[ python-Bugs-1460564 ] Misleading documentation for socket.fromfd()

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Bugs item #1460564, was opened at 2006-03-29 04:41
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by mikeh-id
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Category: Python Library
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Michael Smith (mlrsmith)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Misleading documentation for socket.fromfd()

Initial Comment:
The socket.fromfd() method does not correctly document
what it does, in a way that is likely to cause users to
leak file descriptors.

Proposed fix:

--- Modules/socketmodule.c      2005-09-14
20:15:03.000000000 +0200
+++
/home/msmith/src/Python-2.4.2/Modules/socketmodule.c  
     2006-03-29 11:28:35.000000000 +0200
@@ -3077,7 +3077,8 @@
 PyDoc_STRVAR(fromfd_doc,
 "fromfd(fd, family, type[, proto]) -> socket object\n\
 \n\
-Create a socket object from the given file descriptor.\n\
+Duplicate the given file descriptor, and create a
socket\n\
+object from the duplicate.\r\
 The remaining arguments are the same as for socket().");

 #endif /* NO_DUP */


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Comment By: Mike Howard (mikeh-id)
Date: 2006-03-31 11:52

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=1195975

I don't believe the comment is incorrect, but I think the
code should be changed to reflect the comment.

socket.fromfd() is designed to be used when stdin/out/err
are inhereted from an invoking process - most probably
inetd.  In this case, we get a file descriptor for an entity
which is really a socket and we need a socket in order to
perform i/o properly.  Consequently, I think it is an error
to dup() the fd within 'fromfd'.



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