# Is the error 1:1 no such buffer message an invalid issue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Complaints & Improvements\ **Created:** [May 13, 2019, 5:54am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565 "2019-05-13T05:54:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/21 "2019-05-16T14:02:52Z")
the problem with Kak is that it doesn’t even know what directory is on What is `~` by the way? I don’t want to sound senile like a cranky old man, but what is `~` really? So if any testing is goiing to be done, I’d like to know what is the rationale behind it? for example, what is before `$` when calling the terminal ? If is `~` is wrong If it’s the username is correct End of the story, as simple as that `~` is tilde but what is it exactly? It doesn’t mean nothing! whereas a username for the system does ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/22 "2019-05-16T14:55:48Z")
guys sorry about the last rant. I don’t care if it’s a bug or only my bug. The inconsistency is there as soon as a desktop.file comes into play. Because it doesn’t really matter whether I’d have, as I did without even being fully aware of it - it was a file I have had for a while and didn’t pay attention to it - the `export HOME=/home/c/` on bashrc if I were to have on bashrc ``` export HOME=/home/c ``` or you might as well change the `c` to your own username in this case. Notice that there’s no forward slash appended to the username. then it would be reasonable by using the same example as @Screwtapello kindly provided, to say ``` ~$ HOME=$HOME/ kak -n ``` What follows a directory after all but a path separating it from its contents? Or don’t include the above `export HOME=/home/username` on bashrc and invoke on the terminal instead ``` printenv $HOME ``` It should be the same as if you were to have it set on bashrc ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/23 "2019-05-16T15:46:40Z")
Also, as I said before, I can’t confirm whether it is a bug or just my bug. If it is a bug indeed, I don’t want be taken as the individual reporting it. My intention with anything that I’ve written or have said on this thread or any other, has been solely as an end-user experience with the editor. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/24 "2019-05-17T03:17:24Z")
there’s nothing on my bash config file if I were to ``` $ echo $HOME $ /home/c ``` Then and based on the example ``` HOME=$HOME kak -n ``` everything’s good. But it’s a subtle-deceving-error, because as soon as you say escape it with ``` HOME=$HOME\/ kak -n ``` the error comes back… because of path expansion. What it should have been, but it’s not is ``` HOME=$HOME\// kak -n ``` And if that’s not true, I’ll wipe my system. No good. ---
**Author:** ![Screwtapello](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/screwtapello/32/12_2.png) [@Screwtapello](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/Screwtapello)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/25 "2019-05-17T07:54:58Z")
> [@andreyorst](#): > > shell ignores additional slashes The kernel ignores additional slashes, so that applications can form a path with `first + '/' + second` without having to care whether `first` ends with a slash or not. Unfortunately, this means that every _other_ path operation gets more complex. If an application wants to compare two paths, it has to normalise them to remove the redundant slashes before comparing; `/home//foo/bar` and `/home/foo//bar` are the same path even though `strcmp` says they’re different. Given the symptom that kicked off this thread was something along the lines of “doing a thing works fine to begin with, then breaks after `cd`”, it sounds like somebody missed a normalisation _somewhere_, although whether it’s in Kakoune or a shell or a GUI tool or something I have no idea. > [@nonumeros](#): > > What is `~` by the way? The `dash(1)` manpage says: > A word beginning with an unquoted tilde character (`~`) is subjected to tilde expansion. All the characters up to a slash (`/`) or the end of the word are treated as a username and are replaced with the user’s home directory. If the username is missing (as in `~/foobar`), the tilde is replaced with the value of the `HOME` variable (the current user’s home directory). So `~/` is basically identical to `$HOME/` as far as the shell is concerned. Kakoune does [the same thing](https://github.com/mawww/kakoune/blob/44476ca4209ec6265798b786aca56654097c8ec1/src/file.cc#L55) except that it only supports `~` and `~/`, not `~user` or `$HOME`. Because `~/` generally expands to `$HOME/`, some tools (like Kakoune, or `bash` when `$PS1` contains `\w` or `\W`) abbreviate `$HOME/` to `~/` when it appears in a path. > [@nonumeros](#): > > The inconsistency is there as soon as a desktop.file comes into play. I can’t help but notice that the `.desktop` file you quote says something like: ``` Exec=uxterm