Re: [PATCH] vfs: Add PERM_* symbolic helpers for common file mode/permissions

[Ingo Molnar]

* Linus Torvalds <torvalds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 2:06 AM, Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> > +/*
> > + * Human readable symbolic definitions for common
> > + * file permissions:
> > + */
> > +#define PERM_r________ 0400
> > +#define PERM_r__r_____ 0440
> > +#define PERM_r__r__r__ 0444
> 
> I'm not a fan. Particularly as you have a very random set of
> permissions (rx and wx? Not very common), but also because it's just
> not that legible.
> 
> I've argued several times that we shouldn't use the defines at all.
> The octal format isn't any less legible than any #define I've ever
> seen, and is generally _more_ legible.
> 
> What's wrong with just using 0400 for "read by user"?

Yeah, the octal format isn't all that bad - at least relative to the symbolic 
obfuscation defines.

Thanks,

	Ingo