# fa2json Test Plan
## Overview
A Node.js test runner (`test/test.mjs`) that exercises `fa2json` against a
temporary ext4 filesystem on a loop device. The test produces a single
pass/fail result and cleans up after itself unconditionally.
Requires root (`fanotify` FID reporting and `mount` both need `CAP_SYS_ADMIN`).
---
## Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `test/test.mjs` | Test runner |
| `Makefile` | `make test` target calls `sudo node test/test.mjs` |
---
## Setup
1. Create a temporary image file (`mktemp /tmp/fa2json-test-XXXXXX.img`)
2. `truncate -s 10M` the image (sparse file, no need for `dd`)
3. `mkfs.ext4` the image
4. Create a temporary mount directory (`mktemp -d /tmp/fa2json-mnt-XXXXXX`)
5. `sudo mount
` (no `losetup` needed — `mount` accepts image files directly)
6. `sudo chown $(id -u) ` to hand ownership to the current user
7. `sync` to flush before fa2json starts listening
8. `sudo` spawn `fa2json ` as a child process (needs `CAP_SYS_ADMIN`)
9. Attach a `readline` interface to its stdout; parse each line as JSON and
push into an event buffer
Steps 6 and 7 ensure the `chown` event never enters the fa2json stream, and
all subsequent FS operations run unprivileged.
---
## Teardown
Runs unconditionally in a `finally` block:
1. Kill the `fa2json` child process
2. `sudo umount `
3. `rm` the image file
4. `rmdir` the mount directory
---
## Event Collection and the Marker Pattern
`fa2json` runs continuously for the entire test. To associate events with
specific operations, a marker file is used as a synchronisation barrier:
1. Perform a filesystem operation
2. Immediately `touch /.marker_N` (where N is a counter)
3. Wait until the event stream contains a CREATE event for `.marker_N`
4. Collect all events since the previous marker — this batch belongs to the
current operation
5. Assert on the batch, then advance the counter
If a marker event never arrives the test hangs, which indicates a failure at
the fa2json level itself.
---
## Path Handling
`fa2json` emits full paths including the mount prefix
(e.g. `/tmp/fa2json-mnt-XXXXX/dir_a/file.txt`). The runner strips this prefix
so assertions work against a virtual root:
```
/tmp/fa2json-mnt-XXXXX/dir_a/file.txt → /dir_a/file.txt
```
---
## Fanotify Mask Constants
Relevant flags (bitwise, check with `mask & FLAG`):
| Constant | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `FAN_ATTRIB` | `0x4` | Metadata/attribute change |
| `FAN_CLOSE_WRITE` | `0x8` | File closed after writing |
| `FAN_CREATE` | `0x100` | File or directory created |
| `FAN_DELETE` | `0x200` | File or directory deleted |
| `FAN_RENAME` | `0x10000000` | Rename (has `old` and `new` fields) |
| `FAN_ONDIR` | `0x40000000` | Event subject is a directory |
---
## Operations and Expected Events
Each row is one `doOp()` call. Events are matched by presence (not exact list)
— extra events from ext4 internals are ignored.
| Operation | Expected event(s) |
|---|---|
| `mkdir /dir_a` | CREATE \| ONDIR, name `/dir_a` |
| `touch /file_a.txt` | CREATE, name `/file_a.txt` |
| `echo "content" >> /file_a.txt` | CLOSE_WRITE, name `/file_a.txt` |
| `mkdir /dir_b` | CREATE \| ONDIR, name `/dir_b` |
| `touch /dir_b/nested.txt` | CREATE, name `/dir_b/nested.txt` |
| `mv /file_a.txt /file_b.txt` | RENAME, old `/file_a.txt`, new `/file_b.txt` |
| `mv /dir_b /dir_a/dir_b_moved` | RENAME \| ONDIR, old `/dir_b`, new `/dir_a/dir_b_moved` |
| `chmod 600 /file_b.txt` | ATTRIB, name `/file_b.txt` |
| `touch -m /file_b.txt` | ATTRIB, name `/file_b.txt` |
| `chmod 755 /dir_a` | ATTRIB \| ONDIR, name `/dir_a` |
| `rm /file_b.txt` | DELETE, name `/file_b.txt` |
| `rm /dir_a/dir_b_moved/nested.txt` | DELETE, name `/dir_a/dir_b_moved/nested.txt` |
| `rmdir /dir_a/dir_b_moved` | DELETE \| ONDIR, name `/dir_a/dir_b_moved` |
| `rmdir /dir_a` | DELETE \| ONDIR, name `/dir_a` |
---
## Pass / Fail
- All assertions pass → print summary, `process.exit(0)`
- Any assertion throws → print the failing operation, the expected event, and
the actual batch received, then `process.exit(1)`