sftp-server failing to rename a file

[Darren Tucker]

Christian Recktenwald wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 10:55:30AM +1100, Darren Tucker wrote:
>> Christian Recktenwald wrote:
>> [...]
>>> So, the sftp "rename" command refuses to rename a file
>>> to an existing one.
>> This behaviour is mandated by the version of the filexfer draft that 
>> OpenSSH implements [1].  About SSH_FXP_RENAME, section 6.5 says:
>>
>>   "It is an error if there already exists a file
>>    with the name specified by newpath."
> 
> Yeah sure. But it would be of great benefit to change this.

Changing it is the wrong thing to do.  It may break a compliant client 
that relies on behaviour *required* by the spec.

Implementing an additional vendor extension as described by Damien would 
be ok, though.

> And as it is an (outdated) draft, you may take this as a 
> suggestion to change it also :-)

The later drafts also mandate increasing levels of other crud, so much 
so that it hasn't (and probably never will) reach standardization.

-- 
Darren Tucker (dtucker at zip.com.au)
GPG key 8FF4FA69 / D9A3 86E9 7EEE AF4B B2D4  37C9 C982 80C7 8FF4 FA69
     Good judgement comes with experience. Unfortunately, the experience
usually comes from bad judgement.