Bad error message when using Get-Content with a Directory

I just installed the latest release of the Powershell by typing: sudo dpkg -i powershell_6.0.0-alpha.12-1ubuntu1.16.04.1_amd64.deb

There was no errors during installation, but it seems that I have no access to Linux paths from Powershell (even as a root).

Steps to reproduce

Run powershell and type: Get-Content ~

Expected behavior

Should provide content of the home directory of current user (similarly as Linux command ls ~).

Please note that even if I run powershell as root (by typing sudo powershell) I receive mentioned error.

Actual behavior

“PermissionDenied” error

powershell

PS /home/testingdata> Get-Content ~                                             
Get-Content : Access to the path '/home/testingdata' is denied.
At line:1 char:1
+ Get-Content ~
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: (/home/testingdata:String) [Ge 
   t-Content], UnauthorizedAccessException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : GetContentReaderUnauthorizedAccessError,Microsof 
   t.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand
 
PS /home/testingdata> whoami                                                    
testingdata
PS /home/testingdata> 

Trying as a root:

sudo su
cd ~

PS /root>  Get-Content ~                                                        
Get-Content : Access to the path '/root' is denied.
At line:1 char:1
+ Get-Content ~
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: (/root:String) [Get-Content],  
   UnauthorizedAccessException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : GetContentReaderUnauthorizedAccessError,Microsof 
   t.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand
 
PS /root> whoami                                                                
root

Environment data

I use Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit.

Name Value

---

PSVersion 6.0.0-alpha
PSEdition Core
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
BuildVersion 3.0.0.0
GitCommitId v6.0.0-alpha.12
CLRVersion
WSManStackVersion 3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1

[SteveL-MSFT]

@iSazonov that’s an interesting idea and makes sense to me as an improvement, but since it’s a break change, let’s have Committee review the idea

[SteveL-MSFT]

@kedziorm agree that the error message isn’t a good one.

> cat ./Downloads/
/bin/cat: ./Downloads/: Is a directory

Updated title to reflect this discussion