windows: fs.symlink raising EPERM

[appajee]

Similar to Issue#4952.

$node
> process.version
'v0.10.5'  
> require('fs').symlinkSync(process.execPath,process.cwd() + '/node-symlink', 'file')
Error: EPERM, operation not permitted 'c:\node\node-symlink'

I get same result with two different versions of node that I tried. Obviously only difference is the version shown: 'v0.10.5' (when installed version of node is run), or, with the locally built latest node executable ( 'v0.11.8-pre') on Windows 8 with MS Visual Studio 2012.

[be5invis]

Do you have enough permission?

[bnoordhuis]

EPERM means 'permission denied.' The default security policy allows only administrators to create symbolic links.

[appajee]

Yes, as admin, I am able to create symlink just fine. So this bug report indeed is a user error.

[bnoordhuis]

By the way, if you're going to deploy on Windows - you can run your application as a regular user, you just need to tweak the security policy a little.

[jorangreef]

Ben, is it possible to deploy on Windows as a regular user and run as a regular user and tweak the security policy to allow symlinking as you say? How would one do this?

[bnoordhuis]

http://superuser.com/questions/104845/permission-to-make-symbolic-links-in-windows-7 - that's for Windows 7 but the same principle applies to older Windows versions, you adjust the group policy setting.

[jorangreef]

Thanks Ben

On 11 Jun 2014, at 2:04 PM, joyent/node reply@reply.github.com wrote:

http://superuser.com/questions/104845/permission-to-make-symbolic-links-in-windows-7 - that's for Windows 7 but the same principle applies to older Windows versions, you adjust the group policy setting.
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[vcernomschi]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium and issue is still reproducible after adjusting the group policy setting.

[vcernomschi]

Found reason why it didn't work for me , because used user was in Administrator group:

Note that this group policy setting has no effect on user accounts that belong to the Administrators group. Those users will always have to run mklink in an elevated environment (as Administrator).