[thirdparty/util-linux.git] / misc-utils / namei.c

/*-------------------------------------------------------------

The namei program

By: Roger S. Southwick

May 2, 1990


Modifications by Steve Tell  March 28, 1991

usage: namei pathname [pathname ... ]

This program reads it's arguments as pathnames to any type
of Unix file (symlinks, files, directories, and so forth).
The program then follows each pathname until a terminal
point is found (a file, directory, char device, etc).
If it finds a symbolic link, we show the link, and start
following it, indenting the output to show the context.

This program is useful for finding a "too many levels of
symbolic links" problems.

For each line output, the program puts a file type first:

   f: = the pathname we are currently trying to resolve
    d = directory
    D = directory that is a mount point
    l = symbolic link (both the link and it's contents are output)
    s = socket
    b = block device
    c = character device
    p = FIFO (named pipe)
    - = regular file
    ? = an error of some kind

The program prints an informative messages when we exceed
the maximum number of symbolic links this system can have.

The program exits with a 1 status ONLY if it finds it cannot
chdir to /,  or if it encounters an unknown file type.
Commit	Line	Data
6dbe3af9 KZ	1	/*-------------------------------------------------------------
	2
	3	The namei program
	4
	5	By: Roger S. Southwick
	6
	7	May 2, 1990
	8
	9
	10	Modifications by Steve Tell March 28, 1991
	11
	12	usage: namei pathname [pathname ... ]
	13
	14	This program reads it's arguments as pathnames to any type
db8a3e23 KZ	15	of Unix file (symlinks, files, directories, and so forth).
db8a3e23 KZ	16	The program then follows each pathname until a terminal
6dbe3af9 KZ	17	point is found (a file, directory, char device, etc).
	18	If it finds a symbolic link, we show the link, and start
	19	following it, indenting the output to show the context.
	20
	21	This program is useful for finding a "too many levels of
	22	symbolic links" problems.
	23
	24	For each line output, the program puts a file type first:
	25
	26	f: = the pathname we are currently trying to resolve
	27	d = directory
	28	D = directory that is a mount point
	29	l = symbolic link (both the link and it's contents are output)
	30	s = socket
	31	b = block device
	32	c = character device
f062c8a6	33	p = FIFO (named pipe)
6dbe3af9 KZ	34	- = regular file
	35	? = an error of some kind
	36
	37	The program prints an informative messages when we exceed
	38	the maximum number of symbolic links this system can have.
	39
	40	The program exits with a 1 status ONLY if it finds it cannot
	41	chdir to /, or if it encounters an unknown file type.
	42
c07ebfa1	43