[Wrapper-user] BackingStoreException when RUN_AS_USER on OS X

[Sean M. <sea...@ba...>]

I've run into an odd situation and I was wondering if anybody had any  
suggestions?

I'm using Java Service Wrapper 3.1.2 on Mac OS X 10.4.4 (not OS X  
Server) running Java 1.4.2_09.

I've got an app wrapped using WrapperSimpleApp as per the Integration  
Methods instructions  Since I'm on a Mac the script and wrapper file  
live in /Library/StartupItems/<appname>. With a bit of  
wrapper.working.dir trickery I've got wrapper running my jar which  
lives in /Library/MediaSpan/<appname>, which has uid:guid of  
appserver:admin, as does my jar and its lib folder.

My app subclasses java.rmi.server.UnicastRemoteObject to make it  
configurable via RMI.  It stores its configuration via  
java.util.prefs.Preferences, using the node returned by  
Preferences.userNodeForPackage(<myclass>.class).  No call is ever  
made to Preferences.systemNodeForPackage().

When I *do not* RUN_AS_USER, the WrapperSimpleApp wrapper starts my  
app, and it runs just fine.  I can connect via RMI and set my app's  
configuration, which writes to the Preferences user node via the  
putXXX and flush methods in Preferences.  The Preferences calls all  
work fine.

The trouble comes when I try to RUN_AS_USER=appserver.   When I make  
that one change everything works like before *except* the  
Preferences.flush call, which throws a BackingStoreException:

java.util.prefs.BackingStoreException: Synchronization failed for  
node <myclass's user node>

I'm confused as to why this is happening for the RUN_AS_USER case,  
but not when wrapper runs my app as root... has anybody else had to  
deal with this?

I searched the java-dev mailing list at Apple but the only mention of  
BackingStoreException puts the blame on making flush calls on a  
system pref node returned by Preferences. systemNodeForPackage.

Sean