Prevent the $env:temp variable from being changed on every run of Install-BoxstarterPackage

[me-kell]

What You Are Seeing?

$env:temp is changed on every run of Install-BoxstarterPackage

How Did You Get This To Happen? (Steps to Reproduce)

I am running Boxstarter v2.12.0 and Chocolatey v0.10.15 under Windows 10

Here is my script to reproduce it. The same behaviour can be observed in Boxstarter Shell or Powershell

# uncomment following line if running in Powershell
# Import-Module Boxstarter.Chocolatey
$filename = "$env:userprofile\test_script.ps1"
Set-Content -Path $filename -Value 'Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"'
Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"

every time you call Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename" additional subdirectories chocolatey\chocolatey are appended to $env:temp

env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey

Related Issues?

Maybe following issues are related to this one:

• chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\.... temp download paths #241
• Path is adding lots of "chocolatey" during installation (Wrong path during installation of package spotify) #416

[me-kell]

The following script shows a similar behaviour. But this time the $env:temp seems to be changed by the call of cinst:

PS> $filename = "$env:userprofile\test_script.ps1"
PS> Set-Content -Path $filename -Value '
>> choco install chocolatey
>> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
>> choco install chocolatey
>> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
>> choco install chocolatey
>> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
>> '
PS> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"```

Outputs

PS> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey
...
PS> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey
...
PS> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey

This seems be related to the call to choco install and not to choco install itself since the following lines called directly (i.e. not via script) do not change the $env:temp:

PS> choco install chocolatey
PS> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp
PS> choco install chocolatey
PS> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp
PS> choco install chocolatey
PS> Write-Host "env:temp=$env:temp"
env:temp=C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp

[me-kell]

It is the dll chocolatey.dll packaged with Boxstarter that changes the variable $env:temp.
Replacing the packaged chocolatey.dll with a new version from chocolatey.lib.0.10.15\lib\chocolatey.dll returns the $env:temp unchanged.

Nonetheless the dll chocolatey.dll is always called three times via ChocolateWrapper.Run. See Line #267 in file Boxstarter.Chocolatey\invoke-chocolatey.ps1. These three calls result in a $env:temp with three chocolatey folders appended when using the packaged chocolatey.dll.

When using the chocolatey.lib.0.10.15\lib\chocolatey.dll the ChocolateWrapper.Run is also called thre times but chocolatey.lib.0.10.15\lib\chocolatey.dll appends chocolatey to the $env:temp in the first call and restores it to its value in the second and third call returning the initial and correct value of $env:temp.

IMHO this is both a Boxstarter and a Chocolatey issue.

Where can I see which version of chocolatey.dll is packages with Boxstarter?

[pauby]

@me-kell Thanks for troubleshooting this!

We can't replace the DLL with the new one at this stage. This was tried several versions ago and broke a lot of Boxstarter functionality. Updating Boxstarter to use the newer version of Chocolatey is something we are very much aware of though and raised issue #394 to look at it.

A solution may be to capture what $env:TEMP before the try{} and restore it in the finally{} block and include enough comments around it to indicate this is a workaround for the issue in Chocolatey 0.10.5. Thoughts?

[me-kell]

I'm currently using this (and similar) workarounds but I wonder why ChocolateWrapper.Run is called three (apparently embedded) times.

In the following example I capture $env:temp and a timestamp $tstamp to help differenciate the different calls of $choco.Run()

    Enter-BoxstarterLogable {
        Write-BoxstarterMessage "calling choco now with $chocoArgs" -Verbose
        $cd = [System.IO.Directory]::GetCurrentDirectory()
->      $oldEnvTemp = $env:temp
->      $tstamp = Get-Date -Format HH:mm:ss.fff
        try {
            # Chocolatey.dll uses GetCurrentDirectory which is not quite right
            # when calling via PowerShell. so we set it here
            Write-BoxstarterMessage "setting current directory location to $((Get-Location).Path)" -Verbose
            [System.IO.Directory]::SetCurrentDirectory("$(Convert-Path (Get-Location).Path)")
->          Write-Host "##### before $tstamp $env:temp #####"
            $choco.Run($chocoArgs)
->          Write-Host "#####    mid $tstamp $env:temp #####"
        }
        finally {
            Write-BoxstarterMessage "restoring current directory location to $cd" -Verbose
            [System.IO.Directory]::SetCurrentDirectory($cd)
->          $env:temp = $oldEnvTemp
->          Write-Host "#####  after $tstamp $env:temp #####"
        }
    }

