Reinstate 'current' junctions as a part of scoop reset

[hgkamath]

Bug Report

Package Name: [name of package which has bug(s)]
scoop

Current Behaviour

Scoop uses a NTFS-directory-junction 'current` to point to the active-version of an app.
The NTFS junction is absolute.
Hence when scoop is xcopy-ed into a VHDX and remounted on another windows-OS installation, the scoop root folder may not be in exactly the same location. (```xcopy /H /E /B /O /K /Y src dst```)
As a result powershell-function ```app_status()``` is not able to descend into the junction to retrieve the installed manifest,json and hence scoop list throws an error .

PS C:\vol\scoop_01\scoop\apps\scoop\current\lib> scoop list
Installed apps:

  7zip 21.06 *global* [main]
  adb  *global* *failed*
  android-sdk  *global* *failed*
  anki  *global* *failed*
  blender  *global* *failed*
  colortool  *global* *failed*
  doublecmd  *global* *failed*

The NTFS-directory-junction contains path from the other operating system, which is invalid on the new one.
Hence, errors.

Expected Behaviour

Scoop should still work when copied for portability sake, instead of requiring user to install applications afresh

Perhaps instead of NTFS-junction, consider using

• symbolic link mklink /d current 21.06
  Junction-links are always absolute, when copied point to the original mount path, environment variables cannot be embedded.

I want scoop to be

• located on a VHDX/partition etc,
• be mounted anywhere by any of a multi-boot multi-windows operating systems.

Workaround

• mount the VHDX/partition in exactly same path on each windows operating system such as C:\vol\scoop_01\scoop
• include a small script to fix the junctions, in a manner similar to scoop reset

Additional context/output

Possible Solution

• use symbolic links?

System details

Windows version: [e.g. 7, 8, 10]
Windows-10 and Windows-11

OS architecture: [e.g. 32bit, 64bit]
64-bit

PowerShell version: [output of "$($PSVersionTable.PSVersion)"]
PS C:\Users\admin> echo $PSVersionTable

Name Value
PSVersion 5.1.22000.282
PSEdition Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion 10.0.22000.282
CLRVersion 4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion 3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1

Additional software: [(optional) e.g. ConEmu, Git]

[hgkamath]

PS C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\adb> Get-Item .\current | Format-List


    Directory: C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\adb



Name           : current
CreationTime   : 12/10/2021 12:01:06 AM
LastWriteTime  : 8/21/2021 7:56:55 PM
LastAccessTime : 12/10/2021 12:01:06 AM
Mode           : d----l
LinkType       : Junction
Target         : {E:\SCOOPG\apps\adb\31.0.3}

PS C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps>  Get-ChildItem -Directory | ForEach-Object { cd $_.Name; echo === $_.Name ; $trg=(Get-Item .\current).Target; echo "OldTarg=$trg" ; $op = New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path current2 -Value (Split-Path -Leaf $trg) ; (Get-Item(".\current\")).Delete()  ; Rename-Item .\current2 .\current ; echo "NewTarg=$((Get-Item .\current).Target)" ; echo "---" ; cd .. }
===
7zip
OldTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\7zip\21.06
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\7zip\21.06
---
===
adb
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\adb\31.0.3
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\adb\31.0.3
---
===
android-sdk
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\android-sdk\4333796
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\android-sdk\4333796
---
===
anki
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\anki\2.1.49
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\anki\2.1.49
---
===
blender
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\blender\2.93.6
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\blender\2.93.6
---
===
colortool
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\colortool\1904.29002
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\colortool\1904.29002
---
===
doublecmd
OldTarg=E:\SCOOPG\apps\doublecmd\1.0.1
NewTarg=C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\doublecmd\1.0.1
---

PS C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps> scoop list
Installed apps:

  7zip 21.06 *global* [main]
  adb 31.0.3 *global* [main]
  android-sdk 4333796 *global* [extras]
  anki 2.1.49 *global* [extras]
  blender 2.93.6 *global* [extras]
  colortool 1904.29002 *global* [main]
  doublecmd 1.0.1 *global* [extras]

[rashil2000]

Symbolic links cannot be created without admin access , and do not exist for Windows 7 and 8. This goes against Scoop's philosophy.

