internal/apply/hold.go

@@ -189,10 +189,13 @@ func present(path string) bool {
 	return err == nil
 }
 
-// recordedPath is whether this host has a record of making something at a path.
+// recordedPath is whether this host has a record of MAKING something at a path — a directory it
+// created, a file it wrote, an archive it unpacked. An access record is not one of those: it says
+// the mesh set permissions on a path it does not own, which is exactly what it does to a path
+// somebody else's software made, so a path it only has access for is still found (novox/hq ADR 0103).
 func recordedPath(known store.State, path string) bool {
 	for _, kind := range []declaration.Type{declaration.TypeDirectory, declaration.TypeFile,
-		declaration.TypeArchive, declaration.TypeAccess} {
+		declaration.TypeArchive} {
 		if known.Recorded(string(kind), path) {
 			return true
 		}

internal/apply/hold_test.go

@@ -1020,3 +1020,24 @@ func TestAHoldLetGoAndFoundAgainKeepsBothOriginals(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("the file found again was not held: %+v", o)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAPathTheMeshOnlySetAccessOnIsStillFound(t *testing.T) {
+	// An access record says the mesh set permissions on a path it does not own — which is what it
+	// does to somebody else's directory. It is not a record of making it (novox/hq ADR 0103).
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	data := filepath.Join(dir, "data")
+	if err := os.Mkdir(data, 0o700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	known := store.State{Resources: []store.Applied{
+		{ID: "hello-web.readable", Type: "access", Target: data, Origin: store.OriginDeclared}}}
+	m := &machine{containers: map[string]*fakeContainer{}}
+	report, _ := applyAdopted(t, adopted(t, untaken("hello-web.data"),
+		`{"id":"hello-web.data","type":"directory","path":"`+data+`","mode":"0755"}`), known, m, dir)
+	if o := outcomeOf(report, "hello-web.data"); o.Action != "held" {
+		t.Errorf("a directory the mesh only has access for was not held: %+v", o)
+	}
+	if info, _ := os.Stat(data); info.Mode().Perm() != 0o700 {
+		t.Errorf("it was re-moded to %o", info.Mode().Perm())
+	}
+}