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Last update: 1997-05-20
9945-1-amd2-95 #1
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Defect Report Number: XXXX
Topic: Get User Name
Relevant Sections: 4.2.4, 4.7.2
Defect Report:
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Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 06:46:10 -0700
From: [email protected] (John Zolnowsky-Reeltime)
I am referring to sections 4.2.4 (Get User Name) and 4.7.2 (Determine
Terminal Device Name). POSIX.1c is ambiguous when getlogin_r() and
ttyname_r() cannot find the login or tty name, requiring that an error
code is to be returned but not identifying a specific error code.
Since the standard fails to specify a return code, applications cannot
expect to portably handle this condition.
Is this an oversight in the specification? I suggest that ESRCH should
be the error returned these functions cannot find a name.
John Zolnowsky
Interpretation response
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The standard does not speak to this issue and as such no conformance
distinction can be made between alternative implementations
based on this.
The standard is silent on what err shall be returned and the interpretations
committee belives that the silence is intentional. Strictly conforming
implementations are not constrainted in what they may return and applications
shall be ready to deal with varying behaviors.
Rationale
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None.
Forwarded to Interpretations group: Jan 3 1996
Completed: Feb 12 1996