#79 Cannot install msys/git

[tylermumford]

I'm attempting to install git via pacman -S git, which should be from the "msys" repository. However, a number of errors occur in the following format:

warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/git.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/git.exe')

Such messages appear for a number of git components, both in /usr/bin and /usr/lib. Other packages have installed correctly, and I believe I'm installing a working package. Possibly related: the following message appears whenever I log into a new shell: id: cannot find name for group ID 545.

Windows 8.1 x64, system located at B:/arch/msys64.

[Alexx83]

Try:

• close MSYS2 processes
• remove /etc/passwd and /etc/group
• start MSYS2, then restart it

If no errors about "id" present - reinstall git

[tylermumford]

I followed those steps, and the message about group 545 persisted. The groups command indicates that there is no name for group 545, but does print the line 545 root.

After looking at the recreated /etc/group file (entire contents: root:_-_-_-__-___:0:), I changed the group ID on that line from 0 to 545. This removes the startup message about not having a name, but the line with ID 0 is re-added, and the reinstallation of git gives the same messages as before.

[tylermumford]

I just performed a fresh installation on a second drive. While the initial error about group 545 appeared again, editing /etc/group fixed that error, and git installed correctly after that.

The first drive was a FAT32 USB drive, 4GB in size. This was probably the reason for the issues, though I don't understand enough about MSYS2 to know why. For now, I believe my problem is solved. Alexx83, thank you for your help.

[Alexx83]

In few days I will upload new msys2-runtime package that I believe solve problem with users/groups

[John Connors]

I have freshly installed msys-git and appear to have this problem also. Machine is a Windows 7 box with msys2 on Z: which is a 32Gig memory stick formatted for FAT32. I have no /etc/groups or /etc/password

[John Connors]

I have a similar problem with binutils. I have reduced my PATH to the bare minimum to endure it's not due to some kind of conflict..

(1/1) reinstalling binutils [##############################################################] 100%
warning: warning given when extracting usr/x86_64-pc-msys/bin/ld.exe (Can't create '/usr/x86_64-pc-msys/bin/ld.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/ar.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/ar.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/as.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/as.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/dlltool.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/dlltool.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/ld.bfd.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/ld.bfd.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/ld.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/ld.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/nm.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/nm.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/objcopy.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/objcopy.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/objdump.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/objdump.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/ranlib.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/ranlib.exe')
warning: warning given when extracting usr/bin/strip.exe (Can't create '/usr/bin/strip.exe')

[John Connors]

Looking at the packages in the pacman cache the archives do not seem well formed (the executables that fail to extract are zero bytes). Not sure if this is significant, or just that even 9.34alpha is not sufficiently bleeding edge.

[John Connors]

Unpacking the packages with bsdtar.exe reveals the missing files are intended to be symbolic links. This may explain the need for NTFS which appears to have some sort of support for symbolic links, or an analogue thereof.

hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-symbolic-ref.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-tag.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-unpack-file.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-unpack-objects.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-update-index.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-update-ref.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-update-server-info.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-upload-archive.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
-rwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 739921 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-upload-pack.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-var.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-verify-commit.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-verify-pack.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-verify-tag.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
-rwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 4401 Oct 30 11:30 usr/lib/git-core/git-web--browse
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-whatchanged.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe
hrwxr-xr-x 0 alexey None 0 Oct 30 11:31 usr/lib/git-core/git-write-tree.exe link to usr/lib/git-core/git-add.exe

[David Macek]

These are actually hardlinks, which FAT also doesn't support. bsdtar/libarchive could probably be patched to make simple copies on FAT volumes, instead of attempting hardlinking, but this is obviously a low priority issue.

You can try raising an issue with bsdtar/libarchive upstream, or writing a patch yourself -- good paches are always welcome.