Bugzilla – Bug 1414
support to handle server running as a user without a home directory
Last modified: 2011-11-06 23:24:12 UTC
There are some error printouts and then slimserver halts. A workaround is setting the HOME variable in the startscript. The directory is not actually used for anything. A related bug is that if the HOME variable is set to a nonexisting directory, the directory is created! Here are the printouts: Starting SlimServer: Use of uninitialized value in -e at /usr/local/slimserver/ Slim/Utils/Prefs.pm line 137. Use of uninitialized value in -d at /usr/share/perl/5.8/File/Path.pm line 144. fileparse(): need a valid pathname at /usr/share/perl/5.8/File/Path.pm line 145 Compilation failed in require at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/Plugins.pm line 20. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/Plugins. pm line 20. Compilation failed in require at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/Common.pm line 15. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/Common. pm line 15. Compilation failed in require at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/Settings.pm line 11. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Buttons/ Settings.pm line 11. Compilation failed in require at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Display/Display.pm line 14. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/local/slimserver/Slim/Display/Display. pm line 14. Compilation failed in require at /usr/local/slimserver/slimserver.pl line 205. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/local/slimserver/slimserver.pl line 205.
Why is it that the account does not have a home directory?
users of Debian have also found that starting up without a home dir can cause a failure in preferencesPath() in Prefs.pm i think the fix for prefs would be better serving users with something like this: @@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ } # see if we can write out the real prefs file - $canWrite = (-e prefsFile() && -w prefsFile()) || (-w preferencesPath()); + $canWrite = (-e prefsFile() && -w prefsFile()) || (defined preferencesPath && -w preferencesPath()); This will then spit up a notice saying that the prefs file it not writeable so prefs changes will not be saved. using /tmp was suggested, but that may be heresy for some, possible lost prefs for others. In the case of the problem as stated in this initial report, that could easily be /tmp since the template cache doesn't need to be permanent.
changing to enhancement, since the home directory is an assumption of the design. basically on hold pending response from original reporter in regard to dean's query.
I'd assume this is fixed as of SC 7.0. Isn't it?
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