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mingw: try to create symlinks without elevated permissions
With Windows 10 Build 14972 in Developer Mode, a new flag is supported by CreateSymbolicLink() to create symbolic links even when running outside of an elevated session (which was previously required). This new flag is called SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE and has the numeric value 0x02. Previous Windows 10 versions will not understand that flag and return an ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, therefore we have to be careful to try passing that flag only when the build number indicates that it is supported. For more information about the new flag, see this blog post: https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2016/12/02/symlinks-windows-10/ This patch is loosely based on the patch submitted by Samuel D. Leslie as #1184. Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <[email protected]>
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compat/mingw.c

Lines changed: 24 additions & 2 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@ int mingw_core_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
300300
return 0;
301301
}
302302

303+
static DWORD symlink_file_flags = 0, symlink_directory_flags = 1;
304+
303305
enum phantom_symlink_result {
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PHANTOM_SYMLINK_RETRY,
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PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE,
@@ -385,7 +387,8 @@ process_phantom_symlink(const wchar_t *wtarget, const wchar_t *wlink)
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return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE;
386388

387389
/* otherwise recreate the symlink with directory flag */
388-
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) && CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 1))
390+
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) &&
391+
CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_directory_flags))
389392
return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DIRECTORY;
390393

391394
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
@@ -2801,7 +2804,7 @@ int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
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wtarget[len] = '\\';
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28032806
/* create file symlink */
2804-
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 0)) {
2807+
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_file_flags)) {
28052808
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
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return -1;
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}
@@ -3623,6 +3626,24 @@ static void maybe_redirect_std_handles(void)
36233626
GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING);
36243627
}
36253628

3629+
static void adjust_symlink_flags(void)
3630+
{
3631+
/*
3632+
* Starting with Windows 10 Build 14972, symbolic links can be created
3633+
* using CreateSymbolicLink() without elevation by passing the flag
3634+
* SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (0x02) as last
3635+
* parameter, provided the Developer Mode has been enabled. Some
3636+
* earlier Windows versions complain about this flag with an
3637+
* ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, hence we have to test the build number
3638+
* specifically.
3639+
*/
3640+
if (GetVersion() >= 14972 << 16) {
3641+
symlink_file_flags |= 2;
3642+
symlink_directory_flags |= 2;
3643+
}
3644+
3645+
}
3646+
36263647
#ifdef _MSC_VER
36273648
#ifdef _DEBUG
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#include <crtdbg.h>
@@ -3657,6 +3678,7 @@ int wmain(int argc, const wchar_t **wargv)
36573678
#endif
36583679

36593680
maybe_redirect_std_handles();
3681+
adjust_symlink_flags();
36603682
fsync_object_files = 1;
36613683

36623684
/* determine size of argv and environ conversion buffer */

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