empty.tcz bug ?

[Arslan S.]

well i can't decide wheter this is really a bug or maybe empty tcz shouldn't be allowed

but when you load an empty extension a symlink in root directory of filesystem is created:  "*" to "/tmp/tcloop/extname/*"

i have first discovered this for compiletc.tcz then created an empty test extension to verify it

tc 3.0a7

[robc]

I see this too when compiletc is loaded. Adding the /usr/local/tce.installed/compiletc file should fix this.

[Jason W]

Yeah, including a single file to an empty meta extension would be the best way to go I think, like the /usr/local/tce.installed/compiletc mentioned.

[robc]

This bug is still present for compiletc.

Perhaps a test in the extension audit script to make sure the extension is not empty? If it is empty, recreate it with /usr/local/tce.installed/extensionname.

[Jason W]

I think it is reasonable for a test for an empty .tcz and recreating it with /usr/local/tce.installed/extname if found as empty.  I am not at my box, but I will look and make sure a non-executable tce.installed entry present in extensions won't cause issue.  I will add it to the audit routine as a .tcz should have at least one file in it.

[robc]

the file could be an empty executable to avoid throwing errors

[Jason W]

Actually, the audit script already checks for tce.installed file and if there sets it to 755 perms if not already.  But perhaps better not to have an empty executable. 

Maybe better to add an empty file /usr/local/share/extname/extname so as to not interfere with tce.installed, as that is a common place for extension files to be copied to system and such.

[maro]

I can't see any harm in using an "empty executable" like '/usr/local/tce.installed/extension' as the following little test seems to proof (at least to myself):

Code: [Select]

tc@box:~$ touch x
tc@box:~$ chmod 755 x
tc@box:~$ ls -l x
-rwxr-xr-x    1 tc       staff            0 Oct 29 20:39 x
tc@box:~$ ./x
tc@box:~$ echo $?
0


[SvOlli]

Why not create a symlink to /bin/true?

[Jason W]

Actually, just creating an empty directory will suffice for not creating the * symlink.  Perhaps the /usr directory can be created in these empty extensions to save having to deal with /usr/local/tce.installed, and this way no new files are created to take up inodes.

[hiro]

What's the current state of this?
I don't understand the whole code, has anything been decided for the future?

[curaga]

The current code umounts an empty extension, thus saving one loop and in fact making an empty extension preferable to a dummy file/dir.

Whether the /* file still appears I'm not sure.

[Rich]

Hi curaga
I installed compiletc on January 15,2011 and /* still appears.

[tinypoodle]

/* can also appear with incomplete/corrupt downloads (e.g. with Appbrowser).

[hiro]

Thanks
*/