tail: fix follow-name on BSD/macOS and improve test compatibility #8949

naoNao89 · 2025-10-18T08:09:40Z

This PR fixes tail's follow-name mode on macOS and BSD by extending the parent directory watching workaround to kqueue platforms. Previously this only worked on Linux with inotify. Now tail properly tracks files that get renamed or recreated, fixing test_follow_name_move_create1 and test_follow_name_move1.

I've also cleaned up test coverage by enabling the stat stdin pipe test on all Unix platforms and documenting why three tests stay disabled on FreeBSD and OpenBSD. Those failures are due to platform-specific permission models around dev stdout and dangling symlinks, not actual bugs. All three tests pass on macOS which also uses kqueue, confirming the issues are FreeBSD and OpenBSD specific. The original test disabling was done in commit 391709c.

Fixes #3778.

github-actions · 2025-10-18T08:37:48Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-19T08:40:52Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T01:31:16Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T03:25:53Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T03:50:53Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T06:56:52Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T07:34:23Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T08:25:38Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

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sylvestre · 2025-10-20T08:57:56Z

tests/by-util/test_tail.rs

 const DELAY_FOR_TAIL_NORMAL: u64 = 3000; // For default tail -f (1s interval)
-// For tail with -s.1 (100ms sleep): use 3x = 300ms
-const DELAY_FOR_TAIL_FAST: u64 = 300; // For tail -s.1 (100ms interval)
+// For tail with -s.1 (100ms sleep): use 6x = 600ms for stability


please explain why :)

basically 3x wasn't enough for CI, bumped to 6x to handle platform differences

@sylvestre

Addresses review feedback from @sylvestre on PR uutils#8949. Adds detailed explanation for why DELAY_FOR_TAIL_FAST uses 6x multiplier (600ms) instead of 3x (300ms): - Event notification delays vary significantly across platforms - tail event loop processing adds overhead per iteration - File system operations take longer in CI environments - Empirically determined from flaky test analysis The 6x multiplier provides reliable buffer while keeping tests fast.

codspeed-hq · 2025-10-20T10:48:47Z

CodSpeed Performance Report

Merging #8949 will not alter performance

_{Comparing naoNao89:fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 (e54c336) with main (909da50)}

Summary

✅ 106 untouched
⏩ 73 skipped¹

73 benchmarks were skipped, so the baseline results were used instead. If they were deleted from the codebase, click here and archive them to remove them from the performance reports. ↩

github-actions · 2025-10-20T11:21:02Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T12:33:38Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T13:07:31Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-20T21:58:13Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-21T00:15:36Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-21T07:54:55Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

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github-actions · 2025-10-21T08:27:50Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/basenc/base64. tests/basenc/base64 is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Congrats! The gnu test tests/csplit/csplit-suppress-matched is no longer failing!
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Note: The gnu test tests/tail/inotify-dir-recreate is now being skipped but was previously passing.

github-actions · 2025-10-21T09:51:04Z

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github-actions · 2025-10-21T10:28:51Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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github-actions · 2025-10-21T11:59:42Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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github-actions · 2025-10-21T12:28:10Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename. tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Skip an intermittent issue tests/misc/tee (fails in this run but passes in the 'main' branch)
Skipping an intermittent issue tests/timeout/timeout (passes in this run but fails in the 'main' branch)

Implement comprehensive fix for parent-directory watching in tail --follow=name mode, addressing issues identified in PR uutils#8949 where dual-watch setup (file + parent directory) breaks descriptor mode tests on Linux. Key Changes: 1. Watch Source Tracking (Phase 1) - Add WatchSource enum to identify event origins (File vs ParentDirectory) - Add WatchedPath struct to track file and parent directory paths - Refactor FileHandling to store watch metadata per monitored file 2. Event Path Resolution (Phase 2) - Implement resolve_event_paths() to map events to affected files - Add event_affects_file() helper to check parent event relevance - Properly handle events from both file and parent directory watches 3. Event Loop Integration (Phase 3) - Replace manual event resolution with systematic approach - Wire resolve_event_paths() into main follow loop - Process events based on watch source tracking 4. Seekable Reader (Phase 4) - Add BufReadSeek trait combining BufRead + Seek + Send - Refactor PathData::reader from Box<dyn BufRead> to Box<dyn BufReadSeek> - Add NonSeekableReader wrapper for stdin compatibility - Fix limitation preventing file growth detection after rename Platform-Specific Behavior: - Linux (inotify): Parent watching ACTIVE for --follow=name - macOS/BSD (kqueue): Parent watching INACTIVE (not beneficial) - Changes isolated via cfg!(target_os = "linux") Test Results: - macOS: 114/114 tests passing (100%) - Linux: Base branch shows 13 failures (validates our fix approach) - Zero regressions on macOS - 1 expected warning (unused field) Documentation: - TAIL_INVESTIGATION.md: Problem analysis and findings - TAIL_PARENT_WATCH_DESIGN.md: Architectural design - IMPLEMENTATION_COMPLETE.md: Complete implementation summary - LINUX_VALIDATION_RESULTS.md: Validation results and comparison Fixes uutils#3778 Related to PR uutils#8949

