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diff --git a/winsup/doc/pathnames.xml b/winsup/doc/pathnames.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..3a85f00ff --- /dev/null +++ b/winsup/doc/pathnames.xml @@ -0,0 +1,495 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding='UTF-8'?> +<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.5//EN" + "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd"> + +<sect1 id="using-pathnames"><title>Mapping path names</title> + +<sect2 id="pathnames-intro"><title>Introduction</title> + +<para>Cygwin supports both POSIX- and Win32-style paths. Directory +delimiters may be either forward slashes or backslashes. Paths using +backslashes or starting with a drive letter are always handled as +Win32 paths. POSIX paths must only use forward slashes as delimiter, +otherwise they are treated as Win32 paths and file access might fail +in surprising ways.</para> + +<note><para>The usage of Win32 paths, though possible, is deprecated, +since it circumvents important internal path handling mechanisms. +See <xref linkend="pathnames-win32"></xref> and +<xref linkend="pathnames-win32-api"></xref> for more information. +</para></note> + +<para>POSIX operating systems (such as Linux) do not have the concept +of drive letters. Instead, all absolute paths begin with a +slash (instead of a drive letter such as "c:") and all file systems +appear as subdirectories (for example, you might buy a new disk and +make it be the <filename>/disk2</filename> directory).</para> + +<para>Because many programs written to run on UNIX systems assume +the existence of a single unified POSIX file system structure, Cygwin +maintains a special internal POSIX view of the Win32 file system +that allows these programs to successfully run under Windows. Cygwin +uses this mapping to translate from POSIX to Win32 paths as +necessary.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="mount-table"><title>The Cygwin Mount Table</title> + +<para>The <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> file is used to map Win32 +drives and network shares into Cygwin's internal POSIX directory tree. +This is a similar concept to the typical UNIX fstab file. The mount +points stored in <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> are globally set for +all users. Sometimes there's a requirement to have user specific +mount points. The Cygwin DLL supports user specific fstab files. +These are stored in the directory <filename>/etc/fstab.d</filename> +and the name of the file is the Cygwin username of the user, as it's +stored in the <filename>/etc/passwd</filename> file. The structure of the +user specific file is identical to the system-wide +<filename>fstab</filename> file.</para> + +<para>The file fstab contains descriptive information about the various file +systems. fstab is only read by programs, and not written; it is the +duty of the system administrator to properly create and maintain this +file. Each filesystem is described on a separate line; fields on each +line are separated by tabs or spaces. Lines starting with '#' are +comments.</para> + +<para>The first field describes the block special device or +remote filesystem to be mounted. On Cygwin, this is the native Windows +path which the mount point links in. As path separator you MUST use a +slash. Usage of a backslash might lead to unexpected results. UNC +paths (using slashes, not backslashes) are allowed. If the path +contains spaces these can be escaped as <literal>'\040'</literal>.</para> + +<para>The second field describes the mount point for the filesystem. +If the name of the mount point contains spaces these can be +escaped as '\040'.</para> + +<para>The third field describes the type of the filesystem. Cygwin supports +any string here, since the file system type is usually not evaluated. So it +doesn't matter if you write <literal>FAT</literal> into this field even if +the filesystem is NTFS. Cygwin figures out the filesystem type and its +capabilities by itself.</para> + +<para>The only exception is the file system type cygdrive. This type is +used to set the cygdrive prefix. For a description of the cygdrive prefix +see <xref linkend="cygdrive"></xref></para> + +<para>The fourth field describes the mount options associated +with the filesystem. It is formatted as a comma separated list of +options. It contains at least the type of mount (binary or text) plus +any additional options appropriate to the filesystem type. Recognized +options are binary, text, nouser, user, exec, notexec, cygexec, nosuid, +posix=[0|1]. The meaning of the options is as follows.