#7985: Allow openFile on unknown file type -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Reporter: singpolyma | Owner: Type: bug | Status: new Priority: normal | Milestone: Component: Core Libraries | Version: 7.6.3 Resolution: | Keywords: Operating System: Unknown/Multiple | Architecture: | Unknown/Multiple Type of failure: None/Unknown | Test Case: Blocked By: | Blocking: Related Tickets: | Differential Rev(s): Wiki Page: | -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Comment (by rwbarton): I believe these cryptic communications refer to the following function. {{{ statGetType :: Ptr CStat -> IO IODeviceType statGetType p_stat = do c_mode <- st_mode p_stat :: IO CMode case () of _ | s_isdir c_mode -> return Directory | s_isfifo c_mode || s_issock c_mode || s_ischr c_mode -> return Stream | s_isreg c_mode -> return RegularFile -- Q: map char devices to RawDevice too? | s_isblk c_mode -> return RawDevice | otherwise -> ioError ioe_unknownfiletype }}} These are all the types of file defined by POSIX, but I suppose a system could add others. But it's unclear what to do here. What should we return for, say, `hIsSeekable` if you opened such a file? Just guessing once and for all that files of unknown type are seekable (or not seekable) doesn't seem right. Haven't looked into what else the file type is used for. -- Ticket URL: http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/7985#comment:8 GHC http://www.haskell.org/ghc/ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler