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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
@@ -316,6 +316,8 @@ int mingw_core_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
316316
return 0;
317317
}
318318

319+
static DWORD symlink_file_flags = 0, symlink_directory_flags = 1;
320+
319321
enum phantom_symlink_result {
320322
PHANTOM_SYMLINK_RETRY,
321323
PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE,
@@ -401,7 +403,8 @@ process_phantom_symlink(const wchar_t *wtarget, const wchar_t *wlink)
401403
return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE;
402404

403405
/* otherwise recreate the symlink with directory flag */
404-
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) && CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 1))
406+
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) &&
407+
CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_directory_flags))
405408
return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DIRECTORY;
406409

407410
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
@@ -2857,7 +2860,7 @@ int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
28572860
wtarget[len] = '\\';
28582861

28592862
/* create file symlink */
2860-
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 0)) {
2863+
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_file_flags)) {
28612864
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
28622865
return -1;
28632866
}
@@ -3744,6 +3747,24 @@ static void maybe_redirect_std_handles(void)
37443747
GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING);
37453748
}
37463749

3750+
static void adjust_symlink_flags(void)
3751+
{
3752+
/*
3753+
* Starting with Windows 10 Build 14972, symbolic links can be created
3754+
* using CreateSymbolicLink() without elevation by passing the flag
3755+
* SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (0x02) as last
3756+
* parameter, provided the Developer Mode has been enabled. Some
3757+
* earlier Windows versions complain about this flag with an
3758+
* ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, hence we have to test the build number
3759+
* specifically.
3760+
*/
3761+
if (GetVersion() >= 14972 << 16) {
3762+
symlink_file_flags |= 2;
3763+
symlink_directory_flags |= 2;
3764+
}
3765+
3766+
}
3767+
37473768
#ifdef _MSC_VER
37483769
#ifdef _DEBUG
37493770
#include <crtdbg.h>
@@ -3778,6 +3799,7 @@ int wmain(int argc, const wchar_t **wargv)
37783799
#endif
37793800

37803801
maybe_redirect_std_handles();
3802+
adjust_symlink_flags();
37813803
fsync_object_files = 1;
37823804

37833805
/* determine size of argv and environ conversion buffer */

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