On Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:28:35 -0000, Paul Eggert <[email protected]> wrote:
+ /* On GNU/Hurd hosts, getuid etc. can fail and return -1.
+ However, on GNU/Linux hosts, uid_t is an unsigned value and
+ getuid etc. can return the positive value (uid_t) -1. To
+ handle both cases correctly, consider getuid etc. to fail if
+ it returns a negative value (a value that is impossible on
+ GNU/Linux hosts).
+
+ GNU/Linux sysadmins should not give users the UID (uid_t) -1
+ even though uid_t is unsigned, as system calls like chown would
+ not have the desired behavior with such a UID, and other
+ coreutils applications therefore do not support such a UID.
+ However, 'id' makes a special attempt to handle this UID, to
+ help people diagnose the problem. */
s/etc\./e.t.c./g?
Personally, I had to read the second instance of "etc." three times before
being sure I had inferred the correct semantics of the dot (while I had no
problem with the first instance). This probably stems from stricter
punctuation rules in my native language when compared with English, but I
figure this simple change might help another or two speakers of English as
a second language while harming no one.
[/nitpick]
-,Bjartur
