Parcel watcher: inotify_add_watch failed

[karthiknadig]

Testing #135653

  ERR [File Watcher (parcel)] Unexpected error in event callback: inotify_add_watch failed: Not a directory (path: /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python)

This occurred after adding and deleting virtual envs under this folder a couple of times. It was watching everything fine until then.

[bpasero]

@karthiknadig I have seen this particular error before when I would pass in a folder to watch to parcel that is a symlink (refs parcel-bundler/watcher#62). But we always now try to resolve any symlinks and only pass in the real path to parcel, never the symlink.

Another possible issue might be that we end up asking parcel to watch a folder that no longer exists on disk.

Do you have reliable steps to reproduce?

[karthiknadig]

/home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python is the root directory after doing a git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python, definitely not a symbolic link. I had this folder open in VS Code, and I was creating and deleting virtual envs under this directory. This on linux (mint) running on a bootable usb drive. I don't have a consistent repro, but it did happen to me a few times.

[bpasero]

This is part of #135902 and reported as parcel-bundler/watcher#76. Bottom line: parcel does not support to watch symbolic links when they are encountered. In other words, the watcher will never follow symlinks. The steps involved result in symlinks being created on disk and the error is just us printing this case.

Merging into #135902.

[bpasero]

Actually since I have pushed 27f2019 I wonder if you can validate that fix in tomorrows insider.

[alexr00]

\closedWith 27f2019

[alexr00]

@bpasero what is the best way to verify this?

[bpasero]

Steps:

• open a folder using insiders on Linux
• anywhere add a symbolic link under that folder (a symbolic link that points to a folder)
• ensure that file watching does not stop working (you might see a message about watcher restarting)

(we do not support to watch for changes inside the symbolic link unless you add it via files.watcherExclude)

[karthiknadig]

Confirming that this works.

DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Request to start watching: /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python (excludes: **/.git/objects/**,**/.git/subtree-cache/**,**/node_modules/*/**,**/.hg/store/**)
workbench.desktop.main.js:602 DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Request to stop watching:
workbench.desktop.main.js:602 DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Started watching: '/home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python' with backend 'inotify' and native excludes '/home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.git/objects, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.git/subtree-cache, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/node_modules, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.hg/store'
workbench.desktop.main.js:602   ERR [File Watcher (parcel)] Unexpected error: inotify_add_watch failed: Not a directory (EUNKNOWN) (path: /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python)
workbench.desktop.main.js:602   ERR [File Watcher (parcel)] restarting watcher after error: inotify_add_watch failed: Not a directory
workbench.desktop.main.js:602 DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Request to start watching: /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python (excludes: **/.git/objects/**,**/.git/subtree-cache/**,**/node_modules/*/**,**/.hg/store/**)
workbench.desktop.main.js:602 DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Request to stop watching:
workbench.desktop.main.js:602 DEBUG [File Watcher (parcel)] Started watching: '/home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python' with backend 'inotify' and native excludes '/home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.git/objects, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.git/subtree-cache, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/node_modules, /home/kanadig/GIT/vscode-python/.hg/store'