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    Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save

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    • xomxX
      xomx @anno73
      last edited by

      @anno73 said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

      I use npp to edit script files on Windows that I then call from within WSL

      Generally - do not change Linux files using Windows apps directly, use rather the @Ekopalypse way instead:

      @Ekopalypse said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

      I edit the scripts via the network share \wsl$\Ubuntu…

      Windows file metadata (timestamps, permissions, ownership…) != *nix ones!
      WSL is the translation layer here…

      @anno73 said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

      Whenever I now save a script in npp, the executable bit gets cleared. This is not the case if I use Windows’ native notepad.exe instead

      Hmm, there is a possibility that it is a N++ fault, I will try to check it later.

      N++ for some complicated reason (long story short - the file-storage in heterogeneous systems/networks is a real Hell!) can use the WINAPI disposition parameter CREATE_ALWAYS under certain circumstances, which I suspect could be the culprit here, as it then effectively creates a completely new file instead of editing the original one (where you set that executable-bit before). In your case this should not happen (the TRUNCATE_EXISTING should be used instead) but who knows, this needs your STR debugging.

      @mkupper said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

      Notepad++ has always used Microsoft’s C Runtime (CRT) library for file I/O.

      This partially does not apply to file-writing from the v8.1.6+. N++ has been forced to start using the CreateFile WINAPI (to overcome severe Windows caching issues leading to possible data loss when Windows forcibly restarts or crashes). See e.g. here.

      @Alan-Kilborn said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

      Anyone else reading this topic not knowing what WSL means?

      A good start for usage and installation is described here.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
      • A
        anno73
        last edited by

        Thanks all for thoughts and suggestions. One thing I mentioned in my question seems to have been overlooked:

        • These scripts are located on Windows file system and I access them via /mnt/d/…

        WSL allows to mount regular windows drives to /mnt/c, /mnt/d, … :

        $ mount | grep -e "/mnt/[cd]"
C:\ on /mnt/c type 9p (rw,noatime,dirsync,aname=drvfs;path=C:\;uid=1000;gid=1000;umask=22;fmask=111;metadata;case=off;symlinkroot=/mnt/,mmap,access=client,msize=65536,trans=fd,rfd=3,wfd=3)
D:\ on /mnt/d type 9p (rw,noatime,dirsync,aname=drvfs;path=D:\;uid=1000;gid=1000;umask=22;fmask=111;metadata;case=off;symlinkroot=/mnt/,mmap,access=client,msize=65536,trans=fd,rfd=3,wfd=3)

        So, no need for \wsl$… really to access these files. They reside somewhere blow D:… in my case here.

        And I start these scripts from within wsl. (/mnt/d/…/myscript.sh)

        Maybe this helps for better understanding and problem solving. Maybe the API calls npp uses to access files mangels with the attributes set from within wsl as @mkupper already mentioned.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • A
          anno73 @mkupper
          last edited by

          @mkupper said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

          @anno73 said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

          Whenever I now save a script in npp, the executable bit gets cleared.

          Can you confirm this?

          • Start Notepad++
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ cd /mnt/d
$ echo Hello > test.sh
$ ls -l test.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 u g 6 Nov  6 13:56 test.sh
$ chmod +x test.sh
$ ls -l test.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 u g 6 Nov  6 13:56 test.sh*
          • From Notepad++ open the file - don’t make any changes. Just open it.
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ ls -l test.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 u g 6 Nov  6 13:56 test.sh*
          • From Notepad++ change one letter in the file. Don’t save it yet. We just want the Notepad++ tab for the file to now be red.
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ ls -l test.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 u g 6 Nov  6 14:05 test.sh*
          • From Notepad++ do Ctrl+S to save the file. Don’t close the tab yet.
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ ls -l test.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 u g 7 Nov  6 14:10 test.sh
          • From Notepad++ do Ctrl+W to close the tab.
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ ls -l test.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 u g 7 Nov  6 14:10 test.sh
          • From Notepad++ do ALT+F4 to close/exit Notepad++
          • From within wsl inspect the file’s permissions using ls -l to confirm that the x or execute bit is on.
          $ ls -l test.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 u g 7 Nov  6 14:10 test.sh

          Did the x or execute bit get turned off anywhere in those steps? If so, what step?

          Following directions from above, the executable bits were removed upon save.

