EACCES when renaming folder that is being watched from nodejs

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17134.112]

I am trying to use chokidar, a popular nodejs file system watcher library.

Whenever I use chokidar to listen for file system changes, I can no longer rename folders that lie within the folder being watched.

npm install chokidar
mkdir test
echo hello > test/test.txt
create repro.js:

var fs = require('fs');
var chokidar = require('chokidar');

// Watch current directory and ignore the node_modules folder
chokidar.watch('.', {ignored: /node_modules/}).on('all', (event, path) => {
  console.log(event, path);
});

// After sufficient time, attempt to rename the test folder
// Note: this is also reproducible using `mv` on the command line
setTimeout(function() {
    fs.rename('test', 'test2', function(err) {
        if (err) {
            console.log(err);
        } else {
            console.log('rename ok');
        }
    });
}, 1000);

WSL (Ubuntu 18.04):

Ubuntu 18.04:

I don't think it is terribly important (other colleagues are able to reproduce with other node versions), but I am using nodejs v8.11.3

I don't think it is terribly important (other colleagues are able to reproduce with other node versions)

Nah it's a manifestation of about the most pervasive bug around here (if you don't count 0xhexdigits fail at startup). Call this dupe #1956 but you can pick any dating back to #14.

this does not work for me

code.visualstudio.com/docs

// settings.json
{
    "remote.WSL.fileWatcher.polling": true
}

but this is helped

// settings.json
{
    "files.watcherExclude": {
        "**/**/*": true
    }
}

qwabra

qwabra I tried your approach and even that doesn't work.

I tried:

    "remote.WSL.fileWatcher.polling": true,

then

    "files.watcherExclude": {
        "**/**/*": true
    }

then both.

None of this works for me.

Can anyone please help?

This is pretty annoying... for now I just close VS code since the file watcher has a lock on the files, do file work in terminal or file explorer and reopen when done with code . in ubuntu.
Otherwise, unless there is a reason to not upgrade to WSL 2 I would suggest anybody does so.

Why is the workaround from #3395 (comment) not explicitly stated in the VS Code docs section about known WSL limitations? It should note that all workspace files must be excluded from being watched otherwise the problem will persist…

...
for now I just close VS code since the file watcher has a lock on the files, do file work in terminal or file explorer and reopen
...

you can just open settings.json and switch trigger false/true in "**/*": false

{
    "files.watcherExclude": {
        //
        // block Svelte update
        "**/*": false,
        // "**/*": true,
        //
        "**/.git/objects/**": true,
        "**/.git/subtree-cache/**": true,
        "**/node_modules/**": true,
        "**/.hg/store/**": true
    },
}

it can be set locally

(use workspace settings) .vscode/settings.json
see docs

something is fundamentally broken here. while having my remote-wsl workspace open in vscode, i get the following in a command prompt:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>handle my-directory-name | wsl wc -l
177481

that means the windows kernel has every single one of the files in my workspace open.

i have the following in my settings.json:

	"remote.WSL.fileWatcher.polling": true

this does not work for me

code.visualstudio.com/docs

// settings.json
{
    "remote.WSL.fileWatcher.polling": true
}

but this is helped

// settings.json
{
    "files.watcherExclude": {
        "**/**/*": true
    }
}

Thank you. This also solved my problem in installing go tools on WSL.

// settings.json (located in %appdata%/code/user/settings.json)
{
"files.watcherExclude": {
"//*": true
}
}

After saving it, restart VsCode.

Merge pull request #1386 from aantron/eacces

Hello,
I know the issue is closed but summarizing the full steps. I got the what but was not able to get how of it from this chat.
I am using WSL1 with Docker Desktop

File -> Preferences -> Settings
Click on the Open Settings(JSON) button on top right corner and change this "remote.WSL.fileWatcher.polling": true.

Hope I am not repeating someone else answer :)

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EACCES when renaming folder that is being watched from nodejs #3395

this does not work for me

but this is helped

it can be set locally

this does not work for me

but this is helped

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EACCES when renaming folder that is being watched from nodejs #3395

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therealkenc commented on Jul 20, 2018

qwabra commented on May 20, 2020

this does not work for me

but this is helped

95th commented on May 21, 2020

JordanSimba commented on Jun 14, 2020

DerekNonGeneric commented on Jul 2, 2020

qwabra commented on Jul 13, 2020

it can be set locally

Spongman commented on Jul 31, 2020

byteroll commented on Sep 12, 2020

this does not work for me

but this is helped

SanjivG10 commented on Sep 27, 2020

asimarora commented on Jan 29, 2024

554948671 commented on Feb 24, 2026

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