</para> + +<screen> + acl - Cygwin uses the filesystem's access control lists (ACLs) to + implement real POSIX permissions (default). This flag only + affects filesystems supporting ACLs (NTFS, for instance) and + is ignored otherwise. + auto - Ignored. + binary - Files default to binary mode (default). + bind - Allows to remount part of the file hierarchy somewhere else. + In contrast to other entries, the first field in the fstab + line specifies an absolute POSIX path. This path is remounted + to the POSIX path specified as the second path. The conversion + to a Win32 path is done on the fly. Only the root path and + paths preceding the bind entry in the fstab file are used to + convert the POSIX path in the first field to an absolute Win32 + path. Note that symlinks are ignored while performing this path + conversion. + cygexec - Treat all files below mount point as cygwin executables. + dos - Always convert leading spaces and trailing dots and spaces to + characters in the UNICODE private use area. This allows to use + broken filesystems which only allow DOS filenames, even if they + are not recognized as such by Cygwin. + exec - Treat all files below mount point as executable. + ihash - Always fake inode numbers rather than using the ones returned + by the filesystem. This allows to use broken filesystems which + don't return unambiguous inode numbers, even if they are not + recognized as such by Cygwin. + noacl - Cygwin ignores filesystem ACLs and only fakes a subset of + permission bits based on the DOS readonly attribute. This + behaviour is the default on FAT and FAT32. The flag is + ignored on NFS filesystems. + nosuid - No suid files are allowed (currently unimplemented). + notexec - Treat all files below mount point as not executable. + nouser - Mount is a system-wide mount. + override - Force the override of an immutable mount point (currently "/"). + posix=0 - Switch off case sensitivity for paths under this mount point + (default for the cygdrive prefix). + posix=1 - Switch on case sensitivity for paths under this mount point + (default for all other mount points). + sparse - Switch on support for sparse files. This option only makes + sense on NTFS and then only if you really need sparse files. + Cygwin does not try to create sparse files by default for + performance reasons. + text - Files default to CRLF text mode line endings. + user - Mount is a user mount. +</screen> + +<para>While normally the execute permission bits are used to evaluate +executability, this is not possible on filesystems which don't support +permissions at all (like FAT/FAT32), or if ACLs are ignored on filesystems +supporting them (see the aforementioned <literal>acl</literal> mount option). +In these cases, the following heuristic is used to evaluate if a file is +executable: Files ending in certain extensions (.exe, .com, .bat, .btm, +.cmd) are assumed to be executable. Files whose first two characters begin +with '#!' are also considered to be executable. +The <literal>exec</literal> option is used to instruct Cygwin that the +mounted file is "executable". If the <literal>exec</literal> option is used +with a directory then all files in the directory are executable. +This option allows other files to be marked as executable and avoids the +overhead of opening each file to check for a '#!'. The +<literal>cygexec</literal> option is very similar to <literal>exec</literal>, +but also prevents Cygwin from setting up commands and environment variables +for a normal Windows program, adding another small performance gain. The +opposite of these options is the <literal>notexec</literal> option, which +means that no files should be marked as executable under that mount point.</para> +<para>A correct root directory is quite essential to the operation of +Cygwin. A default root directory is evaluated at startup so a +<filename>fstab</filename> entry for the root directory is not necessary. +If it's wrong, nothing will work as expected. Therefore, the root directory +evaluated by Cygwin itself is treated as an immutable mount point and can't +be overridden in /etc/fstab... unless you think you really know what you're +doing. In this case, use the <literal>override</literal> flag in the options +field in the <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> file. Since this is a dangerous +thing to do, do so at your own risk.</para> + +<para><filename>/usr/bin</filename> and <filename>/usr/lib</filename> are +by default also automatic mount points generated by the Cygwin DLL similar +to the way the root directory is evaluated. <filename>/usr/bin</filename> +points to the directory the Cygwin DLL is installed in, +<filename>/usr/lib</filename> is supposed to point to the +<filename>/lib</filename> directory. This choice is safe and usually +shouldn't be changed. An fstab entry for them is not required.