          I also tried to edit the file via opening \\wsl$\Debian\d\test.sh in npp, but this got prevented by a windows access denied error to mountpoint directory d.

          When editing \\wsl$\Debian\home\user\test.sh the executable bits are not reset.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
          • A
            anno73
            last edited by

            Out of curiosity, I also tried VSCode. The bits did not change upon save. The script stayed executable.

            xomxX 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • xomxX
              xomx @anno73
              last edited by

              @anno73

              Thanks for the details and the ls -l test. Now I see where the problem is (probably - I did not have time to setup a WSL test & debug that in N++ yet).

              The problem is really in what I already stated (a possibility that N++ uses in this case incorrectly the CREATE_ALWAYS file saving disposition parameter somehow instead of the TRUNCATE one). My mistake was in the wrong assumption, how the storage of such WSL Linux permissions is implemented on the Windows side in NTFS - I thought it would be the NTFS Alternate Data Streams (this is already covered in the N++ file saving code) but it is implemented via the Extended Attributes (ref.).

              So the fix should be easy - adding one more pre-check for the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_EA. I will see what I can do but please be patient, nowadays I have almost no free time…

              A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
              • A
                anno73 @xomx
                last edited by

                @xomx

                Thanks for having a look at the issue.

                I just remembered, I am using 32bit version of npp. So I tested the 64bit version too: There it works as expected. Executable bit is there after saving the file. Hope this gives you some more hints.

                xomxX 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                • xomxX
                  xomx @anno73
                  last edited by

                  @anno73 said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

                  Hope this gives you some more hints.

                  Actually, now it is more confusing to me ;-)
                  So maybe my EA theory is wrong.

                  I still cannot debug the issue because my current WSL installation just seems to have all gates up for the NTFS file-permissions (every file has all the permissions and the chmod cannot change anything, I probably have the NTFS drive mounted differently than you or setup somehow without the EA…)

                  A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • A
                    anno73 @xomx
                    last edited by anno73

                    @xomx

                    LOL

                    I have following entries in my /etc/fstab:

                    C:\     /mnt/c  drvfs   rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=22,fmask=111,metadata,case=off
D:\     /mnt/d  drvfs   rw,noatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=22,fmask=111,metadata,case=off

                    and this is /etc/wsl.conf:

                    [boot]
systemd = true

[automount]
enabled = true
options = "metadata,umask=22,fmask=111"

[network]
generateResolvConf = true

[interop]
enabled = true

                    I am not sure if anything else affects the file system mount logic in wsl.

                    xomxX 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                    • xomxX
                      xomx @anno73
                      last edited by

                      @anno73

                      Thanks, with the updated wsl.conf, it is ok now.

                      But I cannot reproduce your problem, my N++ (both 64- and 32-bit) does not mangle/delete the EA set by the chmod on save:

                      npp-WSL-chmod-test.png

                      I am even able to see, what the chmod +x command really does on the NTFS drive (EA) and the N++ does not change this:

                      npp-EA-WSL.png

                      Liming TieuL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • Liming TieuL
                        Liming Tieu @xomx
                        last edited by PeterJones

                        @xomx
                        I’m not sure if this helps.
                        I’m getting the same problem with the 64bit version of NPP version 8.5.7, when using NPP in windows to edit a file on a RHEL linux server over SSH (via mobaxterm).
                        Instead of the execute permissions being removed, rather NPP is saving all files with 644 permissions.
                        Which means no execute permissions in this case.
                        eg.

                        chmod 750 test.sh
-rwxr-x--- test.sh

                        when script is saved test.sh becomes

                        -rw-r--r-- test.sh
                        xomxX 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • xomxX
                          xomx @Liming Tieu
                          last edited by

                          @Liming-Tieu said in Notepad++ resets file permission bits for WSL files on save:

                          I’m getting the same problem with the 64bit version of NPP version 8.5.7

                          If you can, please 1st upgrade to the latest upcoming v8.7.5 (in the current v8.7.4 is a critical regression, it will be replaced by v8.7.5 soon). Why - there are many fixes which are related to this area, specifically - the next version from the yours (v8.5.8) fixed the overwriting of some NTFS metadata (“Fix saving files losing Alternate Data Stream issue. (Fix #1498, #8451, #8013)”).

                          (here you will find a convenient overview of all the changes in N++ versions: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/wiki/Changes )

                          Then please report back here, if your problem persists.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
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