[snap] hugo server fails if ~/.gitconfig includes other gitconfig files

[pandruszkow]

What version of Hugo are you using (hugo version)?

$ hugo version
hugo v0.104.1-8958b8741f552c8024af5194330fbf031544a826+extended linux/amd64 BuildDate=2022-09-26T17:05:45Z VendorInfo=snap:0.104.1

Does this issue reproduce with the latest release?

Yes (on snap, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)

Steps to reproduce

1. On Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, install hugo with snap install hugo --channel=extended
2. Replace ~/.gitconfig with:

[include]
	path = .gitconfig.local

2. Add the following to ~/.gitconfig.local:

[user]
	name = John Smith
	email = user@example.com

3. chmod a+r ~/.gitconfig.local ~/.gitconfig
4. Run hugo server
5. The following error message appears:

hugo v0.104.1-8958b8741f552c8024af5194330fbf031544a826+extended linux/amd64 BuildDate=2022-09-26T17:05:45Z VendorInfo=snap:0.104.1
ERROR 2022/09/29 12:36:01 Failed to read Git log: warning: unable to access '/home/[REDACTED]/.gitconfig.local': Permission denied
fatal: bad config line 5 in file /home/[REDACTED]/.gitconfig
WARN 2022/09/29 12:36:01 Expand shortcode is deprecated. Use 'details' instead.
Error: Error building site: logged 1 error(s)
Built in 732 ms

Workaround

Follow reproduce steps, but replace hugo server with HUGO_ENABLEGITINFO=false hugo server.

Failure does not occur.

[Et7f3]

Is it specific to snap ? Can you reproduce in a docker so we have a easily actionnable reproduction?

Can't reproduce on latest so either it is specific to snap or just fixed.

[anthonyfok]

@Et7f3 Yes, it is specific to Snap. We use the home interface which "allows access to non-hidden files owned by the user in the to be user's home ($HOME) directory", and recently added the personal-files interface](https://snapcraft.io/docs/personal-files-interface) to allow access to $HOME/.gitconfig and $HOME/.config/git/config which are both hidden:

hugo/snap/snapcraft.yaml

Lines 22 to 31 in 58b8245

	plugs:
	etc-gitconfig:
	interface: system-files
	read:
	- /etc/gitconfig
	gitconfig:
	interface: personal-files
	read:
	- $HOME/.gitconfig
	- $HOME/.config/git/config

$HOME/.gitconfig.local is not in that list, in snapcraft.yaml, thus it is not readable.

@pandruszkow Instead of including an arbitrarily named $HOME/.gitconfig.local file, how about placing its content (e.g. [user] section) into $HOME/.config/git/config instead? From the git config man page:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config
           Second user-specific configuration file. If $XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not
           set or empty, $HOME/.config/git/config will be used. Any
           single-valued variable set in this file will be overwritten by
           whatever is in ~/.gitconfig.

Let me know if this works for you or not! Many thanks!

[sivachandran]

It affected me as well. I end up remove hugo from snap and installed through apt.

[TechWilk]

Having installed hugo through snap (on PopOS! 22.04 LTS) I experienced the same issue.
@anthonyfok I am using $HOME/.config/git/config which doesn't work either

$ hugo
Start building sites … 
hugo v0.109.0-47b12b83e636224e5e601813ff3e6790c191e371+extended linux/amd64 BuildDate=2022-12-23T10:38:11Z VendorInfo=snap:0.109.0
ERROR 2022/12/26 11:59:17 Failed to read Git log: warning: unable to access '/home/[user]/.config/git/config': Permission denied
warning: unable to access '/home/[user]/.config/git/config': Permission denied
fatal: unknown error occurred while reading the configuration files
Error: Error building site: logged 1 error(s)
Total in 343 ms```

[pandruszkow]

@pandruszkow Instead of including an arbitrarily named $HOME/.gitconfig.local file, how about placing its content (e.g. [user] section) into $HOME/.config/git/config instead? From the git config man page:

$HOME/.gitconfig.local is no more more arbitrary than $HOME/.gitconfig or $HOME/.config/git/config. After all, paths under $HOME are just a convention, and there are legitimate reasons why users may wish to allow access to hidden files to confined applications, or use non-default paths for files. Locating config files in specific locations under my own home directory was simply not something that I've ever had to think about up until now. I don't like the way Snap deals with the issue, without even allowing the user to grant a confined application access to additional paths.

I replaced the Snap version with a DEB package. It's working flawlessly now.

[anthonyfok]

$HOME/.gitconfig.local is no more more arbitrary than $HOME/.gitconfig or $HOME/.config/git/config.

Except that git is programmed to read either $HOME/.gitconfig or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config (thus usually $HOME/.config/git/config), and these are documented in the git(1) man page.

$HOME/.gitconfig.local, on the other hand, is defined by the end user. In that sense, something like $HOME/.gitconfig.local is no more arbitrary than, for example, $HOME/.gitconfig.anthonyfok. Either of these user-defined paths would require adding a manual include path.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. It is just that Snap's security model seemingly throws us a monkey wrench here.

After all, paths under $HOME are just a convention, and there are legitimate reasons why users may wish to allow access to hidden files to confined applications, or use non-default paths for files.

This I completely agreed. What I meant "arbitrary" above is more in the context of the Snap packaging where snapcraft.yaml currently does not allow us to use a wildcard in the personal-files interface permitted file list if I understand correctly.

I replaced the Snap version with a DEB package. It's working flawlessly now.

I'm glad you came to this conclusion, as the .deb package is what I personally use and what I personally maintain for Debian and derivatives. I should have recommended that you switched to the .deb package in the first place. 😅

[jmooring]

@anthonyfok Due to your extensive efforts to resolve #9078, the Hugo snap package works very well for the vast majority of users. Everything is included; it just works. And the fact that it includes Embedded Dart Sass makes it easy for site authors to transition from LibSass (deprecated) to Dart Sass.

I really like the snap package, and wanted to thank you again for your efforts.

[anthonyfok]

@jmooring Thank you for your kind words and confidence boost! I almost forgot #9078, and I am glad that it is working well for most use cases!

[anthonyfok]

Let's see how to finally close this issue by making the hugo:gitconfig (personal-files interface) a bit more flexible. Here are some reference documentation and discussions:

• The personal-files interface - doc - snapcraft.io
• Permission denied when accessing hidden files and folders universal-ctags/ctags-snap#4
• SOLVED Help needed using 'personal-files' interface - snapcraft - snapcraft.io

Here is a quick summary:

• personal-files does not support wildcard. This is by design.
• personal-files does support directory, so adding $HOME/.config/git gives read access to $HOME/.config/git/config and any arbitrary files inside the $HOME/.config/git directory.
• Top-level $HOME does not work. Again, this is by design, for security reasons. I tried $HOME, $HOME/, '$HOME/.`, and sure enough, none of these works.
• $HOME/.gitconfig.local seems nicely named, so I'll add this exception too.
• To test which files or directories are readable or not, simply run snap run --shell hugo.
• git config -l --show-origin is a great command for testing if git config [include] path is working properly or not.

So, here's what I'm going to do:

• Allow $HOME/.config/git/* and $HOME/.gitconfig.local to work too
• Document the above (as well as other quirks of the Hugo Snap package) eventually; when to use Snap and when to use .deb.

[github-actions]

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