GNU bug report logs - #41834
28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is a symlink to a nonexistent target

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is a symlink to
 a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 13:14:21 +0300

I have noticed that for some reason, within dired-x library and usage of
"Y" to make a relative symlink, that process fails, it makes the symlink
yet something is wrong, it says it is non-existent target.

Please look into the first step on this picture:
https://gnu.support/images/2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-20-13:03:12.jpg

The directory in the bottom window 2020-06-13 should become relative
symlink for other directory. 

The next step is shown on this picture below. I have turned on the
variable dired-dwim-target, so the upper directory appears there:
https://gnu.support/images/2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-20-13:04:35.jpg

The final result is shown on this picture:
https://gnu.support/images/2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-20-13:04:54.jpg

Yet, if I now try to enter the directory in the upper window 2020-06-13
I get error message that file is a symlink to a nonexistent target.

However, if I do in the shell from the same directory following:

cd ../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

from the same directory, then it works, then I can switch to that
directory, so the target does exists.



In GNU Emacs 28.0.50 (build 10, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, cairo version 1.14.8, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2020-06-08 built on protected.rcdrun.com
Repository revision: 80abaea1d9c6f1e53fe88befe16de3b219cdd919
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11907000
System Description: Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre

Recent messages:
ESC M-y is undefined
RelSymLink: 1 of 1
RelSymLink: 1 file done
C-M-g is undefined
You can run the command ‘other-window’ with C-x o
dired-get-file-for-visit: File is a symlink to a nonexistent target [2 times]
Making completion list...
<s-right> is undefined
<s-next> is undefined
<s-right> is undefined

Configured using:
 'configure --prefix=/package/text/emacs-2020-06-08 --with-modules
 --without-gpm --with-x-toolkit=lucid
 PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/home/data1/protected/GNUstep/Library/Libraries/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig'

Configured features:
XAW3D XPM JPEG TIFF GIF PNG RSVG CAIRO SOUND DBUS GSETTINGS GLIB NOTIFY
INOTIFY ACL GNUTLS LIBXML2 FREETYPE HARFBUZZ M17N_FLT LIBOTF ZLIB
TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS LUCID X11 XDBE XIM MODULES THREADS JSON PDUMPER
LCMS2 GMP

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: de_DE.UTF-8
  value of $LANG: de_DE.UTF-8
  value of $XMODIFIERS: @im=exwm-xim
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

Major mode: Dired by name

Minor modes in effect:
  tooltip-mode: t
  global-eldoc-mode: t
  electric-indent-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  tool-bar-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  blink-cursor-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  buffer-read-only: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Load-path shadows:
None found.

Features:
(shadow sort hashcash mail-extr emacsbug message rmc puny format-spec
rfc822 mml mml-sec password-cache epa derived epg epg-config gnus-util
rmail rmail-loaddefs text-property-search time-date subr-x seq byte-opt
gv bytecomp byte-compile cconv mm-decode mm-bodies mm-encode mail-parse
rfc2231 mailabbrev gmm-utils mailheader sendmail rfc2047 rfc2045
ietf-drums mm-util mail-prsvr mail-utils dired-aux cl-loaddefs cl-lib
dired-x easymenu thingatpt find-func dired dired-loaddefs tooltip eldoc
electric uniquify ediff-hook vc-hooks lisp-float-type mwheel term/x-win
x-win term/common-win x-dnd tool-bar dnd fontset image regexp-opt fringe
tabulated-list replace newcomment text-mode elisp-mode lisp-mode
prog-mode register page tab-bar menu-bar rfn-eshadow isearch timer
select scroll-bar mouse jit-lock font-lock syntax facemenu font-core
term/tty-colors frame minibuffer cl-generic cham georgian utf-8-lang
misc-lang vietnamese tibetan thai tai-viet lao korean japanese eucjp-ms
cp51932 hebrew greek romanian slovak czech european ethiopic indian
cyrillic chinese composite charscript charprop case-table epa-hook
jka-cmpr-hook help simple abbrev obarray cl-preloaded nadvice loaddefs
button faces cus-face macroexp files text-properties overlay sha1 md5
base64 format env code-pages mule custom widget hashtable-print-readable
backquote threads dbusbind inotify lcms2 dynamic-setting
system-font-setting font-render-setting cairo x-toolkit x multi-tty
make-network-process emacs)

Memory information:
((conses 16 54157 7923)
 (symbols 48 6813 1)
 (strings 32 18992 2150)
 (string-bytes 1 594945)
 (vectors 16 10928)
 (vector-slots 8 137766 9184)
 (floats 8 28 172)
 (intervals 56 489 0)
 (buffers 992 20))

-- 
Thanks,
Jean Louis

Message #8 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File
 is a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 12:52:43 +0200

Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:

> Please look into the first step on this picture:
> https://gnu.support/images/2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-20-13:03:12.jpg

I only get pages saying

  "Error, page not found, yet here are other pages for you"

when following your links.  Can I have done something wrong - or are
they dead links?

