Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker - Dwarf Fortress
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0004824Dwarf FortressLegends Mode -- Map Exportpublic2011-08-12 20:502014-01-21 19:56
herufeanor 
 
normalminoralways
newopen 
WindowsWindows 7
0.31.25 
 
0004824: DF doesn't notice if "export image/info" fails due to file system permissions etc
When I finish generating a world, and I hit 'p' to export the map, nothing happens. The game provides no feedback that a button was pressed, and no new files are created in my Dwarf Fortress directory, or anywhere else I can find.
1) Generate a world (any parameters).
2) When it finishes, hit 'p'.

Expected result:
A map image and some text files with generation parameters appear in the directory with the Dwarf Fortress executable.

Actual result:
Nothing happens.
No tags attached.
related to 0002587confirmed lethosor Saving fails silently when folder is not writeable (due to full disk, permissions, etc) 
Issue History
2011-08-12 20:50herufeanorNew Issue
2011-08-12 21:53UristMcDorfNote Added: 0018495
2011-08-13 15:02herufeanorNote Added: 0018503
2011-08-13 17:53herufeanorNote Deleted: 0018503
2011-08-14 08:58caldfirNote Added: 0018506
2011-08-15 11:55FootkerchiefNote Added: 0018518
2011-08-15 11:55FootkerchiefTag Attached: AWAITING UPDATE
2011-08-15 21:10UristMcDorfNote Added: 0018526
2011-08-15 21:10UristMcDorfIssue Monitored: UristMcDorf
2011-08-15 22:00UristMcDorfNote Edited: 0018526bug_revision_view_page.php?bugnote_id=0018526#r6927
2011-08-15 22:20herufeanorNote Added: 0018527
2011-08-16 08:02FootkerchiefSummaryExport image/info doesn't do anything => DF doesn't notice if "export image/info" fails due to file system permissions etc
2014-01-20 19:03FootkerchiefTag Detached: AWAITING UPDATE
2014-01-20 19:39FootkerchiefRelationship addedhas duplicate 0005773
2014-01-21 19:56FootkerchiefRelationship deletedhas duplicate 0005773
2014-01-21 19:56FootkerchiefRelationship addedrelated to 0002587

Notes
(0018495)
UristMcDorf   
2011-08-12 21:53   
Works OK for me (0.31.25). However I'm on Linux, not Windows, so could potentially be OS-related.
(0018506)
caldfir   
2011-08-14 08:58   
I'm using windows 7 and experiencing no problems.

This issue DOES however occur if DF is installed in a system directory (like "program files") and not run in administrator mode, since the DF process is not authorized to create new files there.

This is more of a bug with the fact that windows fails to inform you of the aborted file creation than it is a problem with DF itself.
(0018518)
Footkerchief   
2011-08-15 11:55   
Reminder sent to: herufeanor

Does caldfir's post at 0004824:0018506 clear things up?
(0018526)
UristMcDorf   
2011-08-15 21:10   
(edited on: 2011-08-15 22:00)
Actually, I can recreate the problem on Linux by simply removing write permissions on the game directory; after doing so, the game itself fails to report the failure to write the worldgen info (or savegames, etc)

The difference with Linux is that at least if you run the game from a terminal window, the failure gets reported there. I'm guessing on Windows, if you ran DF from a cmd.exe window, you might get the same; but I'd imagine very, very few Windows players run the game that way.

I'd also point out that this means it's not a "Windows problem". While I'm sure the proportion of Linux users who are command-line-disabled is much smaller, I'm also sure they exist, and are growing.

(0018527)
herufeanor   
2011-08-15 22:20   
Yes, that was the problem.

I also agree with UristMcDorf: It's not the OS' job to report the failure to the user. The OS should report the failure to the application, and leave it up to the application to report the failure to the user in the appropriate way. Even if you have a console open, the user shouldn't be expected to dig through the console output to figure out why the button they're pressing isn't doing anything.