execl-toc

Tests an element and creates it, if it does not exist yet, with the default or specified options, then executes a program by default.

Interface

    execl-toc [ -h ] [ -v verbosity ] [ -n ] [ -t ] [ -D ] [ -X ] [ -d|p|S|m|L|e|b|c|k|n|g|r|s|t|u|w|x|f|z|O|U|N|V|E element ] [ -o opts ] [ -t type ] [ -d device ] [ -g gid ] [ -u uid ] [ -m mode ] [ -M mode ] [ -s|D|B ] [ -b backlog ] prog...

Execl-toc (Test Or Create) tests an element and creates it, if it does not exist yet, where an element can be a directory, a fifo, a socket, a mountpoint or a symlink, for testing and creation, and additionally a file and a string for testing only. Then it execs into the rest of its command line. The options are separated in three parts:

(1) main_options
(2) test_options
(3) create_options

and must be ordered at the command line in that sequence.

The creation of an element can be controlled with the help of create_options options. Some of these create_options are specific for a particular element, where others are general.

Exit codes

0 success
100 wrong usage
111 system call failed

Main options

Main_options are not mandatory.

-h : prints this help.
-v verbosity : increases/decreases the verbosity of the command.
- 1 : only print error messages. This is the default.
- 2 : also print warning messages.
- 3 : also print tracing messages.
- 4 : also print debugging messages.
-n : negate the test. Treat fail as true and vise versa.
-t : exit 0 if the test fail.
-D : performs the test without creating the element if it does not exist yet.
-X : do not execute prog.

Test_options

Test_options are mandatory and must precede the create_options. Parent directories of an element will also be created at creation process, if it doesn’t exist with 0755 as permissions, if -m is not specified.

Test and create:
- -d : true if element is a directory.
- -p : true if element is a fifo.
- -S : true if element is a socket.
- -m : true if element is a mountpoint.
- -L : true if element is a symlink.
Test only
- -e : true if element exist.
- -b : true if element is a block.
- -c : true if element is a character.
- -k : true if sticky bit is set for element.
- -n : true if the length of element is non-zero.
- -g : true if element is set-group-id.
- -r : true if element is readable.
- -s : true if the size of element is greater than zero.
- -t : true if element is open and refers to a terminal.
- -u : true if set-user-id bit is set for element.
- -w : true if element is writable.
- -x : true if element is executable.
- -f : true if element is a regular file.
- -z : true if the length of element is zero.
- -O : true if element is owned by the effective user id.
- -U : true if element is owned by the effective group id.
- -N : true if element has been modified since it was last read.
- -V : true if element exists on the environment.
- -E : true if element is an empty directory. The test performs a check of an existing block, character, fifo, regular file, directory or symlink, inside an element.

Create options

Depending on the element to create, create_options may or may not be mandatory. The following explanation specifies the mandatory ones.

-o opts : mount options (correspond to mount -o). This option has no effect in other cases.
-t type : type mount options (correspond to mount -t). This also is used in case of symlink creation as a target option. Mandatory is the case of mountpoint or symlink creation. This option has no effect in other cases.
-d device : device mount options (correspond to mount -t type device /directory). Mandatory is the case of mountpoint creation. This option has no effect in other cases.
-u uid : changes element’s owner to (numeric/name) uid after the creation. Default is the uid of the owner of the process. This option is used for directory and fifos creation and it has no effects in other cases. If mode is given by a name, it searches the user database for an entry with a matching name.
-g gid : changes element’s owner to (numeric/name) gid after the creation. Default is the gid of the owner of the process. This option is used for directory and fifos creation and it has no effects in other cases. If mode is given by a name, it searches the user database for an entry with a matching name then it searches the corresponding group of that name. If it’s not found, it searches the group database for an entry with a matching name.
-m mode : creates element’s permissions to (numeric) mode. Default is 0755, 0666 and 0777 for a directory, fifo and socket creation respectively. This option is used for directory, fifos and sockets creation and it has no effects in other cases.
-M mode : creates parent directories of the element with permissions to (numeric) mode. Default is 0755.
-s : element will be SOCK_DGRAM where element is a socket. Default SOCK_STREAM. This option is used for socket creation and it has no effects in other cases.
-D : disallow instant rebinding of element to the same path where an element is a socket. Default is allow. This option is used for socket creation and it has no effects in other cases.
-B : the element will be blocking where element is a socket. Default is unlocked. This option is used for socket creation and it has no effects in other cases.
-b backlog : set the maximum of backlog connection on the element where an element is a socket. Default SOMAXCONN. This option is used for socket creation and it has no effects in other cases.

Usage examples

Test and create a directory if it does not exist yet:

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -d /run/user/1000 -m 0700
    66-echo -- "/run/user was created"

Test a directory but do not create it if it does not exist:

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -D -d /run/user/1000
    66-echo -- "/run/user already exist"

Test a directory, do not create it if it does not exist, and do not execute prog

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    if -n { execl-toc -X -D -d /run/user/1001 }
    66-echo -- "/run/user/1001 does not exist"

Test a mountpoint and create it if it does not exist

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -m /dev/hugepage -o noatime,nodev,noexec,nosuid -t hugetlbfs -d hugepages
    66-echo -- "/dev/hugepage created and mounted successfully"

Test a socket and create it if it doesn’t exist

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -S /run/user/bus
    66-echo -- "you can now use the socket"

Test if a variable is set on the environment

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -V PATH
    66-echo -- "PATH variable is set"

Test if a file exists

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -e /home/obarun/.xinitrc
    66-echo -- ".xinitrc is a regular file"

Test if a file is executable

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -x /home/obarun/.xinitrc
    66-echo -- ".xinitrc is executable"

Test if a directory is empty

    #!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
    execl-toc -E /mnt
    66-echo -- "/mnt is emtpy"