Thanks,

Michael.

Message #11 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
To: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is
 a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:06:20 +0300

* Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de> [2020-06-13 13:53]:
> Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Please look into the first step on this picture:
> > https://gnu.support/images/2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-20-13:03:12.jpg
> 
> I only get pages saying
> 
>   "Error, page not found, yet here are other pages for you"
> 
> when following your links.  Can I have done something wrong - or are
> they dead links?

Try again now, not all was uploaded in time.

Message #14 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File
 is a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 13:40:02 +0200

Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:

> Try again now, not all was uploaded in time.

Ok, I can see these screenshots now - thanks.

About your issue: does this happen every time (can you reproduce
reliably), and is this with emacs -Q?

And you said that the created link is actually ok since you can follow
it in a shell?  Could you please try if you can follow the link in a
newly started emacs instance?


Thanks,

Michael.

Message #17 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
To: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is
 a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:57:35 +0300

* Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de> [2020-06-13 14:40]:
> Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > Try again now, not all was uploaded in time.
> 
> Ok, I can see these screenshots now - thanks.
> 
> About your issue: does this happen every time (can you reproduce
> reliably), and is this with emacs -Q?

Yes, I have reproduced with emacs -Q

> And you said that the created link is actually ok since you can follow
> it in a shell?

I could follow it first time. Now when I review again I cannot follow
it. I have opened xterm inside and I could follow it. Now I opened
xterm and I cannot follow it.

I have noticed that "Y" causes wrong relative symlink, this one here:
S lrwxrwxrwx 1   65 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

And it should be this one:
S lrwxrwxrwx 1   71 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

And I have made that symlink from:

/home/data1/protected/public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

to

/home/data1/protected/Media/Pictures/Pictures/Year-2020/06/2020-06-13/2020-06-13
as symlink to /home/data1/protected/public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

I guess if you would recreate same directories at your side, you could
reproduce it.

The "Y" I used belongs to dired-x library.

In my opinion the error is in the calculation for relative
symlink.

Jean

Message #20 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
Cc: michael_heerdegen <at> web.de, 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50;
 Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is a symlink to a
 nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 15:05:01 +0300

> Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:57:35 +0300
> From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
> Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> I have noticed that "Y" causes wrong relative symlink, this one here:
> S lrwxrwxrwx 1   65 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13
> 
> And it should be this one:
> S lrwxrwxrwx 1   71 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13

Could it be that you actually used too many ".."s?

Message #23 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: michael_heerdegen <at> web.de, 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is
 a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 15:55:59 +0300

* Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> [2020-06-13 15:05]:
> > Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:57:35 +0300
> > From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
> > Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> > 
> > I have noticed that "Y" causes wrong relative symlink, this one here:
> > S lrwxrwxrwx 1   65 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13
> > 
> > And it should be this one:
> > S lrwxrwxrwx 1   71 13. Jun 14:51 2020-06-13 -> ../../../../../../../../public_html/louis.club/media/2020/06/2020-06-13
> 
> Could it be that you actually used too many ".."s?

I have only pressed Y and the symlink is created in such way that it
does not work.

I would need to edit the symlink to make it work, and then I added few
more dots to make it work to show what it should be.

Jean

Message #26 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File
 is a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 15:15:27 +0200

Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:

> I have only pressed Y and the symlink is created in such way that it
> does not work.

So you say you just confirm the suggested link name and you get an
invalid link?

I noticed that the path to your target dir contains a duplicate
directory file name "/Pictures/Pictures/".  These directories do really
exist like this in your file system, yes?

I try to find out if there is something special in your use case.
Personally I use Y very frequently and have never seen a problem like
this.


Thanks,


Michael.

Message #29 received at 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support>
To: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
Cc: 41834 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#41834: 28.0.50; Dired-x: Y makes symlink with error: File is
 a symlink to a nonexistent target
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2020 16:59:43 +0300

* Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de> [2020-06-13 16:16]:
> Jean Louis <bugs <at> gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > I have only pressed Y and the symlink is created in such way that it
> > does not work.
> 
> So you say you just confirm the suggested link name and you get an
> invalid link?

Yes, I pressed Y and I get invalid link

> I noticed that the path to your target dir contains a duplicate
> directory file name "/Pictures/Pictures/".  These directories do really
> exist like this in your file system, yes?

Of course, I gave you real time situation with screenshots and real
directories.

Thank you for noticing, maybe that is exactly the problem, so the
directory:

/home/data1/protected/Media/Pictures/Pictures

is actually symlink to:

/home/data1/protected/Work/2nd-Dynamic/Division_3/Dept_9/Pictures

Maybe it is related to calculation of the relative symlink.

> I try to find out if there is something special in your use case.
> Personally I use Y very frequently and have never seen a problem like
> this.

I use it frequently too and this is first time that I have encountered
this.

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