# acroread and linux compatibility problems with filesystem access



## mamalos (Mar 12, 2011)

Hey everybody,

Lately a thing happened on my FreeBSD 8-stable (amd64) box, that has happened again in the past and I did not know how to resolve: since some moment, when I run acroread on files located on specific folders, acroread responds with: 
	
	



```
There was an error opening this document. This file cannot be found
```

The truth is that it's right! If I use acroread's menu (file/open) to see what's happening, it starts by showing /usr/compat/linux/tmp. By traversing the tree upwards everything is normal, until I reach / . By that moment and onwards, acroread works as if it's chrooted in /usr/compat/linux as far as /bin, /etc, /usr, /lib, /mnt, /proc, /root, /sbin, /var and /tmp is concerned... (which is actually the intersection of the folders located both in / and /usr/compat/linux). All other folders (not existing in /usr/compat/linux) work normally (hence I can access /home).

My system is as follows:

`$ uname -a`

```
FreeBSD mymachine 8.2-STABLE FreeBSD 8.2-STABLE #0: Sat Mar 12 09:13:01 EET 2011     
root@mymachine:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/CUSTOM  amd64
```

`$  mount`

```
/dev/ad4s2a on / (ufs, local, soft-updates)
devfs on /dev (devfs, local, multilabel)
msi_root/home on /home (zfs, local)
msi_root/tmp on /tmp (zfs, local)
msi_root/root on /root (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/local on /usr/local (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/compat on /usr/compat (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/local/share on /usr/local/share (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/obj on /usr/obj (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/ports on /usr/ports (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/share on /usr/share (zfs, local)
msi_root/usr/src on /usr/src (zfs, local)
msi_root/var on /var (zfs, local)
msi_root/var/db on /var/db (zfs, local)
msi_root/var/log on /var/log (zfs, local)
linprocfs on /usr/compat/linux/proc (linprocfs, local)
```

`$  ls /var/db/pkg | egrep -i 'acrore|linux'`

```
acroread8-8.1.7_3/
acroreadwrapper-0.0.20100806/
linux-f10-atk-1.24.0/
linux-f10-cairo-1.8.0_1/
linux-f10-curl-7.19.6_1/
linux-f10-cyrus-sasl2-2.1.22_1/
linux-f10-expat-2.0.1/
linux-f10-flashplugin-10.1r102/
linux-f10-fontconfig-2.6.0/
linux-f10-gdk-pixbuf-0.22.0/
linux-f10-gtk2-2.14.7_2/
linux-f10-jpeg-6b/
linux-f10-libssh2-0.18/
linux-f10-libxml2-2.7.3_2/
linux-f10-nspr-4.7.6/
linux-f10-nss-3.12.3.99.3_1/
linux-f10-openldap-2.4.12_1/
linux-f10-openssl-0.9.8g/
linux-f10-pango-1.28.3/
linux-f10-png-1.2.37_1/
linux-f10-sqlite3-3.5.9_1/
linux-f10-tiff-3.8.2/
linux-f10-xorg-libs-7.4_1/
linux-libgtkembedmoz-0.0.20100806/
linux-sun-jre-1.6.0.24/
linux_base-f10-10_3/
```

I don't know what change I have made recently that might be related to the cause of this problem, since I read most pdfs from my homefolder, which works fine... 
Thank you all in advance, and I hope that someone sheds some light on this peculiar issue.

mamalos


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## wblock@ (Mar 13, 2011)

Unless acroread is required, life can be made much simpler by using graphics/xpdf or one of the other native non-blob PDF viewers.


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## mamalos (Mar 14, 2011)

wblock,

please don't start mentioning alternatives; if I wanted one I would have named my thread accordingly. I know I can use alternatives, and I know that if I want acroread to work, I can open pdf files located in the "appropriate" directories. 

What I want to know is what is wrong with my acroread installation (or better say with my linux compatibility installation), and to achieve that I need more ideas for troubleshooting.

Sorry about my austere reply, but I think that one of this forum's pros (and one that should be kept) is that when somebody poses a question like: "My X application stopped functioning..." or like "I would like to install application X but it fails...",  people don't usually answer with: "Why don't you use Y instead" (like is being done on many *NIX-forums I know of), and this -in my opinion- allows for "higher quality" discussions. 

Thank you anyway.


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## sk8harddiefast (Mar 14, 2011)

> (or better say with my linux compatibility installation)


Have you this line on /boot/loader.conf?

```
linux_enable="yes"
```



> (like is being done on many *NIX-forums I know of)


Yep. Because always you must have alternatives!
I was using aterm. I had some problems and someone told me to use urxvt. Well... Urxvt is much much better. I was using vuze. Asking all java and was huge. Someone told me about transmission. There is no comparison between them. Also on this OSes there is nothing that will tell you that something will work perfect and 100% for sure. Maybe there is a bug and you must wait the next update. (Like minitube. Was not working until now on my fluxbox. This release work perfect  ) So you start have alternatives. My opinion. On me acroread works but if was not working probably xpdf was the next alternative on me.


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## mamalos (Mar 14, 2011)

My linux module is loaded on startup:
`$ kldstat | grep linux`

```
8    3 0xffffffff8207a000 44cb0    linux.ko
```

which is obvious, since acroread works just fine outside some directories (otherwise it wouldn't).

Now, on your second comment: I agree with all this stuff about alternatives; on the other hand I am pretty sure that when somebody wants one, they can, and *will* ask for it (as is being done)! It is very rational to receive answers requesting more information regarding configuration and setup, but suggestions for alternatives (when not asked for) may very easily troll out a thread.

Thank you for your answer.


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## sk8harddiefast (Mar 14, 2011)

Try open a file running acroread from terminal. What's the output?


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## mamalos (Mar 14, 2011)

When I run acroread on the file that cannot be found, the output reads:
`$ acroread /tmp/lala.pdf`

```
libfam.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgiofam.so
```

The problem is definitely related to linux-compatibility, but I don't know where to look at.


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## wblock@ (Mar 14, 2011)

mamalos said:
			
		

> please don't start mentioning alternatives; if I wanted one I would have named my thread accordingly. I know I can use alternatives, and I know that if I want acroread to work, I can open pdf files located in the "appropriate" directories.



That is why I said "Unless acroread is required".  Originally, you did not mention whether that was a condition.  Guessing such conditions often leads to long threads ending with "You mean there's something else I can use which is easier?  Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"


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## mamalos (Mar 15, 2011)

OK, I think I found the answer to my questions:

as I stated in my first thread, the intersection of / and /usr/compat/linux contains tmp. The original linux-compatibility installation (linux_base*) did not contain tmp, only usr/tmp. I created it when I was installing matlab in a peculiar way , and did not consider about removing it after I completed the installation. Hence, when I was trying to open /tmp/file.pdf, the linux-binary was first looking at its local filesystem to see if /tmp existed, it found /tmp but no file.pdf in it and therefore it complained...When I removed tmp from /usr/compat/linux, everything worked just fine.

By the way, how can I change my topic's title to prefix [SOLVED] in it?


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## sk8harddiefast (Mar 15, 2011)

Edit -> Go Advancded


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## mamalos (Mar 15, 2011)

cheers mate


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