[bug #66134] Add a prefix to each diagnostic message to indicate if it is a warning message or an error message

URL:
  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?66134>

                 Summary: Add a prefix to each diagnostic message to indicate
if it is a warning message or an error message
                   Group: findutils
               Submitter: jbdlt
               Submitted: Wed 28 Aug 2024 10:20:43 AM UTC
                Category: find
                Severity: 3 - Normal
              Item Group: None
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
         Originator Name: 
        Originator Email: 
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
                 Release: None
           Fixed Release: None


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Follow-up Comments:


-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed 28 Aug 2024 10:20:43 AM UTC By: Jean-Baptiste de la Tour <jbdlt>

$ find --version
find (GNU findutils) 4.10.0


== The issue ==

The problem is present at least for these diagnostic messages but may be more
global (I have not tested it further).

link-to-link loop: 

$ ln -s link link
$ find -L -xtype l
find: ‘./link’: Too many levels of symbolic links
$ 


link-to-directory-to-link loop: 

$ ln -s . link
$ find -L -xtype l
find: File system loop detected; ‘./link’ is part of the same file system
loop as ‘.’.
$ 


directory with no permission: 

$ mkdir dir
$ chmod 000 dir
$ find -type f
find: ‘./dir’: Permission denied
$ 


The message itself does not indicate if it is a warning message or an error
message.

This has an impact on the user because:
* it indicates to the user:
	* where to find information on it
		* on
[https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/manual/html_node/find_html/Warning-Messages.html
GNU Findutils manual / 8.1.2 Warning Messages]
		* on
[https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/manual/html_node/find_html/Error-Messages-From-find.html
GNU Findutils manual / 12.1 Error Messages From *find*]
	* therefore: if it can be silenced with *-nowarn*
* it enables to filter diagnostic messages by message type (with *grep* —
[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/762348/how-can-i-exclude-all-permission-denied-messages-from-find#762360
see this example])

As a comparison, see the output (an extract) of the server Xorg:

Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
        (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
        (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(II) AIGLX: Suspending AIGLX clients for VT switch
(EE) client bug: timer event5 debounce: scheduled expiry is in the past
(-54ms), your system is too slow


In the opposite,
[https://www.gnu.org/software/findutils/manual/html_node/find_html/Error-Messages-From-find.html
GNU Findutils manual / 12.1 Error Messages From find] indicates that some
_error_ messages are prefixed by _"Warning:"_, example: _"Warning: filesystem
/path/foo has recently been mounted"_.

== PS ==

For _users_ reading this report, the answer is that they are _probably_ error
messages (because not removed by the *-nowarn* option — _or else_ they are
warning messages and there is a bug in *-nowarn*):

link-to-link loop:

$ ln -s link link
$ find -L -nowarn -xtype l
find: ‘./link’: Too many levels of symbolic links
$ 


link-to-directory-to-link loop:

$ ln -s . link
$ find -L -nowarn -xtype l
find: File system loop detected; ‘./link’ is part of the same file system
loop as ‘.’.
$ 


directory with no permission: 

$ mkdir dir
$ chmod 000 dir
$ find -nowarn -type f
find: ‘./dir’: Permission denied
$ 









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