc/ssl/private/
ls: cannot open directory '/etc/ssl/private/': Permission denied


"No such file or directory" is a poor error message for this case. The correct error message (as shown by cat) is "Permission denied".

Incorrect error messages make this tool much less useful.

Thanks

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: util-linux 2.31.1-0.4ubuntu3.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-45.48-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-45-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Mar  4 09:00:12 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-10-18 (2328 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120823.1)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=rxvt-unicode-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: util-linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-02 (306 days ago)

** Affects: util-linux (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug bionic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1818548

Title:
  namei -l incorrect error message

Status in util-linux package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Hello, namei -l gives incorrect error messages if a directory is not
  readable:

  $ namei -l /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
  f: /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
  drwxr-xr-x root root     /
  drwxr-xr-x root root     etc
  drwxr-xr-x root root     ssl
  drwx--x--- root ssl-cert private
                           ssl-cert-snakeoil.key - No such file or directory
  $ cat /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
  cat: /etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key: Permission denied
  $ ls -l /etc/ssl/private/
  ls: cannot open directory '/etc/ssl/private/': Permission denied

  
  "No such file or directory" is a poor error message for this case. The correct error message (as shown by cat) is "Permission denied".

  Incorrect error messages make this tool much less useful.

  Thanks

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
  Package: util-linux 2.31.1-0.4ubuntu3.3
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-45.48-generic 4.15.18
  Uname: Linux 4.15.0-45-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Mon Mar  4 09:00:12 2019
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-10-18 (2328 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120823.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=rxvt-unicode-256color
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: util-linux
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-02 (306 days ago)

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