inode number -> pathname? (4.2BSD)

[Thomas M. Breuel]

> I disagree!  If it were possible to set the current working directory
> to a given inode and device, then pwd would give you the answer.  All
> the permission information, and even the bit denoting whether or not
> this inode refers to a directory is stored in the inode, and can easily
> be checked in such a call.  Putting such a call in would be easy.  Just
> do what "chdir" (well, actually "chdirec" in 4.2) does after it calls
> "nami".  Why is this hard?
> 
> 			William LeFebvre

That's probably not a good idea. Many people/programs rely on the fact
that files within or below an inaccessible directory are inaccessible
regardless of their modes. Although there is in principle nothing wrong
with the idea of introducing a set of system calls that work by inode
rather than by name, it is incompatible with current habits and uses
of the file system.

						Thomas.