[GRASS-user] Permission denied (again!)

GRASS GRASS user
1

Hi list!

I shifted from Ubuntu 7.10 32-bit to 64-bit and all of a sudden I have a
very annoying problem when using GRASS 6.2.2 (from Ubuntu repositories)
as a simple user:

can't create any LOCATION.

The same problem on a fresh installed 32-bit Ubuntu (in a friends
laptop).

When I run "sudo grass" I got the access I need.

I have given all possible permissions to directories and but no luck.

How can I once and for all permit simple user to gain control over GRASS
GIS data base?

Thank you,

Nikos

--
Nikos Alexandris
.
Department of Remote Sensing & Landscape Information Systems
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
.
Tel. +49 (0) 761 203 3697 / Fax. +49 (0) 761 203 3701 / Skype: Nikos.Alexandris
.
Address: Tennenbacher str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg i. Br., Germany

2

Hi,

sure, you have right permissions on grassdata ?

what does

ls -lh /path/to/grassdata/parent/dir

say?

jachym

Nikos Alexandris píše v Út 05. 02. 2008 v 12:17 +0100:

Hi list!

I shifted from Ubuntu 7.10 32-bit to 64-bit and all of a sudden I have a
very annoying problem when using GRASS 6.2.2 (from Ubuntu repositories)
as a simple user:

can't create any LOCATION.

The same problem on a fresh installed 32-bit Ubuntu (in a friends
laptop).

When I run "sudo grass" I got the access I need.

I have given all possible permissions to directories and but no luck.

How can I once and for all permit simple user to gain control over GRASS
GIS data base?

Thank you,

Nikos

_______________________________________________
grass-user mailing list
grass-user@lists.osgeo.org
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-user

--
Jachym Cepicky
e-mail: jachym.cepicky@gmail.com
URL: http://les-ejk.cz
GPG: http://www.les-ejk.cz/pgp/jachym_cepicky-gpg.pub

3

Hi!

Thanks for the quick reply. I need it cause we try to
explore GRASS with
a couple of friends and we got stuck on that(!)

First of all:

grass

Cleaning up temporary files.....
Starting GRASS ...
ERROR: MAPSET PERMANENT - permission denied

Then any other attempt to create a LOCATION ends-up with
exiting GRASS
saying to re-log and find the newly created LOCATION...
which is not
there of course.

I try to edit manually .grassrc6 but still no luck with the
LOCATION
creation.

-
Thanks.

On Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:35:39 +0100
Jachym Cepicky <jachym.cepicky@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

sure, you have right permissions on grassdata ?

what does

ls -lh /path/to/grassdata/parent/dir

say?

jachym

Nikos Alexandris píše v Út 05. 02. 2008 v 12:17 +0100:
> Hi list!
>
> I shifted from Ubuntu 7.10 32-bit to 64-bit and all of
a sudden I have a
> very annoying problem when using GRASS 6.2.2 (from
Ubuntu repositories)
> as a simple user:
>
> can't create any LOCATION.
>
> The same problem on a fresh installed 32-bit Ubuntu (in
a friends
> laptop).
>
>
> When I run "sudo grass" I got the access I need.
>
> I have given all possible permissions to directories
and but no luck.
>
>
> How can I once and for all permit simple user to gain
control over GRASS
> GIS data base?
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Nikos
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> grass-user mailing list
> grass-user@lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-user
--
Jachym Cepicky
e-mail: jachym.cepicky@gmail.com
URL: http://les-ejk.cz
GPG: http://www.les-ejk.cz/pgp/jachym_cepicky-gpg.pub

--
Nikos Alexandris
.
Department of Remote Sensing & Landscape Information
Systems
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Sciences,
Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
.
Tel. +49 (0) 761 203 3697 / Fax. +49 (0) 761 203 3701 /
Skype: Nikos.Alexandris
.
Address: Tennenbacher str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg i. Br.,
Germany

4

O.K.

1. grass -gui (or grass62 -gui) does not allow me to create a new
LOCATION anywhere

        *using ESPG just ends up with:

"WARNING: Please restart GRASS.... (closint it for you now)."

