Debian Bug report logs - #516152
bash: --rcfile documentation doesnt match actual behavior

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: qqqqqqqqq9 <qqqqqqqqq9@web.de>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: bash: --rcfile documentation doesnt match actual behavior

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:19:51 +0100

Package: bash
Version: 3.2-4
Severity: normal

Hi,

in the manpage it is stated:

 --rcfile file
Execute commands from file instead of the system wide initialization file /etc/bash.bashrc and the standard personal initialization file ~/.bashrc if the shell is interactive (see INVOCATION below).

i however get: 
$ /bin/bash --rcfile emptyfile 
etcbashrc

which means, that the /etc/bash.bashrc ist read contrary to what the manpage says.


-- System Information:
Debian Release: 5.0
  APT prefers experimental
  APT policy: (990, 'experimental'), (500, 'gutsy'), (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.28-8-generic (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF8 (charmap=UTF-8) (ignored: LC_ALL set to de_DE.UTF8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages bash depends on:
ii  base-files                5              Debian base system miscellaneous f
ii  debianutils               2.31           Miscellaneous utilities specific t
ii  libc6                     2.9-1          GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libncurses5               5.7+20090214-1 shared libraries for terminal hand

Versions of packages bash recommends:
pn  bash-completion               <none>     (no description available)

Versions of packages bash suggests:
pn  bash-doc                      <none>     (no description available)

-- debconf-show failed

Message #10 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Michelle Konzack <michelle.konzack@tamay-dogan.net>

To: qqqqqqqqq9 <qqqqqqqqq9@web.de>, 516152@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#516152: bash: --rcfile documentation doesnt match actual behavior

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:19:24 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Am 2009-02-19 16:19:51, schrieb qqqqqqqqq9:
>  --rcfile file
> Execute commands from file instead of the system wide initialization file /etc/bash.bashrc and the standard personal initialization file ~/.bashrc if the shell is interactive (see INVOCATION below).

AFAIK does it require a full path where ~ and ${HOME} are acceptable

> i however get: 
> $ /bin/bash --rcfile emptyfile 
> etcbashrc
> 
> which means, that the /etc/bash.bashrc ist read contrary to what the manpage says.

It seems to be a fallbak function since bash can  not  find  your  empty
file.  Also, AFAIK, an ZERO lenght file is considered as non-existent.

A behaviour which I have seen in many programs.


Thanks, Greetings and nice Day/Evening
    Michelle Konzack
    Systemadministrator
    24V Electronic Engineer
    Tamay Dogan Network
    Debian GNU/Linux Consultant


-- 
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+33/6/61925193     67100 Strasbourg/France   IRC #Debian (irc.icq.com)

[signature.pgp (application/pgp-signature, inline)]

Message #15 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: 1 <qqqqqqqqq9@web.de>

To: 516152@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#516152: bash: --rcfile documentation doesnt match actual behavior

Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:17:13 +0100

Hi

when i try

$ /bin/bash --rcfile /home/promotion/emptyfile

i get the same behaviour

etcbashrc
emptyfile

$ cat /home/promotion/emptyfile
echo emptyfile
export horst=ps

$ cat /etc/bash.bashrc
echo etcbashrc

Guido

Michelle Konzack schrieb:
> Am 2009-02-19 16:19:51, schrieb qqqqqqqqq9:
>>  --rcfile file
>> Execute commands from file instead of the system wide initialization file /etc/bash.bashrc and the standard personal initialization file ~/.bashrc if the shell is interactive (see INVOCATION below).
> 
> AFAIK does it require a full path where ~ and ${HOME} are acceptable
> 
>> i however get: 
>> $ /bin/bash --rcfile emptyfile 
>> etcbashrc
>>
>> which means, that the /etc/bash.bashrc ist read contrary to what the manpage says.
> 
> It seems to be a fallbak function since bash can  not  find  your  empty
> file.  Also, AFAIK, an ZERO lenght file is considered as non-existent.
> 
> A behaviour which I have seen in many programs.
> 
> 
> Thanks, Greetings and nice Day/Evening
>     Michelle Konzack
>     Systemadministrator
>     24V Electronic Engineer
>     Tamay Dogan Network
>     Debian GNU/Linux Consultant
> 
> 

Message #22 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Rodrigo Silva <linux@rodrigosilva.com>

To: 516152@bugs.debian.org

Cc: Dafne Saqueti <daff.saqueti@hotmail.com>

Subject: Patch to fix the bug

Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:59:47 -0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

User should be able to prevent system rc and selecting a custom rc by using the --rcfile option, as per the documentation.

To fix the behavior so it matches the documentation, SYS_BASHRC should only
be executed if --rcfile is NOT used. And I truly hope the BEHAVIOR is changed, NOT the documentaion.

Also, documentation should be updated to clarify that --norc option disables --rcfile option.

Last but not least, -DSYS_BASHRC compile option should be properly documented, or at least included in configure options (as in --enable-system-bashrc)

The attached files are:
0000-xxx.patch: enables SYS_BASHRC so bug can be reproduced and the fix can be tested (not needed for the Debian source package, since SYS_BASHRC is already enabled by another patch in Debian systems
0001-xxx.patch: Fixes the bug. This is the ONLY patch meant for merge.

They were succesfully tested on upstream git "master" branch (4.2 patchlevel 20)

This was also reported (and submited) in upstream https://savannah.gnu.org/support/index.php?107950 , so I would be glad if everyone interested would voice their opinion (and vote) there too!

Sincerely,
Rodrigo Silva (MestreLion in Launchpad)

[0000-SYS_BASHRC-enabled-in-config-top.h.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

[0001-SYS_BASHRC-do-not-execute-etc-bash.bashrc-if-rcfile-is-set.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #27 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: hddqsb <hddqsb@gmail.com>

To: 516152@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Patch to fix the documentation

Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2016 23:29:40 +1300

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:59:47 -0200 Rodrigo Silva <linux@rodrigosilva.com>
wrote:
> User should be able to prevent system rc and selecting a custom rc by
using the --rcfile option, as per the documentation.
> ...
> This was also reported (and submited) in upstream
https://savannah.gnu.org/support/index.php?107950

Chet Ramey (an upstream Project Admin for Bash) rejected that report,
saying Debian's documentation is wrong.
Convincing Chet that the behaviour in Debian's documentation is preferable
to the current behaviour seems hard considering his 3-year response time.

I propose changing the documentation. The Debian file
debian/patches/man-bashrc.diff is affected.

I attached a new version of man-bashrc.diff, without the two parts that
change the documentation of --rcfile.
I've also attached a patch (man-bashrc.diff.patch) to get from the original
man-bashrc.diff to my proposed man-bashrc.diff.

Regards,
Tom Levy

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[man-bashrc.diff (text/plain, attachment)]

[man-bashrc.diff.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #32 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: hddqsb <hddqsb@gmail.com>

To: 516152@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Patch to fix the documentation

Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2016 18:50:29 +1300

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Tags: patch

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #39 received at 516152@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Dave Jones <dave.jones@canonical.com>

To: 516152@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Patch to fix the documentation

Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:10:59 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Attaching an updated patch based on the current state of unstable. Some 
bits of the prior patch already appeared in the documentation, other 
bits needed a little re-working, but the intent is the same: the 
behaviour of bash is unchanged, this just changes the documentation to 
match the behaviour.

Best regards,

Dave Jones.

[516152-1.debdiff (text/x-diff, attachment)]

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