The result is as follows. Please note my added bracketing to visualize the different calls. These are:

1. a first call to create a temp package for the script
2. a second call to install the created package
3. a third call with double output for the choco install line in the script

Boxstarter: Installing package C:\Users\map\test_script.ps1
Boxstarter Version 2.12.0
(c) 2018 Chocolatey Software, Inc, 2012 - 2018 Matt Wrock. https://boxstarter.org

Boxstarter: Disabling Automatic Updates from Windows Update

+- ##### before 11:37:13.707 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
|      Attempting to build package from 'tmpD60D.tmp.nuspec'.
|      Successfully created package 'C:\ProgramData\Boxstarter\BuildPackages\tmpD60D.tmp.1.0.0.nupkg'
|  #####    mid 11:37:13.707 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey #####
+- #####  after 11:37:13.707 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####

Boxstarter: Created a temporary package tmpD60D.tmp from C:\Users\map\test_script.ps1 in C:\ProgramData\Boxstarter\BuildPackages
+ Boxstarter starting Calling Chocolatey to install tmpD60D.tmp. This may take several minutes to complete...

+- ##### before 11:37:14.676 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
|      Installing the following packages:
|      tmpD60D.tmp
|      By installing you accept licenses for the packages.
|      [NuGet] Installing 'tmpD60D.tmp 1.0.0'.
|      [NuGet] Successfully installed 'tmpD60D.tmp 1.0.0'.
|
|      tmpD60D.tmp v1.0.0 (forced)
|      tmpd60d.tmp package files install completed. Performing other installation steps.
|      + Boxstarter starting Calling Chocolatey to install chocolatey. This may take several minutes to complete...
|      + Boxstarter starting Calling Chocolatey to install chocolatey. This may take several minutes to complete...
|  +-  ##### before 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|  |   ##### before 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|  |       Installing the following packages:
|  |       chocolatey
|  |       By installing you accept licenses for the packages.
|  |       chocolatey v0.10.15 already installed.
|  |       Use --force to reinstall, specify a version to install, or try upgrade.
|  |
|  |       Chocolatey installed 0/1 packages. 0 packages failed.
|  |       See the log for details (C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\logs\chocolatey.log).
|  |
|  |       Warnings:
|  |       - chocolatey - chocolatey v0.10.15 already installed.
|  |       Use --force to reinstall, specify a version to install, or try upgrade.
|  |   #####    mid 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|  |   #####    mid 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|  |   #####  after 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|  +-  #####  after 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
|      + Boxstarter finished Calling Chocolatey to install chocolatey. This may take several minutes to complete... 00:00:00.4347155
|      + Boxstarter finished Calling Chocolatey to install chocolatey. This may take several minutes to complete... 00:00:00.4347155
|       The install of tmpd60d.tmp was successful.
|        Software install location not explicitly set, could be in package or
|        default install location if installer.
|
|      Chocolatey installed 1/1 packages. 0 packages failed.
|       See the log for details (C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\logs\chocolatey.log).
|  #####    mid 11:37:14.676 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
+- #####  after 11:37:14.676 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####

+ Boxstarter finished Calling Chocolatey to install tmpD60D.tmp. This may take several minutes to complete... 00:00:03.9730649
True
Boxstarter: Restore Automatic Updates from Windows Update

[pauby]

The first two make sense:

• creating the package
• the outer one that runs the package starting at ##### before 11:37:14.676 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp ##### and ending at ##### after 11:37:14.676 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####.

