Bug 592470 – sys-apps/gentoo-functions: consoletype failure aborts scripts with set -e

• Status: RESOLVED FIXED
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description James Le Cuirot 2016-08-30 20:43:19 UTC]

Created attachment 444480 [details, diff]
Prevent consoletype failure from aborting scripts with set -e

The call to consoletype usually fails when run as non-root as /sbin isn't in the user PATH. The PATH issue could be fixed but any failure breaks scripts that have set -e. Prepending the call with ! counteracts this. See the first patch.

[Comment 1 James Le Cuirot 2016-08-30 20:46:50 UTC]

Created attachment 444482 [details, diff]
Use absolute path to consoletype as /sbin is not in user PATH

This second patch calls consoletype with an absolute PATH. This doesn't take account of EPREFIX. I don't know whether you'd prefer to call hprefixify in the ebuild or have the Makefile take care of it with sed or something.

[Comment 2 Mike Gilbert 2016-08-30 20:51:54 UTC]

(In reply to James Le Cuirot from comment #1)

Another option would be to move consoletype to /bin; I see no reason to have it in sbin.

[Comment 3 James Le Cuirot 2016-08-30 20:55:38 UTC]

(In reply to Mike Gilbert from comment #2)
> Another option would be to move consoletype to /bin; I see no reason to have
> it in sbin.

That did cross my mind as well. Up to you.

[Comment 4 Mike Gilbert 2016-08-30 21:49:04 UTC]

(In reply to James Le Cuirot from comment #0)

I think this patch breaks set -e when consoletype happens to be in PATH. The exclamation mark just toggles the exit status between 0 and non-zero.

[Comment 5 James Le Cuirot 2016-08-30 21:56:42 UTC]

(In reply to Mike Gilbert from comment #4)
> 
> I think this patch breaks set -e when consoletype happens to be in PATH. The
> exclamation mark just toggles the exit status between 0 and non-zero.

Check man set, it causes the exit status to be ignored. I was going to do "|| true" but wondered if there is another way and turns out there is. I tested it in bash and dash.

[Comment 6 Sam James 2023-02-06 04:07:27 UTC]

Resolved by:

commit 1c801ce130726a81c59b96cdf4e2bef27893e0b7
Author: Kerin Millar <[e-mail]>
Date:   Thu Jul 28 01:57:17 2022 +0100

    functions.sh: fix TTY detection

    The use of stdout as an argument in consoletype seems to be based
    on a misunderstanding. It doesn't do anything except guarantee
    the exit status is 0. The value is thrown away anyway.

    This fixes e.g. elibtoolize (from elt-patches) having no colour
    for its e.g. ewarn/einfo/etc because when invoked from an ebuild,
    it's detected as serial.

    Use a simpler test instead. We may want to clean up the logic
    in consoletype in future too (just drop lines 82-85?).

    Signed-off-by: Kerin Millar <[e-mail]>
    Signed-off-by: Sam James <[e-mail]>