kak Terminal=false ``` …manually running Kakoune inside a terminal, rather than: ``` Exec=kak Terminal=true ``` …so Kakoune runs inside the system default terminal, whatever it is. That might have something to do with it. Alternatively, it might be to do with how you log in. If you login to Linux on the console or via ssh, those systems will launch your preferred shell (probably bash) as an “interactive login shell”, so the process looks like this: - `bash` reads the “login config” file `.bash_profile` - `bash` reads the “interactive config” file `.bashrc` - `bash` prints a prompt and waits for you to type a command That is, the contents of both `.bash_profile` and `.bashrc` are relevant. If you login to Linux through a graphical login screen like `gdm3` (the GNOME Display Manager) then launch a terminal, the process looks like this: - `gdm3` launches `/bin/sh` as a non-interactive login shell to start the desktop environment - `/bin/sh` reads the “login config” file `.profile` - `/bin/sh` starts the desktop environment - the desktop environment starts your terminal - your terminal starts your preferred shell (probably bash) interatively - `bash` reads the “interactive config” file `.bashrc` - `bash` prints a prompt and waits for you to type a command That is, the contents of `.profile` and `.bashrc` are relevant, and `.bash_profile` is irrelevant. If you _don’t_ start a terminal with a shell, but instead start a terminal running a program directly (like your `.desktop` entry that runs `uxterm kak`), then “your preferred shell” is not involved, so `bashrc` is never read, and only `.profile` is relevant. If you login to Linux through a graphical login screen like `lightdm` then launch a terminal, the process looks like this: - `lightdm` launches `/bin/sh` as a non-interactive, non-login shell to start the desktop environment - `/bin/sh` starts the desktop environment - the desktop starts your terminal - your terminal starts your preferred shell (probably bash) interactively - `bash` reads the “interactive config” file `.bashrc` - `bash` prints a prompt and waits for you to type a command That is, the contents of `.bashrc` is relevant, and `.profile` and `.bash_profile` are irrelevant. Again, if you don’t start a terminal with a shell, but instead start a terminal running a program directly, then your “preferred shell” is not involved, so none of `.bashrc`, `.profile`, or `.bash_profile` are relevant. Long story short: if you can at all avoid it, don’t configure interactive applications by setting environment variables, because it’s a nightmare trying to ensure that they’re set at the right times and in the right places. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 8:11am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/26 "2019-05-17T08:11:22Z")
@Screwtapello give me a a few minutes to read your post. . As always, your input is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/27 "2019-05-17T19:51:32Z")
@Screwtapello One if not the most thorough technical explanation I’ve seen that exclusively pertains to this issue . Great explanation. > Given the symptom that kicked off this thread was something along the lines of "doing a thing works fine to begin with, then breaks after `cd` ", it sounds like somebody missed a normalisation _somewhere_ , although whether it’s in Kakoune or a shell or a GUI tool or something I have no idea. I agree. I’ve never said otherwise. > So `~/` is basically identical to `$HOME/` as far as the shell is concerned. Kakoune does [the same thing](https://github.com/mawww/kakoune/blob/44476ca4209ec6265798b786aca56654097c8ec1/src/file.cc#L55) except that it only supports `~` and `~/` , not `~user` or `$HOME` . Can this be tackled? This is perhaps the most important part of this post alone. I personally don’t like this issue to start with. An overhaul that It’s like @andreyorst 's absolute path quote. > If you login to Linux through a graphical login screen like `gdm3` (the GNOME Display Manager) then launch a terminal, the process looks like this: > That is, the contents of `.profile` and `.bashrc` are relevant, and `.bash_profile` is irrelevant. Almost, but `.profile` if memory helps me here overtakes. But of course, I’m not implying that `.bashrc` is irrelevant. Used it at one point. > If you login to Linux through a graphical login screen like `lightdm` then launch a terminal, the process looks like this: > [@Screwtapello](#): > > If you login to Linux through a graphical login screen like `lightdm` then launch a terminal, the process looks like this: > > - `lightdm` launches `/bin/sh` as a non-interactive, non-login shell to start the desktop environment > - `/bin/sh` starts the desktop environment > - the desktop starts your terminal > - your terminal starts your preferred shell (probably bash) interactively > - `bash` reads the “interactive config” file `.bashrc` > - `bash` prints a prompt