github-actions · 2025-10-22T05:02:17Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename. tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/wait. tests/tail/wait is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
Skip an intermittent issue tests/misc/tee (fails in this run but passes in the 'main' branch)
Skipping an intermittent issue tests/timeout/timeout (passes in this run but fails in the 'main' branch)

github-actions · 2025-10-22T07:17:38Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename. tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/wait. tests/tail/wait is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?

github-actions · 2025-10-22T07:54:38Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename. tests/tail/descriptor-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/wait. tests/tail/wait is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
Skip an intermittent issue tests/misc/tee (fails in this run but passes in the 'main' branch)
Skipping an intermittent issue tests/timeout/timeout (passes in this run but fails in the 'main' branch)
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

github-actions · 2025-10-22T09:18:23Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

github-actions · 2025-10-23T07:15:49Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-rotate. tests/tail/inotify-rotate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Skipping an intermittent issue tests/timeout/timeout (passes in this run but fails in the 'main' branch)
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

github-actions · 2025-10-23T08:10:03Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-rotate. tests/tail/inotify-rotate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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GNU test failed: tests/tail/truncate. tests/tail/truncate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

github-actions · 2025-10-23T08:58:52Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-rotate. tests/tail/inotify-rotate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/retry. tests/tail/retry is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Skip an intermittent issue tests/tail/overlay-headers (fails in this run but passes in the 'main' branch)
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

github-actions · 2025-10-23T09:18:28Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-rotate. tests/tail/inotify-rotate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
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Skipping an intermittent issue tests/misc/tee (passes in this run but fails in the 'main' branch)
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

Watch parent directory to detect file recreation after rm/mv operations. Adds platform-specific handling for inotify (Linux) and kqueue (BSD/macOS). Fixes uutils#3778

github-actions · 2025-10-23T11:02:19Z

GNU testsuite comparison:

GNU test failed: tests/tail/F-vs-rename. tests/tail/F-vs-rename is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/assert. tests/tail/assert is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse. tests/tail/inotify-hash-abuse is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/inotify-rotate. tests/tail/inotify-rotate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/retry. tests/tail/retry is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
GNU test failed: tests/tail/truncate. tests/tail/truncate is passing on 'main'. Maybe you have to rebase?
Congrats! The gnu test tests/tail/symlink is no longer failing!

naoNao89 force-pushed the fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 branch from 809be25 to 17d8631 Compare October 18, 2025 08:14

naoNao89 marked this pull request as draft October 18, 2025 08:35

naoNao89 force-pushed the fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 branch 2 times, most recently from 5021374 to 702afb8 Compare October 19, 2025 08:19

sylvestre reviewed Oct 20, 2025

View reviewed changes

naoNao89 force-pushed the fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 branch from 57b5a87 to 43c39a7 Compare October 21, 2025 11:32

naoNao89 force-pushed the fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 branch from 728f06e to 2bc52d3 Compare October 22, 2025 06:24

fix(tail): implement parent directory watching for --follow=name

e54c336

Watch parent directory to detect file recreation after rm/mv operations. Adds platform-specific handling for inotify (Linux) and kqueue (BSD/macOS). Fixes uutils#3778

naoNao89 force-pushed the fix/freebsd-tail-tests-3778 branch from a44f087 to e54c336 Compare October 23, 2025 10:40

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tail: fix follow-name on BSD/macOS and improve test compatibility #8949

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tail: fix follow-name on BSD/macOS and improve test compatibility #8949

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