[rasa]

Symbolic links cannot be created without admin access,

Sorta no longer true. See https://www.howtogeek.com/292914/what-is-developer-mode-in-windows-10/ :

In Windows 10’s Creators Update, putting your device into developer mode relaxes restrictions on creating symbolic links. Previously, it was only possible for Administrator users to create symlinks. This is still the case on Windows 10—unless you put it into Developer Mode.

In Developer Mode, a user account with any level of privileges can create symbolic links. In other words, you can open a normal Command Prompt window and use the mklink command. Outside of Developer Mode, you’d need to open a Command Prompt window as Administrator before using the mklink command.

Symbolic links are often used by developers, so this change makes it possible for development tools to create and work with symbolic links without having to run as Administrator.

[rashil2000]

Yes, but you need an admin to enable that Developer Mode (one time setup) in the first place, if I remember correctly, which brings us back to square one.

[hgkamath]

okay.

I can't find the log as to what sent me down this path as has scrolled off my terminal buffer.

But, I think it was because either scoop reset * did not work for me, or I was worried it was going to do a re-download all apps and reinstall everything.

The below is one of my earliest trouble shooting logs

PS C:\Users\admin> scoop info 7zip
Name: 7zip
Description: A multi-format file archiver with high compression ratios
Version: 21.06
Website: https://www.7-zip.org/
License: Freeware,LGPL-2.0-only,BSD-3-Clause (https://www.7-zip.org/license.txt)
Manifest:
  C:\vol\scoop_01\scoop\buckets\main\bucket\7zip.json
Installed: No
Binaries:
  7z.exe
Notes
-----
Add 7-Zip as a context menu option by running: "C:\vol\scoop_01\scoopg\apps\7zip\current\install-context.reg"

The above snipped was clue-ing me that scoop thinks that the app is not installed, and then it was a matter of troubleshooting why it was able to get some of the info by reading the libexec/scoop-info.ps1 file.

Firstly don't assume me to be an expert on NTFS junctions. As you mention you need to be very careful study and weigh each type of link before you choose, in order to ensure backward compatibility, and remain consistent with scoop-philosophy which I also like and support.

The powershell script that I typed in #4573 (comment) fixed all the current junctions and then I was able to do a scoop reset

Junction repair is a one time work.

So maybe just having scoop being able fix its junctions is all that is needed.

[rashil2000]

The powershell script that I typed in #4573 (comment) fixed all the current junctions and then I was able to do a scoop reset

Junction repair is a one time work.

So maybe just having scoop being able fix its junctions is all that is needed.

Yes, that seems to be a reasonable request - that's why I didn't close this issue :)

Would you like to submit a PR? We can repair junctions as a part of scoop-reset, with an optional (off by default) flag.

[hgkamath]

I appreciate you for trying to let me make a developer contribution. But it would be more exigent if an expert coder like you do it and take full-credits for it.

If i had to do it, I'd have to get my setup to do more testing, get more intimate with the code base, make decision points as to where it has to go and rewrite the code from a goofy-one-liner to a formal coding style and do error handling and all that. Thx though.

[niheaven]

Could you try to disable current junction? Use scoop config NO_JUNCTIONS true and there will be no current folder at all.

And, since this is rare use case, please report any problem that you may meet.

[dwettstein]

@niheaven , when using NO_JUNCTIONS the following issues occur:

• When using NO_JUNCTIONS config, helpers like dark or lessmsi are not found #4350
• When using NO_JUNCTIONS config, scoop prefix command fails #4474

Relates #3655

[niheaven]

Thanks, we will check these issues.

[quantuumsnot]

WRONG!

1. I'm on Win 8 and they are here, what a surprise
2. Show us statistics about how many home/advanced/pro/power/etc users are working on their computers with limited accounts

[rashil2000]

1. I'm on Win 8 and they are here, what a surprise

Thanks for the info. Updated my comment.

2. Show us statistics about how many home/advanced/pro/power/etc users are working on their computers with limited accounts

Scoop collects no information. See #3781.

[quantuumsnot]

And my question was out of Scoop's features, but in general. Whatever

[rashil2000]

Why are you asking here if it's out of Scoop's scope?

[quantuumsnot]

Because it's directly connected about how software should be written when there's a plausibility of something not working due to user permissions

[rashil2000]

Closed in #4720