Globs don't match symlinks

[thetrevdev]

If I have the paths:

origin
symlink-to-origin -> ./origin

I can watch ./symlink-to-origin/subdir/*.txt but I can't watch ./symlink-*/subdir/*.txt

Edit: I wrote these tests to show the specific issue and boundary cases
Passing / failing test cases:

describe('watch paths with symlinks', function() {
    if (os === 'win32') return;
    before(closeWatchers);
    var symLinkPath, originPath;
    beforeEach(function(done) {
      originPath = getFixturePath('origin');
      symLinkPath = getFixturePath('symlink-to-origin');
       fs.mkdir(originPath, 0x1ed, function() {
        fs.mkdir(getFixturePath('origin/subdir'), 0x1ed, function() {
          fs.writeFile(getFixturePath('origin/subdir/add.txt'), 'b', function(){
            fs.symlink(originPath, symLinkPath, done);
          });          
        })
      });
    });
    afterEach(function(done) {
      fs.unlink(symLinkPath, done);
    });

    //fails
    it('should watch files inside a globbed symlink path', function(done) {
      var addSpy = sinon.spy(function addSpy(){});
      watcher = chokidar.watch(getFixturePath('symlink*/subdir/*.txt'), options)
        .on('add', addSpy)
        .on('ready', function() {
          addSpy.should.have.been.calledWith(sysPath.join(symLinkPath, 'subdir/add.txt'));
          done();
        });
    });

    //passes
    it('should watch files inside explicit symlink path', function(done) {
      var addSpy = sinon.spy(function addSpy(){});
      watcher = chokidar.watch(getFixturePath('symlink-to-origin/subdir/*.txt'), options)
        .on('add', addSpy)
        .on('ready', function() {
          addSpy.should.have.been.calledWith(sysPath.join(symLinkPath, 'subdir/add.txt'));
          done();
        });
    });
    it('should watch files inside a globbed path', function(done) {
      var addSpy = sinon.spy(function addSpy(){});
      watcher = chokidar.watch(getFixturePath('orig*/subdir/*.txt'), options)
        .on('add', addSpy)
        .on('ready', function() {
          addSpy.should.have.been.calledWith(sysPath.join(originPath, 'subdir/add.txt'));
          done();
        });
    });
  });

[es128]

So, as you've pointed out, there is a test covering your same exact scenario which passes on my machine and in Travis.

Can you provide details such as your OS and anything else that might be noteworthy about your environment to help explain why it's different for you?

[thetrevdev]

-Edit: To be clear, I wrote the tests above and they aren't in the actual test suite.

You don't have a test that covers the scenario and test above. Can you try running the first failing test above.

I only saw 1 test that covers both symlinks and globs:

'should properly match glob patterns that include a symlinked dir'
...
var watchDir = sysPath.relative(process.cwd(), linkedDir);
      watcher = chokidar.watch(sysPath.join(watchDir, '**/*'), options)

This would cover the ./symlink-to-origin/* scenario I described above but not the ./symlink-*/* scenario

[es128]

Ah I see. Apologies, I misunderstood. Will check it out.

In the meantime if you want to PR those tests you wrote, would probably be a good idea.

[es128]

I've tracked down a problem in the checkGlobSymlink method. It needs additional logic to detect this scenario and do the appropriate path substitutions.

This only impacts the initial filtering of the readdirp scan, once this is resolved there may possibly wind up being other areas that need fixing as well for the actual event handling (but maybe not).

[es128]

Well, actually I'm uncertain if that's the right way to fix it.

What happens if you set the watcher to just ./symlink-* without the trailing /*? Locally for me that seems to be a functioning workaround to the issue.

[thetrevdev]

Well for my particular use case I am checking both extensions and subdirs after the symlink

[es128]

Understand, just wanted to verify you're seeing the same thing I am.

Perhaps it would help if you provided a closer equivalent of your real pattern and path structure.

[thetrevdev]

I updated the original comment / tests to use .txt.
I will do 1 more test case of symlink-/folder/*.txt

[thetrevdev]

Updated the test case to use the full example of searching a subdir after a globbed symlink.

[es128]

I am currently evaluating this patch, which so far appears to solve the problem when in fsevents mode

diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9841db2..af63ccc 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ FSWatcher.prototype._getWatchHelpers = function(path, depth) {
   };

   var filterPath = function(entry) {
+    if (entry.stat.isSymbolicLink()) return filterDir(entry);
     var resolvedPath = entryPath(entry);
     return (!hasGlob || globFilter(resolvedPath)) &&
       this._isntIgnored(resolvedPath, entry.stat) &&

[thetrevdev]

Awesome! Confirmed working for fsevents.

[thetrevdev]

Will this get cut into a build any time soon?

[paulmillr]

@thetrevdev 1.6.1 is out