        *using Georeferenced file ends up with:

/usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator: to set an icon, please use -name <profile>
and set a profile icon
/usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator: to set an icon, please use -name <profile>
and set a profile icon
    while executing
"exec -- $env(GISBASE)/etc/grass-xterm-wrapper -T g.proj -n g.proj -e
$env(GISBASE)/etc/grass-run.sh g.proj -c georef=$filepath location=
$fileLocation"
    invoked from within
".fileloc.def invoke"
    ("uplevel" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"uplevel #0 [list $w invoke]"
    (procedure "tk::ButtonUp" line 22)
    invoked from within
"tk::ButtonUp .fileloc.def"
    (command bound to event)

        *** using Projection values does the job! I can create a
PERMANENT
mapset and I can create with the gui (exit and relaunch GRASS) further
mapsets.

2. Launching grass63 (release fetched with svn,
configured-compiled-installed) does not have any problems.

My questions is:

What is the difference when creating a new LOCATION in text mode from
trying to do so with the GUI (EPSG's or Georef.file)?

My GRASS GIS data base, where I try to create new LOCATION(s) is:

ls -ld grass_db/
drwxrwxrwx 6 nik nik 136 2008-02-06 01:43 grass_db/

.

Any Unix/Linux tricks here?

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5

nikos.alexandris wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply. I need it cause we try to
explore GRASS with a couple of friends and we got stuck on that(!)

First of all:

>grass
Cleaning up temporary files.....
Starting GRASS ...
ERROR: MAPSET PERMANENT - permission denied

Then any other attempt to create a LOCATION ends-up with
exiting GRASS saying to re-log and find the newly created LOCATION...
which is not there of course.

I try to edit manually .grassrc6 but still no luck with the
LOCATION creation.

if data was copied from a CD make sure that the GRASS database,
locations, etc. have been given back write permissions, recursively.
(the filesystem cares)

also check that the current user owns the mapset you are trying to
load. (by default GRASS lets you read from anyone mapset but only you
can write to your own)

for the file system test try going to where you are trying to make the
new location and create a new directory, files, etc. That is all GRASS
is trying to do and if you can do that as a normal user, and the same
user as starts grass6, GRASS should be able to it as well.

Also follow up that x-terminal-emulator error. Is this Ubuntu or
Debian?
What version(s) of OS & GRASS?

ls -l /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
ls -l /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator

Hamish

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?
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6

I just want to confirm this 'behavior' with GRASS installed from Repositories
on a Ubuntu 7.10 machine. We had the same error recently.

GRASS had been installed and started with the -gui parameter. Creating a
location within the homefolder fails for the same reasons already given
below.

However we were able to create a new location with the text based version of
GRASS, but some of the gis.m modules (like the map window) cannot be used. As
far as I remember, it gives some errors about region extend not being able to
read. I would have to ask my colleague for details.

Nearly two years back, I had the same problem and I found some kind of
solution. I posted this on the list in year 2006. You can find the according
threads here:
http://www.nabble.com/-GRASS-user--Can’t-create-location-td5691835.html

It had something to do with write permissions on the tmp directory where GRASS
creates the location.

Hope this helps

Frank

On Wednesday 06 February 2008 04:13:15 Hamish wrote:

nikos.alexandris wrote:
> Thanks for the quick reply. I need it cause we try to
> explore GRASS with a couple of friends and we got stuck on that(!)
>
> First of all:
> >grass
>
> Cleaning up temporary files.....
> Starting GRASS ...
> ERROR: MAPSET PERMANENT - permission denied
>
> Then any other attempt to create a LOCATION ends-up with
> exiting GRASS saying to re-log and find the newly created LOCATION...
> which is not there of course.
>
> I try to edit manually .grassrc6 but still no luck with the
> LOCATION creation.

if data was copied from a CD make sure that the GRASS database,
locations, etc. have been given back write permissions, recursively.
(the filesystem cares)

also check that the current user owns the mapset you are trying to
load. (by default GRASS lets you read from anyone mapset but only you
can write to your own)

for the file system test try going to where you are trying to make the
new location and create a new directory, files, etc. That is all GRASS
is trying to do and if you can do that as a normal user, and the same
user as starts grass6, GRASS should be able to it as well.

