Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[H. Dieter Wilhelm]

Hello

I created a git clone of the sources, added some worktrees, changed the
contents of one file.  And decided to start anew but now I can't delete
all folders of the repo, Windows says I would need admin rights to
remove the remaining folders!  (The files in the tree are gone but not
all folders.)  When I'm looking at the properties of the remaining
folders it says they are all write protected and nobody is allowed to
remove the folders!  It seems the only thing I can do it to rename these
folders.

Is this a known problem with Windows10?

Thank you

      Dieter
-- 
Best wishes
H. Dieter Wilhelm
Zwingenberg, Germany

Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de>
> Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2021 22:27:42 +0100
> 
> I created a git clone of the sources, added some worktrees, changed the
> contents of one file.  And decided to start anew but now I can't delete
> all folders of the repo, Windows says I would need admin rights to
> remove the remaining folders!  (The files in the tree are gone but not
> all folders.)  When I'm looking at the properties of the remaining
> folders it says they are all write protected and nobody is allowed to
> remove the folders!  It seems the only thing I can do it to rename these
> folders.
> 
> Is this a known problem with Windows10?

No.  But you didn't describe what you tried to do in enough detail to
understand what could be the problem in your case.  Please add a more
detailed description, including which folders cause the problem.

Also, what is your Windows user? is it, per chance, Administrator?
What does Emacs say about the owner and the group of those problematic
folders?

Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[Phillip Lord]

"H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:

> Hello
>
> I created a git clone of the sources, added some worktrees, changed the
> contents of one file.  And decided to start anew but now I can't delete
> all folders of the repo, Windows says I would need admin rights to
> remove the remaining folders!  (The files in the tree are gone but not
> all folders.)  When I'm looking at the properties of the remaining
> folders it says they are all write protected and nobody is allowed to
> remove the folders!  It seems the only thing I can do it to rename these
> folders.
>
> Is this a known problem with Windows10?


I've only ever built Emacs as admin user (I use a bespoke single purpose
VM, so it's fine), so I have never seen this problem, but wouldn't have.

Phil

Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[H. Dieter Wilhelm]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de>
>> Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2021 22:27:42 +0100
>> 
>> I created a git clone of the sources, added some worktrees, changed the
>> contents of one file.  And decided to start anew but now I can't delete
>> all folders of the repo, Windows says I would need admin rights to
>> remove the remaining folders!  (The files in the tree are gone but not
>> all folders.)  When I'm looking at the properties of the remaining
>> folders it says they are all write protected and nobody is allowed to
>> remove the folders!  It seems the only thing I can do it to rename these
>> folders.
>> 
>> Is this a known problem with Windows10?
>
> No.  But you didn't describe what you tried to do in enough detail to
> understand what could be the problem in your case.  Please add a more
> detailed description, including which folders cause the problem.


  git
   - master
      - admin
         - nt
            - dist-build

I had a complete Emacs branch under master/, created by git worktree,
changed one file under dist-build/ (without comitting).  Then I wanted
to get rid of the complete repository and tried to erase the git/
folder.  I can't remember if I tried it first in dired (likely) or in
the MSYS2 shell.

All files and some folders are removed, only the folders which were
leading to the changed file are intact but I can't remove any of these
remaining folders!

> Also, what is your Windows user? is it, per chance, Administrator?

I don't know how to tell with Windows and this is a company machine.
I'm able to install programs but I'm not an IT admin.  I heard that our
IT guys were talking about "Open User" rights but I don't know if that
is a proper term or what that means.

> What does Emacs say about the owner and the group of those problematic
> folders?

I can only tell what dired shows, is there another way in Emacs?.  Dired
shows that I'm owner and that the folders belong to the group I'm member
of.  That is the same as the MSYS shell says.

When I'm looking at the folder properties, Windows tells me that they
are Read-only.  I can change this property but after reopening the
attributes they are again? read-only.  The only thing I can do is to
rename the folders...

Thank you for interest

      Dieter

Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[Óscar Fuentes]

"H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:

>   git
>    - master
>       - admin
>          - nt
>             - dist-build
>
> I had a complete Emacs branch under master/, created by git worktree,
> changed one file under dist-build/ (without comitting).  Then I wanted
> to get rid of the complete repository and tried to erase the git/
> folder.  I can't remember if I tried it first in dired (likely) or in
> the MSYS2 shell.
>
> All files and some folders are removed, only the folders which were
> leading to the changed file are intact but I can't remove any of these
> remaining folders!

Did you reboot the machine since? Either reboot the machine or check
that you don't have any leftover running processes from the build.
Windows won't delete a file that is opened by a process, or a directory
that is the working directory of a process.

Exit any MSYS2, CMD or Emacs shell, launch the Task Manager and in the
Details pane look for instances of `make', `gcc', `sh', `bash', `cmd',
`git', etc. Kill those processes and try removing the problematic
file/folder from Windows Explorer.

Windows10 VM installation: Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[H. Dieter Wilhelm]

Phillip Lord <phillip.lord@russet.org.uk> writes:

> "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:
>> Hello
>>
>> I created a git clone of the sources, added some worktrees, changed the
>> contents of one file.  And decided to start anew but now I can't delete
>> all folders of the repo, Windows says I would need admin rights to
>> remove the remaining folders!  (The files in the tree are gone but not
>> all folders.)  When I'm looking at the properties of the remaining
>> folders it says they are all write protected and nobody is allowed to
>> remove the folders!  It seems the only thing I can do it to rename these
>> folders.
>>
>> Is this a known problem with Windows10?
>
> I've only ever built Emacs as admin user (I use a bespoke single purpose
> VM, so it's fine), so I have never seen this problem, but wouldn't have.

Thank you for the hint.

I tried to do the compiling on a workstation of my company because it
runs, usually, 24/7.  Now I think the idea with a private VM is better
from a legal point of view.  Please tell me how to get a source medium
for such an installation?  My wife owns a Windows10 laptop but I don't
know how to bring a copy to my GNU-Linux system.

I'm only using Windows because I'm forced to (for some years to come),
so I'm not so knowledgeable in this regard.

          Dieter
-- 
Best wishes
H. Dieter Wilhelm
Zwingenberg, Germany

Re: Windows10 with MSYS2 shell: Can't erase directories from Emacs' git repo tree

[H. Dieter Wilhelm]

Óscar Fuentes <ofv@wanadoo.es> writes:

> "H. Dieter Wilhelm" <dieter@duenenhof-wilhelm.de> writes:
>
>>   git
>>    - master
>>       - admin
>>          - nt
>>             - dist-build
>>
>> I had a complete Emacs branch under master/, created by git worktree,
>> changed one file under dist-build/ (without comitting).  Then I wanted
>> to get rid of the complete repository and tried to erase the git/
>> folder.  I can't remember if I tried it first in dired (likely) or in
>> the MSYS2 shell.
>>
>> All files and some folders are removed, only the folders which were
>> leading to the changed file are intact but I can't remove any of these
>> remaining folders!
>
> Did you reboot the machine since? Either reboot the machine or check
> that you don't have any leftover running processes from the build.
> Windows won't delete a file that is opened by a process, or a directory
> that is the working directory of a process.

Yes, I rebooted the machine already and still can't erase the folders.

> Exit any MSYS2, CMD or Emacs shell, launch the Task Manager and in the
> Details pane look for instances of `make', `gcc', `sh', `bash', `cmd',
> `git', etc. Kill those processes and try removing the problematic
> file/folder from Windows Explorer.

But I'll double check this and report the outcome

Thank you for the hints

      Dieter

-- 
Best wishes
H. Dieter Wilhelm
Zwingenberg, Germany