Preserve or restore the ownership of the target output file, if possible. This converges the behaviour of sponge a little bit more to the one of 'tee' and shell redirections.
Bug-Debian: https://bugs.debian.org/920118 Signed-off-by: Nicolas Schier <nico...@fjasle.eu> --- sponge.c | 7 +++++++ sponge.docbook | 7 +++---- 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/sponge.c b/sponge.c index f852ad5..59e0a2f 100644 --- a/sponge.c +++ b/sponge.c @@ -379,6 +379,13 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv) { } copy_tmpfile(tmpfile, outfile, bufstart, bufsize); } + + /* Attempt to change ownership according to the old file, but + * ignore errors, as most users will not have the rights to + * change ownership. */ + if (exists) { + chown(outname, statbuf.st_uid, statbuf.st_gid); + } } else { if (tmpfile_used) { diff --git a/sponge.docbook b/sponge.docbook index 303d6e6..0b34561 100644 --- a/sponge.docbook +++ b/sponge.docbook @@ -66,10 +66,9 @@ USA <command>sponge</command> preserves the permissions of the output file if it already exists. But in contrast to e.g. - <command>tee</command>, <command>sponge</command> might - not preserve or restore the original file ownership, no - matter whether it has been called by a privileged (root) - user. + <command>tee</command>, <command>sponge</command> does only + preserve or restore the original file ownership, if the current + user has the necessary rights. </para> <para> When possible, <command>sponge</command> creates or updates the -- 2.24.0
