Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!wanginst!ucadmus!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!chris From: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP (Chris Torek) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: Problem with patch and infinite directories Message-ID: <2519@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 12:35:37 EST Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.2519 Posted: Wed Jan 16 12:35:37 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 03:31:45 EST References: <792@enea.UUCP> <795@enea.UUCP> <4883@utzoo.UUCP> <1299@utah-gr.UUCP> <34@spar.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD Lines: 22 (I've deleted net.sources.bugs; it doesn't seem appropraite anymore) The super-user is allowed to create links to directories in most (probably all) versions of Unix. Until 4.2BSD, that was the ONLY way to make a new directory: if you wanted to "mkdir foo", the procedure was mknod "foo" as a directory link "foo/." to "foo" link "foo/.." to the directory in which foo was being made This can still be done in 4.2, to maintain (a semblance of) backward compatibility. In order to un-make a botched directory link, you have to use the unlink system call. Many systems now have a program (/etc/unlink) which just "unlink"s its argument, to facilitate this. -- (This line accidently left nonblank.) In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690) UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!chris CSNet: chris@umcp-cs ARPA: chris@maryland