Description

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2019-07-29.04:22:16.840>
labels = ['type-bug', 'library', '3.9', '3.10', '3.11']
title = 'shutil.copyfile does not raise SpecialFileError for socket files'
updated_at = <Date 2021-12-11.18:41:20.112>
user = 'https://github.com/chrahunt'

activity = <Date 2021-12-11.18:41:20.112>
actor = 'iritkatriel'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2019-07-29.04:22:16.840>
creator = 'chrahunt'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 37700
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 3.0
messages = ['348595', '348596', '348602']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['chris.jerdonek', 'chrahunt', 'potomak']
pr_nums = ['16575']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'patch review'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue37700'
versions = ['Python 3.9', 'Python 3.10', 'Python 3.11']

Activity

1. chrahunt commented on Jul 29, 2019

   

   chrahuntmannequin

   on Jul 29, 2019

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   Currently shutil.copyfile only raises SpecialFileError for named pipes. When trying to use the function to copy a socket file, the exception raised depends on the platform, for example:

   macOS: "[Errno 102] Operation not supported on socket: '/Users/guido/src/mypy/dmypy.sock'"
   HP-UX: "[Errno 223] Operation not supported: 'example/foo'"
   Solaris: "[Errno 122] Operation not supported on transport endpoint: 'example/foo'"
   AIX: "[Errno 64] Operation not supported on socket: '../../example/foo'"
   Linux: "[Errno 6] No such device or address: 'example/foo'"

   This can be reproduced like:

       import os
       import shutil
       import socket
       import tempfile
   
       d = tempfile.mkdtemp()
       src = os.path.join(d, "src")
       dest = os.path.join(d, "dest")
       sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX)
       sock.bind(src)
   
       shutil.copyfile(src, dest)

   Making shutil.copyfile raise SpecialFileError for socket files would improve the interface of this function since the same class of error could be ignored. This is mostly useful with shutil.copytree, which defaults to copyfile for its copy function.
2. chrahunt

   added

   3.7 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.8 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directoryStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory

   type-bugAn unexpected behavior, bug, or errorAn unexpected behavior, bug, or error

   on Jul 29, 2019
3. chrahunt commented on Jul 29, 2019

   

   chrahuntmannequin

   on Jul 29, 2019

   MannequinAuthor

   More actions

   See also: the comment from

   cpython/Lib/shutil.py

   Line 245 in e1b9002

   # XXX What about other special files? (sockets, devices...)

   :

   XXX What about other special files? (sockets, devices...)
4. cjerdonek commented on Jul 29, 2019

   

   cjerdonek

   on Jul 29, 2019

   Member

   More actions

   This issue is being filed after coming up in pip's tracker here (in a comment by Guido): pypa/pip#5306 (comment)
5. iritkatriel

   added

   3.9 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.10 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.11only security fixesonly security fixes

   and removed

   3.7 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.8 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   on Dec 11, 2021
6. ezio-melotti

   transferred this issue fromon Apr 10, 2022
7. picnixz

   removed

   3.11only security fixesonly security fixes

   3.10 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   3.9 (EOL)end of lifeend of life

   on Dec 14, 2025
8. savannahostrowski

   added a commit that references this issue on Jun 30, 2026

   GH-81881: Raise `SpecialFileError` for sockets and devices in `shutil…

   040002c
9. maurycy

   added a commit that references this issue on Jul 1, 2026

   Merge branch 'main' into maurycy/bye-abba

   da7d768
10. hugovk

    closed this as completedon Oct 23, 2026

Issue actions