uutils / uutils/coreutils

bug(head): using `/dev/cuse` will lead to the utility, hangs

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U - head
Dominant language
Rust
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Description

Hi, uutils mainteners

as our testing confirms, the uu head, encouters /dev/cuse, it hangs forever

relunsec@relunsec:~/software/coreutils/target/debug$ sudo ./head -c -1 /dev/cuse
^C  
relunsec@relunsec:~/software/coreutils/target/debug$ sudo gnuhead -c -1 /dev/cuse
gnuhead: error reading '/dev/cuse': Invalid argument
relunsec@relunsec:~/software/coreutils/target/debug$ 

the uu head hangs forever until pressing CTRL+C while the gnu head errors out

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the hang with the uu head command using -c -1 /dev/cuse, then compare it with gnuhead, which reports an invalid-argument error. Trace the head utility's handling of this device input and make its behavior finish with an error instead of waiting indefinitely. Done means the command no longer hangs and matches the reported GNU behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

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