[Linux] Error when trying to install package using 'sudo pkgm install'

[tclementdev]

On Fedora Silverblue, I installed pkgx:

> curl https://pkgx.sh | sh
> ls /usr/local/bin
mash pkgm pkgx

Then tried to install a package inside /usr/local/bin using pkgm:

> sudo pkgm install fish
sudo: unable to execute /root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/v2.7.0/bin/pkgx: Permission denied

It seems like it is trying to install things in the context of the root user, rather than installing things in /usr/local/bin.

Not using sudo works:

> pkgm install fish
> which fish
~/.local/bin/fish

Based on the documentation, I expected sudo pkgm install fish to properly install the package in /usr/local/bin. Am I missing something here?

[jhheider]

running with sudo is fraught, since it messes up permissions. see:

https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgm#intricacies

it should prompt you for a sudo password in order to hard/symlink.

[tclementdev]

I'm confused as to what you mean here. The documentation and pkgm --help both encourage to use sudo pkgm install. Is there another way? Not using sudo will not install to /usr/local and instead install to ~/.local.

[jhheider]

Ah, I missed the note. Perhaps something has changed, but originally it would install the hard and soft links using audio itself without altering the base directory.

[tclementdev]

It worked the last time I tried on macOS. Seems like this is a bug/regression that is specific to Linux/Fedora.

[tclementdev]

In case that helps, I edited my copy of /root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/pkgm/v.0.11.1/bin/pkgm and added a log:

function get_pkgx() {
    for (const path of Deno.env.get("PATH")!.split(":")) {
        console.log(path)

And it seems the path list is prefixed with pkgx bin directories including the one leading to the root copy of the pkgx binary.

/root/.pkgx/info-zip.org/unzip/v6.0.0/bin
/root/.pkgx/deno.land/v2.5.6/bin
/root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/pkgm/v0.11.1/bin
/root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/v2.7.0/bin

Which causes the following path to be passed to query_pkgx():

/root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/v2.7.0/bin/pkgx

Then in query_pkgx(), it executes the command with the root pkgx:

cmd: /usr/bin/sudo
args: [ "-u", "thomas", "/root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/v2.7.0/bin/pkgx", "+fish" ]

And this is where it fails since the local user doesn't have access to that root path:

sudo: unable to execute /root/.pkgx/pkgx.sh/v2.7.0/bin/pkgx: Permission denied

[tclementdev]

Printing the root paths show the pkgx bin directories are not there:

$ sudo printenv PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/var/lib/snapd/snap/bin

So I assume they are added by the sudo called pkgx instance before it calls onto pkgm?

[tclementdev]

Ok, I think it comes down to this.

On macOS:

$ sudo printenv HOME
/Users/thomas

On Fedora:

$ sudo printenv HOME
/root

I think on Linux, the code needs to be updated to first look into SUDO_HOME (or similar).

$ sudo printenv SUDO_HOME
/home/thomas

[jhheider]

it might be as simple as adding SUDO_HOME around line 291 in pkgm.ts: https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgm/blob/e3934de9bc129e465bbdfea79e2b1a4e7d24ebe4/pkgm.ts#L287-L295.

but if that's not the solution, one or more of the 5 instances of Path.home() is likely the culprit: https://github.com/pkgxdev/libpkgx/blob/65b6528dbee4075ee036716c31ca8faa7c8e6136/src/utils/Path.ts#L34-L44.

i suspect it'll be the latter. the easiest way to test that is to simply inline that function with SUDO_HOME support, and use it instead for testing.

[tclementdev]

I added this near the top of get_pkgx_dir() in config.rs:

if let Ok(path) = env::var("SUDO_HOME") {
    let path = PathBuf::from(path);
    if path.is_absolute() {
        return Ok(path);
    }
}

This seems to fix sudo pkgx <package>, now runs things from my home directory instead of the root user. This is the same behavior as on macOS now.

But pkgm now fails for another reason:

error: Uncaught (in promise) Error: Invalid cross-device link (os error 18): link '/home/thomas/.pkgx/fishshe11.com/v4.2.1/share/doc/fish/CHANGELOG.rst' → '/usr/local/pkgs/Fishshel1.com/v4.2.1/share/doc/Fish/CHANGELOG.rst '
    await Deno.link(sourcePath, targetPath);

Seems like on Fedora my home directory and /usr/local/ live on different filesystems, and pkgm doesn't expect that.

[tclementdev]

I think we can probably fall back to a regular copy if the hard link fails. Then it finally works, sudo pkgm install fish installed fish in /usr/local/bin/. I'll create pull requests soon, hopefully we can integrate those changes :)

[tclementdev]

Done ☝