Bug 2739 – If Temporary files directory is set to be unwritable then Audacity has a catalog of cryptic unhelpful errors

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Audacity 3.0.3 development began 19th April 2021

Audacity Bugzilla

Bug 2739 - If Temporary files directory is set to be unwritable then Audacity has a catalog of cryptic unhelpful errors


Summary:	If Temporary files directory is set to be unwritable then Audacity has a cata...

Status:	RESOLVED FIXED

Product:	Audacity
Classification:	Unclassified
Component:	Application Core
Version:	3.0.2
Hardware:	All All

Importance:	P2 RepeatableAll
Assigned To:	Default Assignee for New Bugs

URL:
Keywords:

Depends on:
Blocks:
	Show dependency tree / graph

Reported:	2021-04-11 11:09 UTC by Peter Sampson
Modified:	2021-07-16 14:13 UTC (History)
CC List:	11 users (show)

See Also:	2734 2740
Steps To Reproduce:	1) Directories Preferences 2) set the Temporary files directory to be C:\ (or similar om mac/Linux 3) Observe Error message: "Error opening a new empty project" 4) use Show log to expand the message 5) Observe: Expanded message (see attachment) 6) Dismiss the error with the OK button 7) Observe Audacity Launches 8) Press Record 10) Observe: error message "Failed to open the project's database" 11) attempt to import an audio file 12) Observe cryptic error message: "Connection to project file is null" 13) Click on the "?" help button to go to the Manual 14) Observe it lands here: https://alphamanual.audacityteam.org/man/Error:_Disk_full_or_not_writable 15) Observe: this obscure cryptic message is not listed here 16: Observe that nowhere is the user told what the real problem is
Release Note:
First Git SHA:
Group:	---
Workaround:
Closed:	2021-07-16 00:00:00

Flags:	petersampsonaudacity: Test‑OK‑Win+

Attachments
Full error message when temp files are on c:\ (24.65 KB, image/png) 2021-04-11 11:09 UTC, Peter Sampson	Details
Error message (47.91 KB, image/png) 2021-07-16 14:12 UTC, Peter Sampson	Details
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Description Peter Sampson 2021-04-11 11:09:27 UTC

Created attachment 1137 [details]
Full error message when temp files are on c:\

If the user in Directories Preferences sets the Temporary Files directory to be in an unwritable location (C:\ on Win for example) - then when next launching Audacity and trying to use it a catalog of errors and warnings arise, none of which explain to the user what the underlying problem is.

It would make a lot of sense from preventing the user from setting non-writable locations for this in Directories preference.


This is not a regression:
a) on 3.0.0 you get the same (minus the initial launch message)
b) on 2.4.2 - Audacity hangs when you try to record or import

I have only tested on W10 with Audacity 3.0.2 b73aa1c - but I assume this will apply on all platforms.


I don't know yet what happens if the user sets the location to a legal writable one, but then subsequently that location gets locked either by the user or some other app (a virus checker say).

Comment 1 John Colket 2021-05-24 19:28:07 UTC

Fix available:  PR#929: https://github.com/audacity/audacity/pull/929

This Pull Request expands the current error message from:

     "Error opening a new empty project"
to:
     "Error opening a new empty project.
      Perhaps Audacity's Temporary files directory is write protected."

Comment 2 Peter Sampson 2021-07-16 14:12:12 UTC

Created attachment 1171 [details]
Error message

Testing on W10 with latest 3.0.3 alpha  Audacity_Windows_64bit_1037187455_50f8e10

This can no longer occur as Audacity blocks the user from setting the temporary directory to C:\ 

An error message is shown (see attachment)