The inner one starting at ##### before 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey ##### and ending at ##### after 11:37:18.160 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey ##### doesn't make as much sense, and we'd need to investigate that more.

[me-kell]

This workaroung won't help since the $env:temp seems only to be resetted for the outer call.

In subsequent calls even though they start with the initial value of $env:temp apparently chocolatey.dll gets the previous value of it ignoring the value of the Boxstarter-process.

The question is: where does chocolatey.dll store and get the $env:temp?

Here the example with simplified output to visualize the values of $env:temp:

PS C:\> $filename = "$env:userprofile\test_script.ps1"
PS C:\> Set-Content -Path $filename -Value 'choco install chocolatey'
PS C:\> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"

+-##### before 12:18:14.256 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
| #####    mid 12:18:14.256 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey #####
+-#####  after 12:18:14.256 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
+-##### before 12:18:15.162 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
| +-##### before 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | ##### before 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####    mid 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####    mid 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####  after 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| +-#####  after 12:18:19.021 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| #####    mid 12:18:15.162 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
+-#####  after 12:18:15.162 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####

PS C:\> Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename"

+-##### before 12:18:22.740 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
| #####    mid 12:18:22.740 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
+-#####  after 12:18:22.740 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
+-##### before 12:18:23.131 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####
| +-##### before 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | ##### before 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####    mid 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####    mid 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| | #####  after 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| +-#####  after 12:18:24.490 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
| #####    mid 12:18:23.131 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey\chocolatey #####
+-#####  after 12:18:23.131 C:\Users\map\AppData\Local\Temp #####

[me-kell]

Is it possible to see the source code for chocolatey.dll? Is it available somewhere? which version does Boxstarter use?

[pauby]

The question is: where does chocolatey.dll store and get the $env:temp?

That's a Chocolatey question. And as it was fixed in previous releases it's something we are going to need to look at working around or at the very least document.

[pauby]

Is it possible to see the source code for chocolatey.dll? Is it available somewhere? which version does Boxstarter use?

Have a look at the chocolatey/choco repo. Boxstarter uses 0.10.5 of chocolatey.dll.

[me-kell]

After looking at the code I realized that:

1. running a script with one or more lines with choco install xyz via Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename" Boxstarter makes a temp package which is internally installed via invoke-Boxstarter (outer call to choco install temppackage). The temppackage itself installs xyz also via invoke-Boxstarter (inner call to choco install xyz)
2. Both Boxstarter and Chocolatey juggle a lot with $env:temp
3. The nested calls on (1.) and the juggling with $env:temp result in concatenation of chocolatey subfolders under $env:temp. At some time the length of the path produces an error.

Because chocolatey.dll cannot be updated to a newer version (currently 0.10.5) a workaround must at least include the following three steps:

1. In Boxstarter.Chocolatey\invoke-chocolatey.ps1 capture $env:temp before the try-block and restore the captured value in the finally-block (lines 262-272) (as suggested by @pauby above):

    Enter-BoxstarterLogable {
        Write-BoxstarterMessage "calling choco now with $chocoArgs" -Verbose
        $cd = [System.IO.Directory]::GetCurrentDirectory()
->      $oldEnvTemp = $env:temp
        try {
            # Chocolatey.dll uses GetCurrentDirectory which is not quite right
            # when calling via PowerShell. so we set it here
            Write-BoxstarterMessage "setting current directory location to $((Get-Location).Path)" -Verbose
            [System.IO.Directory]::SetCurrentDirectory("$(Convert-Path (Get-Location).Path)")
            $choco.Run($chocoArgs)
        }
        finally {
            Write-BoxstarterMessage "restoring current directory location to $cd" -Verbose
            [System.IO.Directory]::SetCurrentDirectory($cd)
->          $env:temp = $oldEnvTemp
        }
    }

2. In Boxstarter.Chocolatey\Invoce-ChocolateyBoxstarter add -cacheLocation $env:temp to the call to Chocolatey install (line 199):

    Chocolatey install $bootstrapPackage `
                -source $source `
                -force:$force `
                -execution-timeout 86400 `
->              -cacheLocation $env:temp

3. In your script add -cacheLocation $env:temp to the call to choco install xyz:

choco install xyz -cacheLocation $env:temp

I came to this idea from the Chocolatey documentation on Config-Settings at cacheLocation:

It is highly recommended this be set to make Chocolatey more deterministic in cleanup.