Also follow up that x-terminal-emulator error. Is this Ubuntu or
Debian?
What version(s) of OS & GRASS?

ls -l /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
ls -l /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator

Hamish

___________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________
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7

I run Ubuntu gutsy.

I just play around with data on my own machine... copied from one folder
to another.

if data was copied from a CD make sure that the GRASS database,
locations, etc. have been given back write permissions, recursively.
(the filesystem cares)

I dit that.

also check that the current user owns the mapset you are trying to
load. (by default GRASS lets you read from anyone mapset but only you
can write to your own)

But,

what if I want to start from the scratch? I am trying to create a new
empty directory and grant rwx access. And then create with the GUI a new
LOCATION. It only works when I use the text mode.

for the file system test try going to where you are trying to make the
new location and create a new directory, files, etc.

No problems to create folders as "nik"

That is all GRASS
is trying to do and if you can do that as a normal user, and the same
user as starts grass6, GRASS should be able to it as well.

I think there something wrong with... ? Why grass (grass62) is
problematic but grass63 (the compiled from source bin) does its job
without hanging anywhere(?)

Also follow up that x-terminal-emulator error. Is this Ubuntu or
Debian?
What version(s) of OS & GRASS?

ls -l /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 2008-02-06 04:42 /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
-> /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator

ls -l /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 31 2008-02-06
04:42 /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator
-> /usr/bin/gnome-terminal.wrapper

Hamish

Thanks for the detailed mail.

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

--
Nikos Alexandris
.
Department of Remote Sensing & Landscape Information Systems
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
.
Tel. +49 (0) 761 203 3697 / Fax. +49 (0) 761 203 3701 / Skype: Nikos.Alexandris
.
Address: Tennenbacher str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg i. Br., Germany

8

On Wed, 2008-02-06 at 08:13 +0100, Frank Broniewski wrote:

I just want to confirm this 'behavior' with GRASS installed from Repositories
on a Ubuntu 7.10 machine. We had the same error recently.

GRASS had been installed and started with the -gui parameter. Creating a
location within the homefolder fails for the same reasons already given
below.

However we were able to create a new location with the text based version of
GRASS, but some of the gis.m modules (like the map window) cannot be used. As
far as I remember, it gives some errors about region extend not being able to
read. I would have to ask my colleague for details.

Nearly two years back, I had the same problem and I found some kind of
solution. I posted this on the list in year 2006. You can find the according
threads here:
http://www.nabble.com/-GRASS-user--Can’t-create-location-td5691835.html

It had something to do with write permissions on the tmp directory where GRASS
creates the location.

YES... that's it!

Sorry for not reading this before.. I just replied to Hamish.

Ohhhhhhh... it's annoying :expressionless:

Things like that happen ONLY when they should not... ! It's the deamon
that brakes things for which you are absolutely sure that work :wink: Or...
it's just our selective memory, emphasizing more on negative experiences
so we forget the positive one's.

Hope this helps

I am checking it right away.

Frank

On Wednesday 06 February 2008 04:13:15 Hamish wrote:
> nikos.alexandris wrote:
> > Thanks for the quick reply. I need it cause we try to
> > explore GRASS with a couple of friends and we got stuck on that(!)
> >
> > First of all:
> > >grass
> >
> > Cleaning up temporary files.....
> > Starting GRASS ...
> > ERROR: MAPSET PERMANENT - permission denied
> >
> > Then any other attempt to create a LOCATION ends-up with
> > exiting GRASS saying to re-log and find the newly created LOCATION...
> > which is not there of course.
> >
> > I try to edit manually .grassrc6 but still no luck with the
> > LOCATION creation.
>
> if data was copied from a CD make sure that the GRASS database,
> locations, etc. have been given back write permissions, recursively.
> (the filesystem cares)
>
> also check that the current user owns the mapset you are trying to
> load. (by default GRASS lets you read from anyone mapset but only you
> can write to your own)
>
> for the file system test try going to where you are trying to make the
> new location and create a new directory, files, etc. That is all GRASS
> is trying to do and if you can do that as a normal user, and the same
> user as starts grass6, GRASS should be able to it as well.
>
>
> Also follow up that x-terminal-emulator error. Is this Ubuntu or
> Debian?
> What version(s) of OS & GRASS?
>
> ls -l /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
> ls -l /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator
>
>
> Hamish
>
>
>
>
> ___________________________________________________________________________
>_________ Looking for last minute shopping deals?
> Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
> http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
>
> _______________________________________________
> grass-user mailing list
> grass-user@lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-user

