From: Joe Mason <joe@...>
Date: 2004-03-16T15:59:34+09:00
Subject: Re: How can I copy a read-only file?

In article <EAENKKNOJPMNCDMLDOMLIENNDJAA.curt@hibbs.com>, Curt Hibbs wrote:
> I've got a generic method that copies files. I want to preserve the
> attributes of the source file in the destination file. I started using this:
> 
>    require "ftools"
>    ...
>    File.copy(src_file, dest_dir)
> 
> This works until I encounter a read-only file, then I get an exception:
> 
>    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/ftools.rb:23:in `initialize':
>    Permission denied - E:\Dev\RubyDev\rubyinstaller\c
>    vs-repo\installer\stable/doc\DBD/ODBC-0.96/COPYING
>    (Errno::EACCES)

Yes.  That's because you don't have permission to read it, as expected.

> So, how do you copy read-only files in ruby?

You can't.  That's what read-only means.  Try it at the command prompt,
you won't be able to copy it there, either.

I believe you have to chmod it first, then chmod it back.  Assuming
you're the owner.

Joe