#97 AFP: Unix Symlinks Break Appleshare Vols
Version: 1.5pre6-4
$ uname -a
Linux server 2.2.19pre17 #1 Tue Mar 13 22:37:59 EST 2001 i686
unknown
To reproduce:
mkdir testvol
cd testvol
mkdir dir
ln -s dir link
Export an AppleShare volume on testvol
Open up the AppleShare volume on a Mac
Results:
On Mac, full paths "testvol:dir" and "testvol:link" are both directories with the
same dirID. This is out of specification for Macintosh volumes, which must
be finite trees. This can cause correctly-written MacOS software to crash,
hang, or most likely merely complain (correctly!) that the volume is corrupt.
Expected:
"testvol:link" to be a file. I recommend copying the behaviour of Mac OS X,
whereby soft links are files containing the path in the DF, with no RF, type
'slnk'. Any creator is fine: MacOS X uses 'rhap', but you might want to pick
your own. The MacOS 9 finder will describe all such files as "Mac OS X
alias", and will give an "Original:" line in the "Get Info" window with the
referent path. Future versions of the Finder may be able to resolve them.
This would also make it possible to prevent AppleShare volumes from
being able to access anything out of their corresponding server directory.
This seems to me a useful security feature.
Note: I previously entered this bug into the Debian system.
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=105570
As explained in the manual: dont use symlinks on volumes.