[PATCH v5 1/1] ldconfig: add --install option

DJ Delorie dj@redhat.com
Wed Jun 17 21:41:44 GMT 2026


Add --install option, which copies a pre-built ld.so.cache into place,
honoring the cache and root options and defaults.  This gives the user
a canonical "correct" way to install a pre-built cache without risk
of a program trying to load a partially-written file.

Co-authored-by: Adhemerval Zanella Netto <adhemerval.zanella@linaro.org>

--- >8 ---

Changes since v4:
  - Added testcase
  - Fix open mode

Changes since v3:
  - initialize w because some compilers can't tell initialization
    isn't needed.

Changes since v2:
  - removed "rename if possible" option to avoid removing source file.
    We always copy now.

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e2173fa1aa..484d09e6b3 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ Major new features:
 * Static PIE is now supported for arm-*-linux-gnueabi.  It requires toolchain
   support to correctly set the expected linker options.
 
+* Pre-built ld.so.cache files can be installed with ldconfig.
+
 Deprecated and removed features, and other changes affecting compatibility:
 
 * Although malloc and related functions currently return pointers
diff --git a/elf/Makefile b/elf/Makefile
index 5ede78c590..6b49a35dc4 100644
--- a/elf/Makefile
+++ b/elf/Makefile
@@ -708,6 +708,7 @@ tests-special += $(tests-execstack-special-$(have-z-execstack))
 ifeq ($(run-built-tests),yes)
 tests-special += \
   $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-X.out \
+  $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-install.out \
   $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-p.out \
   $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-soname.out \
   $(objpfx)tst-rtld-help.out \
@@ -2816,6 +2817,11 @@ $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-X.out : tst-ldconfig-X.sh $(objpfx)ldconfig
 		 '$(run-program-env)' > $@; \
 	$(evaluate-test)
 
+$(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-install.out : tst-ldconfig-install.sh $(objpfx)ldconfig
+	$(SHELL) $< '$(common-objpfx)' '$(test-wrapper-env)' \
+		'$(run-program-env)' > $@; \
+	$(evaluate-test)
+
 $(objpfx)tst-ldconfig-p.out : tst-ldconfig-p.sh $(objpfx)ldconfig
 	$(SHELL) $< '$(common-objpfx)' '$(sysconfdir)' '$(test-wrapper-env)' \
 		 '$(run-program-env)' > $@; \
diff --git a/elf/ldconfig.c b/elf/ldconfig.c
index 070e933df6..27dc25eede 100644
--- a/elf/ldconfig.c
+++ b/elf/ldconfig.c
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ static int opt_manual_link;
 /* Should we ignore an old auxiliary cache file?  */
 static int opt_ignore_aux_cache;
 
+/* Install a pre-existing cache file instead of generating a new one.  */
+static int opt_install;
+
 /* Cache file to use.  */
 static char *cache_file;
 
@@ -132,6 +135,7 @@ static const struct argp_option options[] =
   { NULL, 'l', NULL, 0, N_("Manually link individual libraries."), 0},
   { "format", 'c', N_("FORMAT"), 0, N_("Format to use: new (default), old, or compat"), 0},
   { "ignore-aux-cache", 'i', NULL, 0, N_("Ignore auxiliary cache file"), 0},
+  { "install", 'I', NULL, 0, N_("install pre-existing cache file"), 0},
   { NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, 0 }
 };
 
@@ -197,6 +201,9 @@ parse_opt (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state)
       else if (strcmp (arg, "new") == 0)
 	opt_format = opt_format_new;
       break;
+    case 'I':
+      opt_install = 1;
+      break;
     default:
       return ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN;
     }
@@ -1045,8 +1052,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   argp_parse (&argp, argc, argv, 0, &remaining, NULL);
 
   /* Remaining arguments are additional directories if opt_manual_link
-     is not set.  */
-  if (remaining != argc && !opt_manual_link)
+     and opt_install are not set.  */
+  if (remaining != argc && !opt_manual_link && !opt_install)
     {
       int i;
       for (i = remaining; i < argc; ++i)
@@ -1139,6 +1146,125 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
       exit (0);
     }
 