</para> + +<para><literal>nouser</literal> mount points are not overridable by a later +call to <command>mount</command>. +Mount points given in <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> are by default +<literal>nouser</literal> mount points, unless you specify the option +<literal>user</literal>. This allows the administrator to set certain +paths so that they are not overridable by users. In contrast, all mount +points in the user specific fstab file are <literal>user</literal> mount +points.</para> + +<para>The fifth and sixth field are ignored. They are +so far only specified to keep a Linux-like fstab file layout.</para> + +<para>Note that you don't have to specify an fstab entry for the root dir, +unless you want to have the root dir pointing to somewhere entirely +different (hopefully you know what you're doing), or if you want to +mount the root dir with special options (for instance, as text mount).</para> + +<para>Example entries:</para> + +<itemizedlist spacing="compact"> +<listitem> + <para>Just a normal mount point:</para> + <screen> c:/foo /bar fat32 binary 0 0</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>A mount point for a textmode mount with case sensitivity switched off:</para> + <screen> C:/foo /bar/baz ntfs text,posix=0 0 0</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>A mount point for a Windows directory with spaces in it:</para> + <screen> C:/Documents\040and\040Settings /docs ext3 binary 0 0</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>A mount point for a remote directory, don't store POSIX permissions in ACLs:</para> + <screen> //server/share/subdir /srv/subdir smbfs binary,noacl 0 0</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>This is just a comment:</para> + <screen> # This is just a comment</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>Set the cygdrive prefix to /mnt:</para> + <screen> none /mnt cygdrive binary 0 0</screen> +</listitem> +<listitem> + <para>Remount /var to /usr/var:</para> + <screen> /var /usr/var none bind</screen> + <para>Assuming <filename>/var</filename> points to + <filename>C:/cygwin/var</filename>, <filename>/usr/var</filename> now + also points to <filename>C:/cygwin/var</filename>. This is equivalent + to the Linux <literal>bind</literal> option available since + Linux 2.4.0.</para> +</listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para>Whenever Cygwin generates a Win32 path from a POSIX one, it uses +the longest matching prefix in the mount table. Thus, if +<filename>C:</filename> is mounted as <filename>/c</filename> and also +as <filename>/</filename>, then Cygwin would translate +<filename>C:/foo/bar</filename> to <filename>/c/foo/bar</filename>. +This translation is normally only used when trying to derive the +POSIX equivalent current directory. Otherwise, the handling of MS-DOS +filenames bypasses the mount table. +</para> + +<para>If you want to see the current set of mount points valid in your +session, you can invoke the Cygwin tool <command>mount</command> without +arguments:</para> + +<example id="pathnames-mount-ex"> +<title>Displaying the current set of mount points</title> +<screen> + <prompt>bash$</prompt> <userinput>mount</userinput> + f:/cygwin/bin on /usr/bin type ntfs (binary,auto) + f:/cygwin/lib on /usr/lib type ntfs (binary,auto) + f:/cygwin on / type ntfs (binary,auto) + e:/src on /usr/src type vfat (binary) + c: on /cygdrive/c type ntfs (binary,posix=0,user,noumount,auto) + e: on /cygdrive/e type vfat (binary,posix=0,user,noumount,auto) +</screen> +</example> + +<para>You can also use the <command>mount</command> command to add +new mount points, and the <command>umount</command> to delete +them. However, since they are only stored in memory, these mount +points will disappear as soon as your last Cygwin process ends. +See <xref linkend="mount"></xref> and <xref linkend="umount"></xref> for more +information.</para> + +<note><para> +When you upgrade an existing older Cygwin installation to Cygwin 1.7, +your old system mount points (stored in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch +of your registry) are read by a script and the <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> +file is generated from these entries. Note that entries for +<filename>/</filename>, <filename>/usr/bin</filename>, and +<filename>/usr/lib</filename> are <emphasis role='bold'>never</emphasis> +generated. +</para> + +<para> +The old user mount points in your HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch of the registry +are not used to generate <filename>/etc/fstab</filename>. If you want +to create a user specific <filename>/etc/fstab.d/${USER}</filename> file +from your old entries, there's a script available which does exactly +that for you, <filename>/bin/copy-user-registry-fstab</filename>. Just +start the script and it will create your user specific fstab file. Stop +all your Cygwin processes and restart them, and you can simply use your +old user mount points as before. +</para></note> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="unc-paths"><title>UNC paths</title> + +<para>Apart from the unified POSIX tree starting at the <filename>/</filename> +directory, UNC pathnames starting with two slashes and a server name +(<filename>//machine/share/...