[GRASS-dev] [GRASS GIS] #2660: r.external / r.external.out: support paths relative to the mapset, and variables

#2660: r.external / r.external.out: support paths relative to the mapset, and
variables
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  Reporter: sbl | Owner: grass-dev@…
      Type: defect | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 7.0.3
Component: Raster | Version: svn-releasebranch70
Resolution: | Keywords: r.external.out
       CPU: Unspecified | Platform: Unspecified
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Comment (by dnewcomb):

Replying to [comment:4 sbl]:
> This issue applies equally to r.external, where links are allways
converted to absolute paths
(https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/browser/grass/trunk/raster/r.external/main.c
lines: 162-170).
>
> Both r.external and r.external.out are therefore practically unusable in
mixed environments where data can / should be accessed from both Windows
and Linux. Maps linked with r.external / r.external.out will not be
readable across platforms, because absolute paths differ (of course
directory delimiters differ as well).

It seems to me that there is a limit to what GRASS can do to solve this
issue. Relative paths can also be disrupted between OS's due to the
difference in directory delimiters ( / vs \ ) . Perhaps the best option
is a method for detection and "repair" that allows one to clone the
settings for the original link and create a new link with a user specified
path? Perhaps one that creates the new link with a suffix of _w for
windows or a suffix of _l for linux?

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/2660#comment:5&gt;
GRASS GIS <https://grass.osgeo.org>