Issue 17052 - cannot install on a filesystem which doesn't supports symbolic links
Summary: cannot install on a filesystem which doesn't supports symbolic links
Status: CLOSED NOT_AN_OOO_ISSUE
Alias: None
Product: Installation
Classification: Application
Component: code (show other issues)
Version: OOo 1.1 RC
Hardware: PC Linux, all
: P3 Trivial (vote)
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Olaf Felka
QA Contact: issues@installation
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2003-07-18 09:24 UTC by aschlager
Modified: 2003-09-10 13:07 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Issue Type: DEFECT
Latest Confirmation in: ---
Developer Difficulty: ---


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Description aschlager 2003-07-18 09:24:21 UTC
I had made a network install of OOo 1.1 RC. I want to make a workstation-install
as a user now.
The OpenOffice.org directory to which should be installed is a SAMBA-share.
SAMBA-Shares doesn't support symbolic links, but a Windows-System too doesn't
support such links, but there's no such problems.
Comment 1 Olaf Felka 2003-07-18 09:31:46 UTC
Please be more detailed. To reproduce I need a step by step description.
Comment 2 aschlager 2003-07-18 09:46:32 UTC
Hi,

following environment here:
Linux multiserver-environment (that means, a user have no control, on
which server he logs in).
The data-directory for this user is a mounted samba-share (smbfs).
For example:
/home/user1/   is an reserfs,
/home/user1/Data is a smbfs, mounted from a central file-server.

I've installed OOo 1.1RC with "setup -net" to /usr/local/OOo1.1RC.
Then, the user tries to make a workstation install
(/usr/local/OOo1.1RC/setup).
At the question of the installation-directory I answer:
/home/user1/Data/OpenOffice.org
Then a message like "cannot install on a filesystem which doesn't
supports symbolic links" came up.

I don't understand this, because on a windows system you don't have
symbolic links anyway.

-Andreas.
Comment 3 aschlager 2003-07-18 09:54:25 UTC
Sorry,

accidently changed agan do P1.
Comment 4 Olaf Felka 2003-07-18 11:03:00 UTC
Am I right, the samba share is a windows drive? OOo needs to create
symbolic links, that's not possible on vfat partitions. You also can't
install OO1 1.1 on mounted vfat drives. Same problem.
Or do you have a previously installed OOo 1.1 beta2 on your system?
Beta 2 has created a link 'x.lnk' that causes this error misleading
error message. The "link-bug" is fixed in 1.1 RC.
Comment 5 aschlager 2003-07-18 12:12:21 UTC
Yes, that's correct: the samba-share is a NT4.0 Server (NTFS).

But the thing I don't understand is, windows has no symbolic links,
but OOo 1.1RC for win32 is workin' well there.
Is there a difference in handling the installation-directory at the
win32 and unix/linux-version? Maybe thats a hint?

-Andreas.
Comment 6 Olaf Felka 2003-07-18 13:17:47 UTC
You are trying to install a linux version on a windows share. This
won't work. Installing a Win32 version on windows doesn't create
symbolic links, windows doesn't know such links.
Comment 7 aschlager 2003-07-19 15:28:41 UTC
Thst's right, Windows doesn't know how to deal with symbolic links.
But why is it necessary to make sybolic links at the install-directory
in the linux-version, when the windows-version can work without
symlinks in its install-directory???

For better understanding: I have here a multiserver-environment. A
user is logged in onetime on this server, the other time on an other
server. To give the user access to his data, these are stored on a
NT4-Server. Access to this server is given via a samba-share.
Now it is important to make a workstation-install of OOo on this
samba-share, because then it is possible that the user stores it
OOo-settings and data in a central place.
Comment 8 Olaf Felka 2003-07-21 09:37:50 UTC
This 'why' question should be asked at
dev-help@installation.openoffice.org. On linux we have symlinks and on
windows we don't. This is not a bug.
Comment 9 Olaf Felka 2003-07-21 09:38:36 UTC
Not a bug.
Comment 10 rblackeagle 2003-07-21 17:42:33 UTC
May I request that it be reopened.  Every time I've tried to install 
1.1beta2 and 1.1RC1 over an existing directory, I have gotten that 
message -- and I have been using Linux for years.  The message is 
erroneous and the refusal makes no sense in Linux.

I am forced to name a new directory or it simply will refuse to 
install.  The simple statement that "in linux we have symlinks" 
indicates an error in the coding when it obviously fails when 
installing over an existing directory -- in linux.
Comment 11 Olaf Felka 2003-07-22 08:41:27 UTC
Please read all comments. On 2003-07-18 I've written in this issue:
"Or do you have a previously installed OOo 1.1 beta2 on your system?
Beta 2 has created a link 'x.lnk' that causes this misleading
error message. The "link-bug" is fixed in 1.1 RC."
BTW: It doesn't make sense to install a newer build in the destination
of an older build. There may be some incompatibilities between files.
Comment 12 aschlager 2003-07-22 08:50:59 UTC
I've running OOo here since build 639, and there were absolutely no
problems with having the install-dir on a samba-share.
Suddenly with 1.1, this behaviour changes. I don't see the sence in
this. Why to change this if it works well for long time? I think, the
goal is to support a most widely range of installations.
And as I said before: In windows you don't have symlinks, and it works
too. Why doesn't it work in Linux at all?

BTW, it makes sense to install over an existing installation-dir,
because you have all the settings the user ever made there. You surely
didn't want to make these settings by hand for a crowd of users.
Comment 13 Olaf Felka 2003-07-22 09:02:15 UTC
This isn't the right forum for 'why questions'. Please go to
dev-help@installation.openoffice.org for your questions!
"BTW, it makes sense to install over an existing installation-dir,
because you have all the settings the user ever made there. You surely
didn't want to make these settings by hand for a crowd of users."
And what if these configfiles have have changed format or style? Your
office won't start or run I get a lot of bugs because installation
doesn't work. OOo isn't designed to he installed like this. If works,
good. If not, not a bug. You only should do this within the same minor
build.
Comment 14 Olaf Felka 2003-09-10 13:07:18 UTC
.