UPDATE: See a less invasive workaround below

[pauby]

@me-kell Thanks for your work on this. If you have it working are you in a position to submit a Pull Request?

[me-kell]

@pauby I'm testing another workaround and evaluating the possible consequences of both workarounds. As far as I am sure of the consequences I'll submit a Pull Request.

[me-kell]

Another (less invasive than above) workaround should include following steps:

1. before you run a script with one or more lines having choco install xyz via Install-BoxstarterPackage -PackageName "$filename" enter the following in Boxstarter promt:

choco config set --name="'cacheLocation'" --value="'$env:temp'"

2. In Boxstarter.Chocolatey\Invoce-ChocolateyBoxstarter add -cacheLocation $env:temp to the call to Chocolatey install (line 199):

    Chocolatey install $bootstrapPackage `
                -source $source `
                -force:$force `
                -execution-timeout 86400 `
->              -cacheLocation $env:temp

This workaround is less invasive since it only needs to change one line of code in Boxstarter.Chocolatey\Invoce-ChocolateyBoxstarter as shown in (2.)

On the other side it needs to run the choco config set --name="'cacheLocation'" --value="'$env:temp'" manually.

@pauby Would it make sense to set this at the start of Boxstarter? Maybe in BoxstarterShell.ps1 after the if(!(Test-Admin)) {...} block?

$_currentChocoCacheLocation = choco config get --name="'cacheLocation'" -r
if ( ($_currentChocoCacheLocation -eq '') -or !(Test-Path $_currentChocoCacheLocation) ) {
    choco config set --name="'cacheLocation'" --value="'$env:temp'" -r
}
Remove-Variable -Name _currentChocoCacheLocation 

[pauby]

@pauby Would it make sense to set this at the start of Boxstarter? Maybe in BoxstarterShell.ps1 after the if(!(Test-Admin)) {...} block?

I am going to defer than one to @mwallner

[mwallner]

hey @me-kell - that looks promising, thank you for digging this up!

Considering what you've brought up so far, I'd always vote for the following:
in the Boxstarter Chocolatey wrapper funciton, if cacheLocation is not specified by the user, automagically add it and let it point to $env:temp (should be set to $env:temp/Boxstarter somewhere before imo) - this way, all consecutive chocolatey commands that done via boxstarter should point to the same cacheLocation.

As I've recently made a couple of changes in the package parameter handling, I've got a pretty good idea of where I'd implement that. If you're willing to do a PR that'd be awesome, but I can also offer you to take this over from here if you like.

[mwallner]

Hey @me-kell , @pauby - I've had a minute to take a spin on it - what do you think about mwallner@8397369 ?
(I've co-authored you as you've basically done all the reasearch @me-kell )

[MisinformedDNA]

@mwallner Can you create a PR with your code so the team can keep track of it?

[mwallner]

hey @MisinformedDNA , I totally lost track of this, thanks for bringing it up again!
hopefully I'll have some time this weekend 😃 (unfortunately a day only has 24 hours 😄 )

[gep13]

Due to the fact that the new version of Boxstarter will include the new version of Chocolatey, this issue will no longer happen, and additional is no longer required.

[choco-bot]

🎉 This issue has been resolved in version 3.0.0 🎉

The release is available on:

• GitHub Release
• Chocolatey Packages
  • Boxstarter
  • Boxstarter.Azure
  • Boxstarter.Bootstrapper
  • Boxstarter.Chocolatey
  • Boxstarter.Common
  • Boxstarter.HyperV
  • Boxstarter.TestRunner
  • Boxstarter.WinConfig
• Boxstarter Website

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