[Bug libc/15124] New: No way to get correct strerror_r in programs needing newer Linux features, etc.

[Bug libc/15124] New: No way to get correct strerror_r in programs needing newer Linux features, etc.

[bugdal at aerifal dot cx]

http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=15124

             Bug #: 15124
           Summary: No way to get correct strerror_r in programs needing
                    newer Linux features, etc.
           Product: glibc
           Version: unspecified
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: libc
        AssignedTo: unassigned@sourceware.org
        ReportedBy: bugdal@aerifal.cx
                CC: drepper.fsp@gmail.com
    Classification: Unclassified


Most of the Linux-specific features exposed by glibc that aren't covered by
another legacy profile (svr4, bsd, etc.) are only available if _GNU_SOURCE is
defined by the application. This includes mmap flags, clone and clone flags,
cpuset and affinity settings, fcntl flags/commands, etc.

The problem with this arrangement is that _GNU_SOURCE also breaks certain
standard interfaces (at least strerror_r, but there may be others). Thus, a
program that needs both the Linux-specific features and non-broken, conforming
strerror_r, has no recourse but to split up translation units such that all of
the extensions are accessed only from small translation units that don't need
interfaces that might be broken by defining _GNU_SOURCE. This is a really ugly
mess.

To resolve the issue, some method for indicating "want GNU extensions, but
prefer standards whenever there's a conflict" should be available. Ideally this
would be the behavior of defining both _GNU_SOURCE and _POSIX_C_SOURCE or
_XOPEN_SOURCE, but if the risk of breaking existing applications is too great,
another approach would be acceptable. What's not acceptable is the current
situation where there's no way to say "I want to add extensions" without also
saying "I want to break standard functions".

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[Bug libc/15124] No way to get correct strerror_r in programs needing newer Linux features, etc.

[fweimer at redhat dot com]

https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=15124

Florian Weimer <fweimer at redhat dot com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |fweimer at redhat dot com
              Flags|                            |security-

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[Bug string/15124] No way to get correct strerror_r in programs needing newer Linux features, etc.

[jsm28 at gcc dot gnu.org]

https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=15124

Joseph Myers <jsm28 at gcc dot gnu.org> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Component|libc                        |string

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