IDE hangs on startup when system temporary folder is on a RAM drive

[Defragster]

Describe the problem

When I start Arduino IDE on my computer where I am using a RAM drive, the window and title bar appear, but it remains forever on the splash screen/loading animation.

To reproduce

1. Use the Imdisk Toolkit utility to create a virtual disk in memory and configure the system temporary folder to be placed on it:
   
2. Start Arduino IDE.

🐛 Startup hangs forever at the loading animation.

Expected behavior

Arduino IDE starts and is fully functional.

If there is a reason Arduino IDE can not start, I expect it to communicate to the user about the problem (#2585).

Arduino IDE version

Original report

2.0.0-rc9

Last verified with

76f9f63 (reference)

Operating system

Windows

Operating system version

11 (Version 10.0.22000.739)

Additional context

When I did the install and looked at the time stamps for file created at that time - there seemed to be bunch of zero size.

---

The relevant environment variables have the following values:

> SET TEMP

TEMP=R:\Temp

> SET TMP

TMP=R:\Temp

I tried changing the values of these variables to R:\TEMP (note the changed case of the folder name to TEMP vs Temp), but this did not solve the problem.

Also removed "%systemroot%" that was preceding the one set of ImDisk entries.

---

Attempts to resolve noted here:

https://forum.pjrc.com/threads/53548-Arduino-CLI-And-IDE-2-RC-Release-Teensy-Support?p=309665&viewfull=1#post309665

(see posts 270 and 274)

---

Removed %appdata% folder local\arduino15 and the two in roaming and no difference.

---

I configured my security software to avoid it interfering with Arduino IDE:

Arduino IDE ZIP package is 'unblocked' so extracted files are not marked 'Blocked'.

Folder is in an excluded 'scan' folder for MalwareBytes.

Windows Defender also active, added exclusion.

---

Machine has been restarted as needed to allow removal of indicated folders and behavior persists.

---

The fault occurs with the MSI and ZIP packages of Arduino IDE

---

The fault still occurs after deleting the Arduino15 folder.

---

Not aware of anything else that may be present on the system causing this.

---

Running the EXE from the ZIP in an ADMIN command box I get this:

C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2>"Arduino IDE.exe"

C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2>
Starting backend process. PID: 13200
Using browser-only version of superagent in non-browser environment
Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, realpath 'R:\Temp'
    at Function.realpathSync.native (node:fs:2540:3)
    at Function.native (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:5:4819)
    at new SketchesServiceImpl (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\arduino-ide-extension\lib\node\sketches-service-impl.js:48:51)
    at _createInstance (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\instantiation.js:27:12)
    at Object.resolveInstance (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\instantiation.js:47:18)
    at C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\resolver.js:75:42
    at Object.resolve (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\resolver.js:99:12)
    at C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:335:37
    at Container._get (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:326:44)
    at Container.get (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:243:21) {
  errno: -4068,
  syscall: 'realpath',
  code: 'EISDIR',
  path: 'R:\\Temp'
}
Configuration directory URI: 'file:///c%3A/Users/Tim/.theia'
Theia app listening on http://localhost:56933.
root INFO Finished starting backend application: 4.1 ms [Finished 1.286 s after backend start]
[30924:0720/231630.034:ERROR:gpu_init.cc(453)] Passthrough is not supported, GL is disabled, ANGLE is
Stored workspaces roots:

C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2>

(my RAM drive is on R:\)

---

The fault does not occur when using Arduino IDE 1.8.19 + Teensyduino 1.57b4.

---

Related discussion:

https://forum.pjrc.com/threads/70455-Teensyduino-1-57-Beta-3?p=309464&viewfull=1#post309464

(see posts 33, 36, 38)

Additional reports

• TEMP on a virtual disk #1117
• IDE crashes on startup on systems w/ temp folder on RAM drive #2561
• IDE crashes on startup on systems w/ temp folder on RAM drive #2561 (comment)
• IDE crashes on startup on systems w/ temp folder on RAM drive #2561 (comment)
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-stalls-on-start/1037599
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-rc7-stalls-on-windows-11-system/1002172
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-1-1-0-not-work/1145930
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-2-1-wont-start-up-if-windows-environment-variable-temp-is-assigned-to-a-ram-disk/1197911/1
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-2-1-wont-start-up-if-windows-environment-variable-temp-is-assigned-to-a-ram-disk/1197911/7
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-3-2-windows-10-wont-launch/1229705/1
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-3-2-windows-10-wont-launch/1229705/5
• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-not-working/1408248

Issue checklist

• I searched for previous reports in the issue tracker
• I verified the problem still occurs when using the latest nightly build
• My report contains all necessary details

[per1234]

Hi @Defragster. Thanks for your report.

Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, realpath 'R:\Temp'

Is there anything special about this R:\ drive? I see we had a previous report of this error here: #1117 (and another here: https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-ide-2-rc7-stalls-on-windows-11-system/1002172). In that case, the temporary folder was on a virtual disk. Is that the case on your system?

[Defragster]

Yes, the R: drive is a RAM_DRIVE

I missed reading that in #1117. Odd thing, IIRC, that was active when I ran the Jan/Feb nightly builds. The IMG for that drive was created 9/12/2021.

So reading that now, this seems like a duplicate.

[Defragster]

And it is the same ImDisk software it seems as well:

To reproduce
Imdisk Toolkit utility, create a virtual disk in memory and specify the TEMP folder on it

Disk path is: R:\TEMP
When I did the install and looked at the time stamps for file created at that time - there seemed to be bunch of zero size.

And Windows 'CMD' SET shows:
TEMP=R:\Temp
TMP=R:\Temp

Edit and restart to have all 'case' as R:\TEMP, did not help: Behavior the same.

Also removed "%systemroot%" that was preceding the one set of ImDisk entries.
Here are the 'before' settings:

[kittaakos]

It seems to be a generic problem with this tool: nodejs/node#6861 (comment)

[Defragster]

Saw a review of alternate ramdrives, going to use OSFMount instead for a test. Will update.

Odd thing is that a month and more back IMDisk worked fine with IDE 2.0 (based on #1117), unless Windows Updated some internal element across both Win 10 and 11 - would take setting up an older IDE 2 (I used in Feb) to confirm.

[Defragster]

Confirmed using: arduino-ide_nightly-20220128_Windows_64bit.zip

unzipped to fresh directory and running: "Arduino IDE.exe" does NOT exhibit the issues in starting the IDE 2
IDE started and proceeded with 'first run' permission popups and other initial operations, RC9 never gets this far.
This Jan 28 version ran before and it runs today, so it is not a system change.
This run was done with below indicated OFSMount as it is active, and below it fails on RC9

Reverted to IMDisk RamDrive since it will 'start on boot'. Running RC9 again hangs, so it isn't an issue of 'first run'

Using: https://www.osforensics.com/tools/mount-disk-images.html#Overview

that is a PassMark free tool that allows image mounting for test/forensic purposes

Moved the IMDisk RAM drive to Z: and mounted NTFS image file it uses as R:
IMDisk provide Mount of boot, I don't see that for OFSMount, so attempted start of IDE2 RC9

Same behavior - no progress beyond showing title bar'd window with busy wait spinner

Only two files appeared on the R:drive - size never indicated anything but zero:

07/21/2022  02:59 PM                 0 07b6972f-598b-44fd-945b-b141e335593b.tmp
07/21/2022  02:59 PM                 0 cd2aa5bc-6e34-4911-bc4d-1f25ae195be2.tmp

Starting from "CMD" box the output is similar to prior, with issue noted for R: Path:

C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2>
Starting backend process. PID: 8920
Using browser-only version of superagent in non-browser environment
Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, realpath 'R:\TEMP'
    at Function.realpathSync.native (node:fs:2540:3)
    at Function.native (node:electron/js2c/asar_bundle:5:4819)
    at new SketchesServiceImpl (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\arduino-ide-extension\lib\node\sketches-service-impl.js:48:51)
    at _createInstance (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\instantiation.js:27:12)
    at Object.resolveInstance (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\instantiation.js:47:18)
    at C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\resolver.js:75:42
    at Object.resolve (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\resolution\resolver.js:99:12)
    at C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:335:37
    at Container._get (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:326:44)
    at Container.get (C:\T_Drive\ardIDE_2\resources\app\node_modules\inversify\lib\container\container.js:243:21) {
  errno: -4068,
  syscall: 'realpath',
  code: 'EISDIR',
  path: 'R:\\TEMP'
}
Configuration directory URI: 'file:///c%3A/Users/Tim/.theia'
Theia app listening on http://localhost:61520.
root INFO Finished starting backend application: 4.7 ms [Finished 1.728 s after backend start]
[21272:0721/150110.831:ERROR:gpu_init.cc(453)] Passthrough is not supported, GL is disabled, ANGLE is
Stored workspaces roots: