3 files changed, 94 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/support/Makefile b/support/Makefile
index 652d2cdf69..9063046c23 100644
--- a/support/Makefile
+++ b/support/Makefile
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ libsupport-routines = \
   support_capture_subprocess \
   support_capture_subprocess_check \
   support_chroot \
+  support_descriptor_supports_holes \
   support_enter_mount_namespace \
   support_enter_network_namespace \
   support_format_address_family \
diff --git a/support/support.h b/support/support.h
index b61fe0735c..34ae6e10cd 100644
--- a/support/support.h
+++ b/support/support.h
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ void support_write_file_string (const char *path, const char *contents);
    the result).  */
 char *support_quote_blob (const void *blob, size_t length);
 
+/* Returns non-zero if the file descriptor is a regular file on a file
+   system which supports holes (that is, seeking and writing does not
+   allocate storage for the range of zeros).  FD must refer to a
+   regular file open for writing, and initially empty.  */
+int support_descriptor_supports_holes (int fd);
+
 /* Error-checking wrapper functions which terminate the process on
    error.  */
 
diff --git a/support/support_descriptor_supports_holes.c b/support/support_descriptor_supports_holes.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c7099ca67c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/support_descriptor_supports_holes.c
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/* Test for file system hole support.
+   Copyright (C) 2018 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
+   <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <support.h>
+#include <support/check.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <xunistd.h>
+
+int
+support_descriptor_supports_holes (int fd)
+{
+  enum
+    {
+      /* Write offset for the enlarged file.  This value is arbitrary
+         and hopefully large enough to trigger the creation of holes.
+         We cannot use the file system block size as a reference here
+         because it is incorrect for network file systems.  */
+      write_offset = 16 * 1024 * 1024,
+
+      /* Our write may add this number of additional blocks (see
+         block_limit below).  */
+      block_headroom = 8,
+    };
+
+  struct stat64 st;
+  xfstat (fd, &st);
+  if (!S_ISREG (st.st_mode))
+    FAIL_EXIT1 ("descriptor %d does not refer to a regular file", fd);
+  if (st.st_size != 0)
+    FAIL_EXIT1 ("descriptor %d does not refer to an empty file", fd);
+  if (st.st_blocks > block_headroom)
+    FAIL_EXIT1 ("descriptor %d refers to a pre-allocated file (%lld blocks)",
+                fd, (long long int) st.st_blocks);
+
+  /* Write a single byte at the start of the file to compute the block
+     usage for a single byte.  */
+  xlseek (fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
+  char b = '@';
+  xwrite (fd, &b, 1);
+  /* Attempt to bypass delayed allocation.  */
+  TEST_COMPARE (fsync (fd), 0);
+  xfstat (fd, &st);
+
+  /* This limit is arbitrary.  The file system needs to store
+     somewhere that data exists at the write offset, and this may
+     moderately increase the number of blocks used by the file, in
+     proportion to the initial block count, but not in proportion to
+     the write offset.  */
+  unsigned long long int block_limit = 2 * st.st_blocks + block_headroom;
+
+  /* Write a single byte at 16 megabytes.  */
+  xlseek (fd, write_offset, SEEK_SET);
+  xwrite (fd, &b, 1);
+  /* Attempt to bypass delayed allocation.  */
+  TEST_COMPARE (fsync (fd), 0);
+  xfstat (fd, &st);
+  bool supports_holes = st.st_blocks <= block_limit;
+
+  /* Also check that extending the file does not fill up holes.  */
+  xftruncate (fd, 2 * write_offset);
+  /* Attempt to bypass delayed allocation.  */
+  TEST_COMPARE (fsync (fd), 0);
+  xfstat (fd, &st);
+  supports_holes = supports_holes && st.st_blocks <= block_limit;
+
+  /* Return to a zero-length file.  */
+  xftruncate (fd, 0);
+  xlseek (fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
+
+  return supports_holes;
+}