and waits for you to type a command > > That is, the contents of `.bashrc` is relevant, and `.profile` and `.bash_profile` are irrelevant. good to know for posterity. Used it for a while but no longer. But I quite don’t understand after your explanation, whatever the display manager is in use with the issue at hand. Take that out of the assumption, because the issue with `1:1 no such buffer` comes back whether there’s one or not. > Because `~/` generally expands to `$HOME/` , some tools (like Kakoune, or `bash` when `$PS1` contains `\w` or `\W` ) abbreviate `$HOME/` to `~/` when it appears in a path. As I said if ``` echo $HOME /home/c/ ``` then ``` HOME=$HOME\/ kak works ``` if ``` echo $HOME /home/c ``` then ``` HOME=$HOME\/ kak errors 1:1 no such buffer ``` ---
**Author:** ![robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/robertmeta/32/833_2.png) [@robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/robertmeta)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/28 "2019-05-17T21:24:30Z")
This is a weird one, but I think I got it clearly caught on asciinema, can you confirm this is what you are talking about @nonumeros? [https://asciinema.org/a/1chvG1TaWd2tdCD8OIdnAeBs5](https://asciinema.org/a/1chvG1TaWd2tdCD8OIdnAeBs5) What makes it interesting is three different behaviors happen. `/home/rmelton` gives you a buffer named `~/Documents/atest.txt` which you can switch to without issue. `/home/rmelton/` gives you a buffer named `~Documents/atest.txt` which gives the error `/home/rmelton//` gives you a buffer named `/home/rmelton/Documents/atest.txt` which you can switch to without issue. I can make sense of the first two cases, but why does it get expanded out in the 3rd? ---
**Author:** ![robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/robertmeta/32/833_2.png) [@robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/robertmeta)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/29 "2019-05-17T21:59:27Z")
I did a toy patch to fix this, it removes any slashes at the end of $HOME during the compact\_path and handles multiple slashes in the way @andreyorst said it should (won’t strip just one at the end, but as many as are there). ```diff diff --git i/src/file.cc w/src/file.cc index 52a0f288..0be76e58 100644 --- i/src/file.cc +++ w/src/file.cc @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ String real_path(StringView filename) return res; StringView dir = res; - if (dir.substr(dir.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") + while (dir.substr(dir.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") dir = dir.substr(0_byte, dir.length()-1_byte); return format("{}/{}", dir, non_existing); } @@ -115,9 +115,13 @@ String compact_path(StringView filename) if (prefix_match(real_filename, real_cwd)) return real_filename.substr(real_cwd.length()).str(); - const StringView home = homedir(); + StringView home = homedir(); + if (not home.empty()) { + while (home.substr(home.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") + home = home.substr(0_byte, home.length()-1_byte); + ByteCount home_len = home.length(); if (real_filename.substr(0, home_len) == home) return "~" + real_filename.substr(home_len); @@ -405,7 +409,7 @@ String find_file(StringView filename, StringView buf_dir, ConstArrayView { if (stat(filename.zstr(), &buf) == 0 and S_ISREG(buf.st_mode)) return filename.str(); - return ""; + return ""; } if (filename.substr(0_byte, 2_byte) == "~/") { ``` ---
**Author:** ![robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/robertmeta/32/833_2.png) [@robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/robertmeta)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/30 "2019-05-18T04:45:54Z")
And that lead me to seeing the hardcoded 1024 and the use of PATH\_MAX, which tickled my brain because I remembered having to use a custom one because it is really busted, and refound [http://insanecoding.blogspot.com/2007/11/pathmax-simply-isnt.html](http://insanecoding.blogspot.com/2007/11/pathmax-simply-isnt.html) This has been a fun rabbithole of a thread. EDIT: More -\> [https://serverfault.com/questions/9546/filename-length-limits-on-linux](https://serverfault.com/questions/9546/filename-length-limits-on-linux) ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/31 "2019-05-18T12:19:08Z")
> [https://asciinema.org/a/1chvG1TaWd2tdCD8OIdnAeBs5](https://asciinema.org/a/1chvG1TaWd2tdCD8OIdnAeBs5) Robert thank you! [melton-file-list-for-error|590x354,75%](https://discuss.kakoune.com/404) . Very nice of you. I do appreciate it. ![melton-second-file-from-list-error](https://discuss.kakoune.com/uploads/default/original/1X/f590605c92b51e152777f28327bb7c670ab32e77.png) > [@robertmeta](#): > > I can make sense of the first two cases, but why does it get expanded out in the 3rd? How the hillbillies would say, ‘I reckon you only need to escape once son’ you were running the test with say `/home/melton/`. And that slash itself would corroborate it if you would have echoed `$HOME` Think about it for a second, it’s not quantum mechanics [Schrödinger’s cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat) **edit** At no point the reference should be taken as an insult or disrespect. It would have taken me months if that to put the code that @robertmeta provided. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/32 "2019-05-18T12:39:21Z")