+  if (opt_install)
+    {
+      if (argv[remaining] == NULL)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0, _("Missing source file name"));
+
+      char *source = (opt_chroot
+		      ? chroot_canon (opt_chroot, argv[remaining])
+		      : argv[remaining]);
+      if (source == NULL)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Can't find %s"), argv[remaining]);
+
+      int src_fd = open (source, O_RDONLY);
+      if (src_fd < 0)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Can't open %s"), source);
+
+      char *dest = xmalloc (strlen (cache_file) + 1 + 1);
+
+      /* This matches the temp file created by cache.c, and should be
+	 on the same filesystem as the cache file.  */
+      sprintf(dest, "%s~", cache_file);
+      int dest_fd;
+
+      struct stat st;
+      if (fstat (src_fd, &st) < 0)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Can't stat %s"), source);
+
+      char buf[512];
+      int r, w = 0, sz = 0;
+      char *bp = buf;
+
+      /* Read the first part of the file and verify it looks
+	 reasonable.  */
+      while (sz < sizeof (buf)
+	     && (r = read (src_fd, bp, sizeof (buf) - sz)) > 0)
+	{
+	  sz += r;
+	  bp += r;
+	}
+      if (r < 0)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Error reading file %s"), source);
+
+      if (! ((sz >= sizeof (CACHEMAGIC)
+	      && memcmp (buf, CACHEMAGIC,
+			 sizeof (CACHEMAGIC) - 1) == 0)
+	     || (sz >= sizeof (CACHEMAGIC_NEW)
+		 && memcmp (buf, CACHEMAGIC_NEW,
+			    sizeof (CACHEMAGIC_NEW) - 1) == 0)))
+	{
+	  error (EXIT_FAILURE, 0,
+		 _("File %s does not look like an ld.so.cache file"),
+		 source);
+	}
+
+      /* Now write that first part out.  */
+      dest_fd = open (dest, O_CREAT|O_WRONLY|O_TRUNC|O_NOFOLLOW, S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR);
+      if (dest_fd < 0)
+	error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Can't create %s"), dest);
+
+      r = sz;
+      bp = buf;
+      while (r > 0 && (w = write (dest_fd, bp, r)) > 0)
+	{
+	  r -= w;
+	  bp += w;
+	}
+      if (w < 0)
+	{
+	  unlink (dest);
+	  close (dest_fd);
+	  error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Error writing file %s"), dest);
+	}
+
+      /* At this point, sz contains the number of bytes copied so far.
+	 Copy the rest of the file.  */
+      while ((r = read (src_fd, buf, sizeof(buf))) > 0)
+	{
+	  bp = buf;
+	  while (r > 0 && (w = write (dest_fd, bp, r)) > 0)
+	    {
+	      bp += r;
+	      r -= w;
+	      sz += w;
+	    }
+	  if (w <= 0)
+	    break;
+	}
+
+      close (src_fd);
+
+      /* Make sure we copied it all.  */
+      if (sz < st.st_size)
+	{
+	  unlink (dest);
+	  close (dest_fd);
+	  error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Unable to copy file %s to %s"),
+		 source, dest);
+	}
+
+      /* Make sure user can always read the cache file */
+      if (fchmod (dest_fd, S_IROTH|S_IRGRP|S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR))
+	{
+	  unlink (dest);
+	  close (dest_fd);
+	  error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno,
+		 _("Changing access rights of %s to %#o failed"), dest,
+		 S_IROTH|S_IRGRP|S_IRUSR|S_IWUSR);
+	}
+
+      fsync (dest_fd);
+      if (rename (dest, cache_file) < 0)
+	{
+	  unlink (dest);
+	  close (dest_fd);
+	  error (EXIT_FAILURE, errno, _("Can't rename %s to %s"), dest, cache_file);
+	}
+
+      close (dest_fd);
+      exit (0);
+    }
 
