[llvm-dev] O_CLOEXEC-like functionality for llvm::raw_fd_ostream

[Rafael Avila de Espindola via llvm-dev]

Pavel Labath via llvm-dev <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org> writes:

> Hello all,
>
> I am looking into using LLVM streams more extensively in LLDB (which
> currently rolls it's own stream classes). One of the things that's
> missing for me to be able to do that is the ability to open a file
> with the O_CLOEXEC flag (to prevent us leaking file descriptors into
> the debugged process).
>
> So I tried adding a F_NonInheritable flag to the raw_fd_ostream
> constructor, which would map to O_CLOEXEC on unix, and non-inheritable
> handles on windows. However, I encountered a discrepancy in the
> current behavior there.
>
> The current behavior on unix is to make the file descriptors
> inheritable (as that is the platform default). On windows, the current
> behavior is to make the handles *non*-inheritable (again, because of
> platform default). Obviously, if we add this flag, we will probably
> need to settle on a default behavior which is consistent across all
> platforms.
>
> Instead of going with the unix choice of inherit-by-default, I propose
> to go with the windows behavior where one has to explicitly opt into
> file handle inheritance. I believe that is the safer way, as when one
> thinks about creating a process, he usually knows which files/handles
> it wants it to inherit (so he can specify it), whereas if he is not
> creating a process, it does not matter whether it ends up being
> inheritable (and he can avoid it leaking by accident!).
>
> What do you think about this proposal? Does anyone know why this might
> be a bad idea?

I like the idea of non-inheritable by default.

Cheers,
Rafael