_______________________________________________
grass-user mailing list
grass-user@lists.osgeo.org
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-user

--
Nikos Alexandris
.
Department of Remote Sensing & Landscape Information Systems
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
.
Tel. +49 (0) 761 203 3697 / Fax. +49 (0) 761 203 3701 / Skype: Nikos.Alexandris
.
Address: Tennenbacher str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg i. Br., Germany

9

Isn't there a clean solution for this? It's really annoying...

I've been reading manuals, permissions on files and directories, sticky
bits, et.c.

grass62 just keeps complaining... and I don't want to change the /tmp
permissions which might be dangerous.

Can't I just re-direct these grass-nik-pid temp files somewhere else instead
of the /tmp directory?

Thank you,

Nikos
--
View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/Permission-denied-(again!)-tp15288072p15325212.html
Sent from the Grass - Users mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

10

On Tue, 5 Feb 2008, Nikos Alexandris wrote:

[...]

2. Launching grass63 (release fetched with svn,
configured-compiled-installed) does not have any problems.

Is that not a good solution to your problems then? The location creation through the start-up GUI was all very experimental prior to 6.3; a lot of things have been cleaned up since 6.2 - and the changes were too complicated and extensive to be easily backported.

My questions is:

What is the difference when creating a new LOCATION in text mode from
trying to do so with the GUI (EPSG's or Georef.file)?

The GUI uses g.proj in the background; "Create using projection values" uses $ETC/set_data. They both create new locations but do so in completely different ways and the locations they create are slightly different in several subtle ways - hopefully these days we've ironed out most of the incompatibilities between them. But note that you can also run g.proj from the command-line if you want - check the man page for details; it has lots of options for creating new locations and the GUI is just another layer on top of this.

Paul

11

Nikos Alexandris wrote:

Isn't there a clean solution for this? It's really annoying...

I've been reading manuals, permissions on files and directories, sticky
bits, et.c.

grass62 just keeps complaining... and I don't want to change the /tmp
permissions which might be dangerous.

Can't I just re-direct these grass-nik-pid temp files somewhere else instead
of the /tmp directory?

Change the line:

  tmp=/tmp/grass6-$USER-$GIS_LOCK

in $GISBASE/etc/Init.sh to put the session directories elsewhere.

--
Glynn Clements <glynn@gclements.plus.com>

12

Hi!

On Thu, 2008-02-07 at 03:38 +0000, Paul Kelly wrote:

On Tue, 5 Feb 2008, Nikos Alexandris wrote:

[...]
> 2. Launching grass63 (release fetched with svn,
> configured-compiled-installed) does not have any problems.

Is that not a good solution to your problems then?

It is for me. Not for a couple of friends with which we had a common
GRASS session today... and they just installed current stable versions
from the Ubuntu repo's.

The location creation
through the start-up GUI was all very experimental prior to 6.3; a lot of
things have been cleaned up since 6.2 - and the changes were too
complicated and extensive to be easily backported.

> My questions is:
>
> What is the difference when creating a new LOCATION in text mode from
> trying to do so with the GUI (EPSG's or Georef.file)?

The GUI uses g.proj in the background; "Create using projection values"
uses $ETC/set_data. They both create new locations but do so in completely
different ways and the locations they create are slightly different in
several subtle ways - hopefully these days we've ironed out most of the
incompatibilities between them.
But note that you can also run g.proj from
the command-line if you want - check the man page for details; it has lots
of options for creating new locations and the GUI is just another layer on
top of this.

Paul

Thank you all!
--
Nikos Alexandris
.
Department of Remote Sensing & Landscape Information Systems
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
.
Tel. +49 (0) 761 203 3697 / Fax. +49 (0) 761 203 3701 / Skype: Nikos.Alexandris
.
Address: Tennenbacher str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg i. Br., Germany