Re: bug#80158: incorrect diagnostic from ed

[jackson]

On Sun, Jan 11, 2026, at 6:24 PM, Paul Eggert wrote:
> "ed" doesn't do that. It treats directories just 
> like regular file

Weren't directories readable in the old (e.g. version 6 or 7 Bell Labs Unix) 
days ... one could see the directory entries with their binary encoded inode 
numbers and directory entry names using plain open(2) and read(2) system calls, 
right?  The nice directory entry library routines, then kernel interface 
changes to better distinguish the special role that directory files and that 
abstracted directory entries across various file systems came as an after 
thought ... right?

Paul Jackson
jack...@fastmail.fm