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Defect in XSH popen

To: yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Defect in XSH popen
From: yyyy@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 00:14:40 +0100 (BST)
        Defect report from : Nick Stoughton , USENIX Association

(Please direct followup comments direct to yyyyyyyyyyyyyy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)

@ page 874 line 28523 section popen comment {nms-popen-1}

Problem:

Edition of Specification (Year): 2004

Defect code :  3. Clarification required

If the mode value is any character other than "r" or "w", according to line 
28523 the result is undefined. However, at line 28535, there is a defined error 
value (under a "may fail").

I am assuming that a bad char * pointer will cause undefined behavior, while a 
good pointer to a bad value will result in EINVAL. This could be explained more 
clearly. (NOTE, this is not an issue with fdopen or fopen, since these 
functions do not contain the "undefined" language).

Action:

EITHER Change line 28523 to:

If the value of the mode argument is a valid pointer, but does not reference 
the strings "r" or "w", popen shall fail and return a null pointer; otherwise 
the result is undefined.

OR (following fdopen and fopen model):
Delete line 28523
[[ leaving simply the "May Fail" error condition]]

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