Re: Use current directory for POSIX mkdir test in install-sh

[Paul Eggert]

"Alex Unleashed" <address@hidden> writes:

> -     if $mkdirprog -m $test_mode -p -- / >/dev/null 2>&1; then
> +     if $mkdirprog -m $test_mode -p -- . >/dev/null 2>&1; then

Sorry, but this fix causes install-sh to deduce the wrong
answer if the working directory is not searchable.

> Currently the test for POSIX compliance is run against the
> root directory, which gets annoying in those systems
> trying to wrap packages into a sandbox when building
> (making sure nothing relies on writing to external
> paths).

Sorry, I don't follow.  When using GNU mkdir, the test
doesn't write anything to external paths.  It does invoke
mkdir("/", ...) but that mkdir must fail, so nothing can be
written.

> This is the case of Gentoo for instance (when not
> using GNU mkdir).

What does the non-GNU mkdir do, that messes up your auditing
procedure?  Surely it doesn't actually _write_ anything to
'/'.  If we know more about the actual problem, perhaps we
can come up with a solution.

> mkinstalldirs for example already tests
> against the current directory.

mkinstalldirs is obsolete; it's no longer part of Autoconf.
The test in install-sh got moved from . to / for precisely
the above-mentioned reason.