savannah: Skip vs. Abort on multi-file/dir operation

[zlatk0]

Original: ​http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?xxxxx

Submitted by:	Thomas Zajic <ZlatkO>	Submitted on:	Sat 16 Jun 2007 08:47:06 AM UTC
Category:	Core	Severity:	3 - Normal
Status:	Confirmed	Privacy:	Public
Assigned to:	None	Open/Closed:	Open
Release:	current (CVS or snapshot)	Operating System:	GNU/Linux

Original submission:

When mc encounters an error (eg. permission denied) while operating 
on multiple files and/or directories (eg. move, delete), it presents
an error dialog stating the problem and offers "Skip, Retry, Abort",
 which is fine.

However, if you chose "Skip", it actually does the same as if you 
had chosen "Abort", ie. it cancels the whole operation instead of 
actually skipping the problem file/directory and going on with the 
rest. This is especially annoying if you want to delete a huge 
directory tree which happens to have a few files strewn in that 
belong to a different user.

To reproduce, copy a directory tree as a user, change a few file 
ownerships and permissions somewhere within the tree, then go back 
to the top of the directory structure and hit F8. This has been 
bugging me for a while already, and I just stumbled across it again 
when I wanted to delete the thunderbird-2.0.0.4 build tree, so I 
decided to finally report this bug. :-)

I'm using the release version of mc-4.6.1 with a couple of Uhulinux 
patches from Egmont Koblinger (all of the UTF-8 patches and a few 
other ones).

[zlatko@disclosure]:~$ mc --version
GNU Midnight Commander 4.6.1
Virtual File System: tarfs, extfs, cpiofs, ftpfs, fish, mcfs, undelfs
With builtin Editor
Using system-installed S-Lang library with terminfo database
With subshell support as default
With support for background operations
With mouse support on xterm and Linux console
With support for X11 events
With internationalization support
With multiple codepages support 

Comment 1 by me <me4mc> at Sat 14 Jul 2007 09:27:33 PM UTC:

can confirm this bug in cvs, 4.6.1 or 4.6.1 + patches.
it only works if the complete tree is 755, otherwise they are 
unlinked without notice - however that works

i am working on a patch to support skipall, it might be possible i 
could fix that too.
but looking at the code i worry about recursion :)

its on line 1356 in file.c (recursive_erase)
the returnstatus gets abused and therefore lost unless it is a 
FILE_CONTINE:

1346: return file_error if != FILE_CONT
1328: return_status = file_error != FILE_CONT
1338: return return_status

the operation in line 1328 seems to be the odd one, but i cannot 
fully understand its working:
return_status =
(recursive_erase
(ctx, path, progress_count, progress_bytes)
!= FILE_CONT);

is it to end the while loop on abort?

besides the fact skip is ignored completely this should be a clean 
path before adding skip (&skipall)?

thanks for i|o

[ZlatkO]

As this bug annoys me whenever I stumble across it, I finally got off my lazy ass
and ported the patch for 4.6.1 that has been posted to the mailing list back in 2007
to the current stable version, 4.7.0.8.

The patch fixed the problem in 4.6.x, and it also works fine with 4.7.0.8 so far.

Related posts from the mailing list archive:

​http://mail.gnome.org/archives/mc-devel/2007-July/msg00005.html
​http://mail.gnome.org/archives/mc-devel/2007-July/msg00006.html
​http://mail.gnome.org/archives/mc-devel/2007-September/msg00039.html
​http://mail.gnome.org/archives/mc-devel/2007-September/msg00040.html

[ZlatkO]

updated patch for 4.7.0.8

[andrew_b]

I see many empty conditions in the patch:

if (return_status == FILE_SKIP);

What reason for that?

[ZlatkO]

I have no idea, you'd have to ask the original author. ;-)

All I did was "port" the original patch against 4.6.1 to 4.7.0.x. Maybe it's just
the author's way of saying "No, I didn't forget the FILE_SKIP case, but there's
nothing special we need to do here"? But that's only speculation.

I'll also attach the original patch against 4.6.1 that has been posted to the
mailing list, just in case.

[ZlatkO]

original patch against 4.6.1-CVS

[ZlatkO]

Just as a reminder, this annoying bug is still alive and kicking in 4.7.5.1 ... updated version accordingly (hope that's okay).

[ZlatkO]

Okay, so I've updated the patch yet again, to apply cleanly against 4.7.5.1. I also removed the empty conditions this time and re-arranged stuff a bit. Works fine for me so far.

[ZlatkO]

updated and cleaned up patch for 4.7.5.1

[andrew_b]

Created 71_skip_all branch (parent: master).
changeset:2f28c66edd8946370fe5dea790610b259bff4766

[andrew_b]

Merged to master.
changeset:0f1095ea387fcb5ebd7201710366312e66681d7e

[slyfox]

I've managed to get a hangup today.

Steps to reproduce:

1. run mc as unprivileged user
2. Left panel: create and enter empty /tmp/z/ directory
3. Right panel: go to /bin/ directory where

   $ ls -l /bin/ping*
   -rws--x--x 1 root root 39336 Feb 18 11:16 /bin/ping
   -rws--x--x 1 root root 43784 Feb 18 11:16 /bin/ping6
   

(note root-only read attribute!)

3. Select ping and ping6 and attempt to copy(F5).
4. When error dialog will pop up select Skip all.

Copy dialog won't dsappear without user interaction.

[andrew_b]

Sorry, this is my fault.

Created 71_skip_all_fix branch (parent: master).
changeset:eccdc09b985a12682b43f03f64a9382413084425

[andrew_b]

Merged to master.
changeset:ba4295e4f067fd351214543b2fcbae2f413fd117

[oernii]

I just clonened the latest from git and "Skip all" does not work on errors (copy all with symlinks) :(

[angel_il]

Replying to oernii:

I just clonened the latest from git and "Skip all" does not work on errors (copy all with symlinks) :(

how to reproduce this? step by step

[oernii]

1) untar this somewhere ​http://www.oernii.sk/mc_symlinks_skip_all_test.tar.gz
2) untar that to another_dir
3) mc-latest-git/mc somewhere another_dir
4) select "profiles" and hit F5
5) select "overwrite none"
6) select "skip all"

after this you receive 4 more "skip all" which is the bug. After "skip all" it should not bother me again and just skip the symlinks.

[andrew_b]

Replying to oernii:

1) untar this somewhere ​http://www.oernii.sk/mc_symlinks_skip_all_test.tar.gz
2) untar that to another_dir
3) mc-latest-git/mc somewhere another_dir
4) select "profiles" and hit F5
5) select "overwrite none"

What is it? The 'None' button in 'File exists' dialog?

6) select "skip all"

I don't get any error message after "overwrite none".

mc-4.7.8-pre2

[oernii]

I have this dialog:

---

Overwrite this target? [ Yes ] [ No ] [ Append ]
Overwrite all targets? [ All ] [ Update ] [ None ]

---

in step 5) select "None"

I've uploaded a short screencast to ​http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dStr6IE5FE

[andrew_b]

I see, thanks!

[oernii]

so is that a bug still?

[andrew_b]

Yes

[andrew_b]

Please review.
Branch: 71_skip_all_fix (parent: master).
changeset:f6be195b86850340b05b7e4f3371f44d17d46c67

[slavazanko]

Vote here with my latest commit in branch.

[andrew_b]

Merged to master.
changeset:184767a937681ea2d0f5d63a028eeaa4eea0ee11

[oernii]

Fantastic, works great. Now only if I could set that SKIP_ALL flag before the copying starts (like in tc) :-).