``` diff --git i/src/file.cc w/src/file.cc index 52a0f288..0be76e58 100644 --- i/src/file.cc +++ w/src/file.cc @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ String real_path(StringView filename) return res; StringView dir = res; - if (dir.substr(dir.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") + while (dir.substr(dir.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") dir = dir.substr(0_byte, dir.length()-1_byte); return format("{}/{}", dir, non_existing); } @@ -115,9 +115,13 @@ String compact_path(StringView filename) if (prefix_match(real_filename, real_cwd)) return real_filename.substr(real_cwd.length()).str(); - const StringView home = homedir(); + StringView home = homedir(); + if (not home.empty()) { + while (home.substr(home.length()-1_byte, 1_byte) == "/") + home = home.substr(0_byte, home.length()-1_byte); + ByteCount home_len = home.length(); if (real_filename.substr(0, home_len) == home) return "~" + real_filename.substr(home_len); @@ -405,7 +409,7 @@ String find_file(StringView filename, StringView buf_dir, ConstArrayView { if (stat(filename.zstr(), &buf) == 0 and S_ISREG(buf.st_mode)) return filename.str(); - return ""; + return ""; } if (filename.substr(0_byte, 2_byte) == "~/") { ``` Outstanding! Something that I couldn’t put together. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/33 "2019-05-18T23:14:57Z")
> `/home/rmelton//` gives you a buffer named `/home/rmelton/Documents/atest.txt` which you can switch to without issue. Overanalyzing is the Achilles’ heel of very clever people. It’s an expected domain. in my case and from the terminal ``` c$ export HOME=/home/c/ c$ echo $HOME c$ /home/c/ <-- notice the appended slash, the user and the home directory c$ HOME=$HOME // kak -n ``` One ends up on the filesystem for the home director, no escaping whatsoever is needed because is already escaped by corroborating it with `echo $HOME` that by then should return the slash `/` with that very same slash appended to the home directory `c`, so `c/` if on the other hand ``` c$ export HOME=/home/c ``` Notice now the subtle change to ``` ~$ <-- this needs to be escaped accordingly. ``` because if you were to say ``` ~ $ and keep an eye on the ~ that needs to be escaped ~ $ echo $HOME this confirms it with the following ~ $ /home/c where is my slash? ``` I’m going to escape it accordingly ``` ~ $ HOME=$HOME\/ kak -n ~ $ 1:1 error no such buffer ``` ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:42am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/34 "2019-05-19T00:42:54Z")
> This has been a fun rabbithole of a thread. Indeed. Unfortunately the only lesson I learned from it and this is a jab as in Kakoune! to @Screwtapello , is: don’t assume, because you know what they say about assuming, you’re going to make an ass out of you and out of me for assuming ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/35 "2019-05-19T20:43:59Z")
@mawww by reading some of your past comments - mostly from the repo site - I know you’re not very keen on adding some features to something the editor provides. This [patch](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/29) path by @robertmeta takes care of the issue from this thread. Can it be included upstream? I tested it with some of the features I need it for, namely for hugo and some git commands, and it seems to be working… ---
**Author:** ![robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/robertmeta/32/833_2.png) [@robertmeta](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/robertmeta)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/36 "2019-05-19T21:54:56Z")
I am putting together a more complete path handling fix for upstream. ---
**Author:** ![mawww](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@mawww](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/mawww)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/37 "2019-05-19T22:54:47Z")
Perfect, thank you to everyone involved in tracking that bug down. ---
**Author:** ![nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@nonumeros](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/nonumeros)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 12:22pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565/38 "2019-05-20T12:22:28Z")
👍 way to go! thank you all. [Previous page](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/is-the-error-1-1-no-such-buffer-message-an-invalid-issue/565.md?page=1)