Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Nikolai Weibull]

Zsh currently fails to write a history file if the directory
containing it doesn't exist.  Would a patch that creates the parent
directory if it doesn't exist before attempting to write to the
history file be of any interest?  I'd be willing to write such a
patch, but if this behavior is undesirable, I won't waste my time.

Re: Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Peter Stephenson]

"Nikolai Weibull" wrote:
> Zsh currently fails to write a history file if the directory
> containing it doesn't exist.  Would a patch that creates the parent
> directory if it doesn't exist before attempting to write to the
> history file be of any interest?  I'd be willing to write such a
> patch, but if this behavior is undesirable, I won't waste my time.

I'd have thought it was a reasonable expectation that the directory
already existed.  You can always add "mkdir -p ${HISTFILE:h}" when you
set HISTFILE, if you need to.

-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com>                  Software Engineer
CSR PLC, Churchill House, Cambridge Business Park, Cowley Road
Cambridge, CB4 0WZ, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070

Re: Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Nikolai Weibull]

On 10/8/07, Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com> wrote:

> "Nikolai Weibull" wrote:

<rant>
Why do mail user agents still do this?  My name /is/ Nikolai Weibull.
</rant>

> > Zsh currently fails to write a history file if the directory
> > containing it doesn't exist.  Would a patch that creates the parent
> > directory if it doesn't exist before attempting to write to the
> > history file be of any interest?  I'd be willing to write such a
> > patch, but if this behavior is undesirable, I won't waste my time.

> I'd have thought it was a reasonable expectation that the directory
> already existed.  You can always add "mkdir -p ${HISTFILE:h}" when you
> set HISTFILE, if you need to.

Yes, sure, but if we assume that this isn't always the case, would
code that dealt with this case be interesting for inclusion?

Re: Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Peter Stephenson]

Nikolai Weibull wrote:
> > I'd have thought it was a reasonable expectation that the directory
> > already existed.  You can always add "mkdir -p ${HISTFILE:h}" when you
> > set HISTFILE, if you need to.
> 
> Yes, sure, but if we assume that this isn't always the case, would
> code that dealt with this case be interesting for inclusion?

I'm frankly lukewarm about adding code for stuff that can already be
done in shell code if you need it, but if you think this is likely to
happen in practice I'll add your C code.

-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com>                  Software Engineer
CSR PLC, Churchill House, Cambridge Business Park, Cowley Road
Cambridge, CB4 0WZ, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070

Re: Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Nikolai Weibull]

On 10/8/07, Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com> wrote:

> Nikolai Weibull wrote:

> > > I'd have thought it was a reasonable expectation that the directory
> > > already existed.  You can always add "mkdir -p ${HISTFILE:h}" when you
> > > set HISTFILE, if you need to.

> > Yes, sure, but if we assume that this isn't always the case, would
> > code that dealt with this case be interesting for inclusion?

> I'm frankly lukewarm about adding code for stuff that can already be
> done in shell code if you need it, but if you think this is likely to
> happen in practice I'll add your C code.

I was guessing as much.  It's not a condition that comes up often.

I discovered this "problem" when I set up a new account for myself on
a new system.  I have HISTFILE set to  "~/.local/var/lib/zsh/history"
in an attempt at making my home directory somewhat Filesystem Hierachy
Standard "compliant".  Now "~/.local/var/lib" existed, but zsh wasn't
there.  Thus Zsh failed to open the history file.

[1] http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html

Re: Failing to write to history file if containing directory doesn't exist

[Clint Adams]

On Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 04:05:58PM +0200, Nikolai Weibull wrote:
> I discovered this "problem" when I set up a new account for myself on
> a new system.  I have HISTFILE set to  "~/.local/var/lib/zsh/history"
> in an attempt at making my home directory somewhat Filesystem Hierachy
> Standard "compliant".  Now "~/.local/var/lib" existed, but zsh wasn't
> there.  Thus Zsh failed to open the history file.

Personally, I'd be a little shocked and annoyed if zsh started creating
directories without my explicit permission.