fs.symlink casues strange errors - EISDIR, EPERM, EEXIST

[crackcomm]

• README.md exists
• tmp is empty directory
• at the end no symlink was created
• fs.symlink and fs.symlinkSync are affected
• node is running with Administrator rights
• Windows 7
• node v0.10.x, node v0.11.14
• works fine with MinGW

> fs.symlinkSync('README.md', 'tmp/README.md', 'file')
Error: EISDIR, illegal operation on a directory 'D:\cc\ui-7\tmp\README.md'
    at Error (native)
    at Object.fs.symlinkSync (fs.js:767:18)
    at repl:1:4
    at REPLServer.defaultEval (repl.js:133:27)
    at bound (domain.js:254:14)
    at REPLServer.runBound [as eval] (domain.js:267:12)
    at REPLServer.<anonymous> (repl.js:280:12)
    at REPLServer.emit (events.js:107:17)
    at REPLServer.Interface._onLine (readline.js:206:10)
    at REPLServer.Interface._line (readline.js:535:8)
> fs.symlinkSync('README.md', 'tmp/README.md', 'dir')
Error: EISDIR, illegal operation on a directory 'D:\cc\ui-7\tmp\README.md'
    at Error (native)
    at Object.fs.symlinkSync (fs.js:767:18)
    at repl:1:4
    at REPLServer.defaultEval (repl.js:133:27)
    at bound (domain.js:254:14)
    at REPLServer.runBound [as eval] (domain.js:267:12)
    at REPLServer.<anonymous> (repl.js:280:12)
    at REPLServer.emit (events.js:107:17)
    at REPLServer.Interface._onLine (readline.js:206:10)
    at REPLServer.Interface._line (readline.js:535:8)
> fs.symlinkSync('README.md', 'tmp/', 'file')
Error: EPERM, operation not permitted 'README.md'
    at Error (native)
    at Object.fs.symlinkSync (fs.js:767:18)
    at repl:1:4
    at REPLServer.defaultEval (repl.js:133:27)
    at bound (domain.js:254:14)
    at REPLServer.runBound [as eval] (domain.js:267:12)
    at REPLServer.<anonymous> (repl.js:280:12)
    at REPLServer.emit (events.js:107:17)
    at REPLServer.Interface._onLine (readline.js:206:10)
    at REPLServer.Interface._line (readline.js:535:8)
> fs.symlinkSync('README.md', 'tmp/', 'dir')
Error: EEXIST, file already exists 'README.md'
    at Error (native)
    at Object.fs.symlinkSync (fs.js:767:18)
    at repl:1:4
    at REPLServer.defaultEval (repl.js:133:27)
    at bound (domain.js:254:14)
    at REPLServer.runBound [as eval] (domain.js:267:12)
    at REPLServer.<anonymous> (repl.js:280:12)
    at REPLServer.emit (events.js:107:17)
    at REPLServer.Interface._onLine (readline.js:206:10)
    at REPLServer.Interface._line (readline.js:535:8)

[piscisaureus]

I agree that the error codes are weird, and I think I know why. But first:

• What filesystem is d:\ ?

README.md exists

• That's laregely irrelevant. What you're doing here is create a symlink from tmp/README.md to tmp/README.md.

works fine with MinGW

• What do you mean? How did you test this?

[crackcomm]

What filesystem is d:\ ?

NTFS

That's laregely irrelevant. What you're doing here is create a symlink from tmp/README.md to tmp/README.md.

No. What I'm doing here is create a symlink from README.md to tmp/README.md.

What do you mean? How did you test this?

I launched node from msys console.

[piscisaureus]

No. What I'm doing here is create a symlink from README.md to tmp/README.md.

Right, I think the docs are wrong. What's happening is that you're creating a symlink called tmp/README.md which contains README.md. The argument order is the same as the symlink(3) syscall.

I launched node from msys console.

I find that very curious, because it shouldn't have any influence and I can't think of any mechanism that could cause it. I think that if you'd try exactly the same again from msys it would fail in the same way.

So what we're seeing:

• The docs are wrong
• The error codes are not appropriate, and in the EEXIST/EPERM case they mention the wrong path (should mention the second component, not the first).