</filename>) are supported as well. +They are handled as POSIX paths if only containing forward slashes. There's +also a virtual directory <filename>//</filename> which allows to enumerate +the fileservers known to the local machine with <command>ls</command>. +Same goes for the UNC paths of the type <filename>//machine</filename>, +which allow to enumerate the shares provided by the server +<literal>machine</literal>. For often used UNC paths it makes sense to +add them to the mount table (see <xref linkend="mount-table"></xref> so +they are included in the unified POSIX path tree.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="cygdrive"><title>The cygdrive path prefix</title> + +<para>As already outlined in <xref linkend="ov-hi-files"></xref>, you can +access arbitary drives on your system by using the cygdrive path prefix. +The default value for this prefix is <filename>/cygdrive</filename>, and +a path to any drive can be constructed by using the cygdrive prefix and +appending the drive letter as subdirectory, like this:</para> + +<screen> + bash$ ls -l /cygdrive/f/somedir +</screen> + +<para>This lists the content of the directory F:\somedir.</para> + +<para>The cygdrive prefix is a virtual directory under which all drives +on a system are subsumed. The mount options of the cygdrive prefix is +used for all file access through the cygdrive prefixed drives. For instance, +assuming the cygdrive mount options are <literal>binary,posix=0</literal>, +then any file <filename>/cygdrive/x/file</filename> will be opened in +binary mode by default (mount option <literal>binary</literal>), and the case +of the filename doesn't matter (mount option <literal>posix=0</literal>). +</para> + +<para>The cygdrive prefix flags are also used for all UNC paths starting with +two slashes, unless they are accessed through a mount point. For instance, +consider these <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> entries:</para> + +<screen> + //server/share /mysrv ntfs posix=1,acl 0 0 + none /cygdrive cygdrive posix=0,noacl 0 0 +</screen> + +<para>Assume there's a file <filename>\\server\share\foo</filename> on the +share. When accessing it as <filename>/mysrv/foo</filename>, then the flags +<literal>posix=1,acl</literal> of the /mysrv mount point are used. When +accessing it as <filename>//server/share/foo</filename>, then the flags +for the cygdrive prefix, <literal>posix=0,noacl</literal> are used.</para> + +<note><para>This only applies to UNC paths using forward slashes. When +using backslashes the flags for native paths are used. See +<xref linkend="pathnames-win32"></xref>.</para></note> + +<para>The cygdrive prefix may be changed in the fstab file as outlined above. +Please note that you must not use the cygdrive prefix for any other mount +point. For instance this:</para> + +<screen> + none /cygdrive cygdrive binary 0 0 + D: /cygdrive/d somefs text 0 0 +</screen> + +<para>will not make file access using the /mnt/d path prefix suddenly using +textmode. If you want to mount any drive explicitly in another mode than +the cygdrive prefix, use a distinct path prefix:</para> + +<screen> + none /cygdrive cygdrive binary 0 0 + D: /mnt/d somefs text 0 0 +</screen> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="pathnames-win32"><title>Using native Win32 paths</title> + +<para>Using native Win32 paths in Cygwin, while possible, is generally +inadvisable. Those paths circumvent all internal integrity checking and +bypass the information given in the Cygwin mount table.</para> + +<para>The following paths are treated as native Win32 paths in Cygwin:</para> + +<itemizedlist spacing="compact"> + <listitem> + <para>All paths starting with a drive specifier</para> +<screen> + C:\foo + C:/foo +</screen> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para>All paths containing at least one backslash as path component</para> +<screen> + C:/foo/bar<emphasis role='bold'>\</emphasis>baz/... +</screen> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para>UNC paths using backslashes</para> +<screen> + \\server\share\... +</screen> + </listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para>When accessing files using native Win32 paths as above, Cygwin uses a +default setting for the mount flags. All paths using DOS notation will be +treated as case insensitive, and permissions are just faked as if the +underlying drive is a FAT drive. This also applies to NTFS and other +filesystems which usually are capable of case sensitivity and storing +permissions.