Subject: bug#4197: 23.1; error when try to run `server-start': directory .emacs.d/server is unsafe

From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:30:11 -0700

> I think this is the same as bug #865; merged.
> What do the following three expression evaluate to, in the 
> Emacs session that signals this error?
> 
>   (user-uid)

19729

>   (file-attributes "c:/.emacs.d/server/" 'integer)

(t 1 0 0 (18967 40688) (18657 6612) (18657 6611) 0
 "drwxrwxrwx" t (572354 . 24704) 240391127)

>   (file-attributes "c:/.emacs.d/server/" 'string)

(t 1 "Everyone" "Everyone" (18967 40688) (18657 6612)
 (18657 6611) 0 "drwxrwxrwx" t (572354 . 24704) 240391127)

> Finally, does it help to set w32-get-true-file-attributes to nil?

Yes! Thanks for your prompt reply.

If this is the same as #865, then I guess it is pretty old. Dunno whether my
laptop configuration (Windows XP SP3, with FAT32 drive) is atypical or not.

If not, until the bug is fixed you might consider changing the default value to
nil, since this stops users with a similar config from using emacsclient at all
(out of the box, emacs -Q). Unless they know about the workaround, that is.
Without your help, I never would have guessed it. I don't even understand the
error message, "The directory is unsafe" - maybe that message could refer me to
a manual section explaining unsafe directories?

Anyway, thanks for the workaround.