   if (opt_build_cache)
     init_cache ();
diff --git a/elf/tst-ldconfig-install.sh b/elf/tst-ldconfig-install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..550281c7ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elf/tst-ldconfig-install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Test that ldconfig --install installs a pre-built cache file.
+# Copyright (C) 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+# This file is part of the GNU C Library.
+
+# The GNU C Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+# modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+# version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+# The GNU C Library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+# Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License along with the GNU C Library; if not, see
+# <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+set -e
+
+common_objpfx=$1
+test_wrapper_env=$2
+run_program_env=$3
+
+testroot="${common_objpfx}elf/tst-ldconfig-install-directory"
+cleanup () {
+    rm -rf "$testroot"
+}
+trap cleanup 0
+
+rm -rf "$testroot"
+mkdir -p "$testroot/etc"
+
+ldconfig="${common_objpfx}elf/ldconfig"
+run_ldconfig () {
+    ${test_wrapper_env} ${run_program_env} "$ldconfig" "$@"
+}
+
+errors=0
+fail () {
+    echo "error: $1"
+    errors=1
+}
+
+# Build a pre-built cache to install.
+source="$testroot/prebuilt-ld.so.cache"
+mkdir -p "$testroot/lib"
+run_ldconfig -X -f /dev/null -C "$source" "$testroot/lib"
+test -r "$source" || fail "ldconfig did not create the pre-built cache"
+
+# Pad the source past the 512-byte internal copy buffer so that the multi-block
+# copy path is exercised, while leaving the cache magic at the start intact.
+dd if=/dev/zero bs=1024 count=4 >> "$source" 2>/dev/null
+
+dest="$testroot/etc/ld.so.cache"
+temp="$dest~"
+
+run_ldconfig --install -f /dev/null -C "$dest" "$source"
+
+# The destination must exist and be byte-identical to the source.
+if test -r "$dest"; then
+  if cmp -s "$source" "$dest"; then
+    echo "info: installed cache matches the source"
+  else
+    fail "installed cache differs from the source"
+  fi
+else
+  fail "destination cache file was not created"
+fi
+
+# The temporary file used during the atomic rename must not be left behind.
+if test -e "$temp"; then
+  fail "temporary file $temp was left behind"
+fi
+
+# The installed cache must be world-readable (0644).
+if test -r "$dest"; then
+  mode=$(ls -l "$dest" | cut -c1-10)
+  case "$mode" in
+    (-rw-r--r--) echo "info: installed cache has expected permissions" ;;
+    (*) fail "installed cache has unexpected permissions: $mode" ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+# A second install over an existing cache must also succeed.
+run_ldconfig --install -f /dev/null -C "$dest" "$source"
+if cmp -s "$source" "$dest"; then
+  echo "info: re-install over an existing cache works"
+else
+  fail "re-install produced a different cache"
+fi
+
+# Error case: a source file that is not a cache must be rejected, and no
+# destination must be produced.
+rm -f "$dest"
+notcache="$testroot/not-a-cache"
+echo "this is not an ld.so.cache file" > "$notcache"
+if run_ldconfig --install -f /dev/null -C "$dest" "$notcache" 2>"$testroot/err"; then
+  fail "ldconfig accepted a file that is not a cache"
+else
+  if grep -q "does not look like an ld.so.cache file" "$testroot/err"; then
+    echo "info: non-cache source correctly rejected"
+  else
+    fail "unexpected error message for non-cache source"
+    cat "$testroot/err"
+  fi
+fi
+test -e "$dest" && fail "destination created from an invalid source"
+
+# Error case: a missing source argument must be diagnosed.
+if run_ldconfig --install -f /dev/null -C "$dest" 2>"$testroot/err"; then
+  fail "ldconfig accepted --install without a source file"
+else
+  grep -q "Missing source file name" "$testroot/err" \
+    || fail "unexpected error message for missing source"
+fi
+
+# Error case: a nonexistent source must be diagnosed.
+if run_ldconfig --install -f /dev/null -C "$dest" \
+       "$testroot/does-not-exist" 2>"$testroot/err"; then
+  fail "ldconfig accepted a nonexistent source file"
+fi
+
+exit $errors



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