Cannot create file that doesn't already exist

Jabber1

8/29/24, 3:06 PM

I'm trying to create a file by writing to it, and I'm being given the error that it does not exist (of course it doesn't --I'm trying to create it!)

I know about the problem where the path to the file doesn't exist (e.g. if I were to type touch /path/to/folder/file_x , and the directory /path/to/folder/ didn't exist, then this would make sense.) That's not what's happening here. I'm in the local directory where I want to create the file (no path issues).

touch file_a
touch file_b  # <-- these files are created, no problem

but for a particular filename that I had created earlier and already deleted, this breaks:

touch  file_x
touch: cannot touch 'file_x': No such file or directory

I also can't delete it:

rm file_x
rm: cannot remove 'file_x': No such file or directory

I can't delete what doesn't exist, but I also can't create it again. I don't understand how this is possible. This is on an NTFS drive, so perhaps there's a problem with Linux mounting a windows drive?

0 + 6

ntfs

ubuntu-touch

Rinzwind

8/29/24, 3:11 PM

if NTFS you need to add the mount options it has. If the system is READ ONLY you can not touch a file and can not delete it. file_a and file_b are made on the same dir as File_x at the aame moment?

muru

8/29/24, 5:10 PM

Case sensitivity might be a play. Does `file_x` or `fiLe_x` or `FILE_X` or some other variation on case already exist?

Jabber1

8/29/24, 5:14 PM

@muru my apologies for writing the initial question with inconsistent case (which I can see created confusion; I've made everything consistent now). If I try to create `file_X` then that works fine, so case-sensitivity is as expected. It's just the very specific name `file_x` that seems to be "blocked" somehow --not quite deleted, but also not available.

Archisman Panigrahi

8/29/24, 5:20 PM

What is the actual name of `file_x`? Perhaps windows does not allow certain file names, and NTFS follows the rules

Jabber1

8/29/24, 5:25 PM

The actual name is `sampleList_2023.08.29.json` (I thought abstraction would be simpler)

pLumo

8/30/24, 7:26 AM

maybe the file is deleted but still open from another program ? Check `lsof`. Does it still persist after remount or reboot?

Elon Musk

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