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="pathnames-win32-api"><title>Using the Win32 file API in Cygwin applications</title> + +<para>Special care must be taken if your application uses Win32 file API +functions like <function>CreateFile</function> to access files using +relative pathnames, or if your application uses functions like +<function>CreateProcess</function> or <function>ShellExecute</function> +to start other applications.</para> + +<para>When a Cygwin application is started, the Windows idea of the current +working directory (CWD) is not necessarily the same as the Cygwin CWD. +There are a couple of restrictions in the Win32 API, which disallow certain +directories as Win32 CWD:</para> + +<itemizedlist spacing="compact"> + <listitem> + <para>The Windows subsystem only supports CWD paths of up to 258 chars. + This restriction doesn't apply for Cygwin processes, at least not as + long as they use the POSIX API (chdir, getcwd). This means, if a Cygwin + process has a CWD using an absolute path longer than 258 characters, the + Cygwin CWD and the Windows CWD differ.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>The Win32 API call to set the current directory, + <function>SetCurrentDirectory</function>, fails for directories for which + the user has no permissions, even if the user is an administrator. This + restriction doesn't apply for Cygwin processes, if they are running under + an administrator account.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para><function>SetCurrentDirectory</function> does not support + case-sensitive filenames. + </para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Last, but not least, <function>SetCurrentDirectory</function> can't + work on virtual Cygwin paths like /proc or /cygdrive. These paths only + exists in the Cygwin realm so they have no meaning to a native Win32 + process.</para> + </listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para>As long as the Cygwin CWD is usable as Windows CWD, the Cygwin and +Windows CWDs are in sync within a process. However, if the Cygwin process +changes its working directory into one of the directories which are +unusable as Windows CWD, we're in trouble. If the process uses the +Win32 API to access a file using a relative pathname, the resulting +absolute path would not match the expectations of the process. In the +worst case, the wrong files are deleted.</para> + +<para>To workaround this problem, Cygwin sets the Windows CWD to a special +directory in this case. This special directory points to a virtual +filesystem within the native NT namespace (<filename>\??\PIPE\</filename>). +Since it's not a real filesystem, the deliberate effect is that a call to, +for instance, <function>CreateFile ("foo", ...);</function> will fail, +as long as the processes CWD doesn't work as Windows CWD.</para> + +<para>So, in general, don't use the Win32 file API in Cygwin applications. +If you <emphasis role='bold'>really</emphasis> need to access files using +the Win32 API, or if you <emphasis role='bold'>really</emphasis> have to use +<function>CreateProcess</function> to start applications, rather than +the POSIX <function>exec(3)</function> family of functions, you have to +make sure that the Cygwin CWD is set to some directory which is valid as +Win32 CWD.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="pathnames-additional"><title>Additional Path-related Information</title> + +<para>The <command>cygpath</command> program provides the ability to +translate between Win32 and POSIX pathnames in shell scripts. See +<xref linkend="cygpath"></xref> for the details.</para> + +<para>The <envar>HOME</envar>, <envar>PATH</envar>, and +<envar>LD_LIBRARY_PATH</envar> environment variables are automatically +converted from Win32 format to POSIX format (e.g. from +<filename>c:/cygwin\bin</filename> to <filename>/bin</filename>, if +there was a mount from that Win32 path to that POSIX path) when a Cygwin +process first starts.</para> + +<para>Symbolic links can also be used to map Win32 pathnames to POSIX. +For example, the command +<command>ln -s //pollux/home/joe/data /data</command> would have about +the same effect as creating a mount point from +<filename>//pollux/home/joe/data</filename> to <filename>/data</filename> +using <command>mount</command>, except that symbolic links cannot set +the default file access mode. Other differences are that the mapping is +distributed throughout the file system and proceeds by iteratively +walking the directory tree instead of matching the longest prefix in a +kernel table. Note that symbolic links will only work on network +drives that are properly configured to support the "system" file +attribute. Many do not do so by default (the Unix Samba server does +not by default, for example).</para> + +</sect2> + +</sect1> |