Skip to content

Commit 3903bbc

Browse files
committed
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]>
1 parent 6c4ce32 commit 3903bbc

File tree

1 file changed

+24
-2
lines changed

1 file changed

+24
-2
lines changed

compat/mingw.c

Lines changed: 24 additions & 2 deletions
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -367,6 +367,8 @@ static const wchar_t *make_relative_to(const wchar_t *path,
367367
return out;
368368
}
369369

370+
static DWORD symlink_file_flags = 0, symlink_directory_flags = 1;
371+
370372
enum phantom_symlink_result {
371373
PHANTOM_SYMLINK_RETRY,
372374
PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE,
@@ -417,7 +419,8 @@ process_phantom_symlink(const wchar_t *wtarget, const wchar_t *wlink)
417419
return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE;
418420

419421
/* otherwise recreate the symlink with directory flag */
420-
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) && CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 1))
422+
if (DeleteFileW(wlink) &&
423+
CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_directory_flags))
421424
return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DIRECTORY;
422425

423426
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
@@ -2907,7 +2910,7 @@ int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
29072910
wtarget[len] = '\\';
29082911

29092912
/* create file symlink */
2910-
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 0)) {
2913+
if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_file_flags)) {
29112914
errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
29122915
return -1;
29132916
}
@@ -3843,6 +3846,24 @@ static void maybe_redirect_std_handles(void)
38433846
GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING);
38443847
}
38453848

3849+
static void adjust_symlink_flags(void)
3850+
{
3851+
/*
3852+
* Starting with Windows 10 Build 14972, symbolic links can be created
3853+
* using CreateSymbolicLink() without elevation by passing the flag
3854+
* SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (0x02) as last
3855+
* parameter, provided the Developer Mode has been enabled. Some
3856+
* earlier Windows versions complain about this flag with an
3857+
* ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, hence we have to test the build number
3858+
* specifically.
3859+
*/
3860+
if (GetVersion() >= 14972 << 16) {
3861+
symlink_file_flags |= 2;
3862+
symlink_directory_flags |= 2;
3863+
}
3864+
3865+
}
3866+
38463867
#ifdef _MSC_VER
38473868
#ifdef _DEBUG
38483869
#include <crtdbg.h>
@@ -3878,6 +3899,7 @@ int wmain(int argc, const wchar_t **wargv)
38783899
#endif
38793900

38803901
maybe_redirect_std_handles();
3902+
adjust_symlink_flags();
38813903
fsync_object_files = 1;
38823904

38833905
/* determine size of argv and environ conversion buffer */

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)