uutils/coreutils · error · uucore::error::Error

Getting meta data

Error message

Getting meta data

What it means

Error "Getting meta data" thrown in uutils/coreutils.

Source

Thrown at src/uu/chcon/src/chcon.rs:536

            Error::from_io1(
                translate!("chcon-op-file-name-validation"),
                &file_full_name,
                err,
            )
        })?;

        let err = |s, k: io::ErrorKind| Error::from_io1(s, &file_full_name, k.into());

        let fts_err = |s| {
            let r = io::Error::from_raw_os_error(entry.errno());
            Err(Error::from_io1(s, &file_full_name, r))
        };

        // SAFETY: If `entry.fts_statp` is not null, then it is assumed to be valid.
        let file_dev_ino: DeviceAndINode = if let Some(st) = entry.stat() {
            st.try_into()?
        } else {
            return Err(err(
                translate!("chcon-op-getting-meta-data"),
                io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
            ));
        };

        let mut result = Ok(());

        match entry.flags() {
            fts_sys::FTS_D if options.recursive_mode.is_recursive() => {
                if root_dev_ino_check(root_dev_ino, file_dev_ino) {
                    // This happens e.g., with "chcon -R --preserve-root ... /"
                    // and with "chcon -RH --preserve-root ... symlink-to-root".
                    root_dev_ino_warn(&file_full_name);

                    // Tell fts not to traverse into this hierarchy.
                    let _ignored = fts.set(fts_sys::FTS_SKIP);

                    // Ensure that we do not process "/" on the second visit.

View on GitHub (pinned to 0b77ced485)

Solutions

1. Verify the file exists and the process has permission to stat it.
2. Handle dangling symlinks by deciding whether to follow them before reading metadata.

When it happens

Trigger: Occurs when chcon cannot read metadata of a file while applying security context changes.

Common situations: Files vanishing mid-operation, permission denied, or I/O errors while stating files.

AI-assisted analysis of uutils/coreutils@0b77ced485 (2026-08-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/25ea073a520aba1b. Report an issue: GitHub.