[Bug] RPCS3 replaces file hardlinks with regular files.

[Daviteusz]

Quick summary

RPCS3 replaces file hardlinks with regular files.

Details

RPCS3 is overwriting hardlinks of files that were created before launching RPCS3, and even after RPCS3 has launched once and saved data to files like config.yml or similar.

For this reason, using the Scoop package manager becomes challenging, as the data preservation feature, intended to keep important files even after uninstalling RPCS3, does not work fully.

Info about how to install RPCS3 via scoop.

save attached file as rpcs3.json, and use scoop install .\rpcs3.json to install RPCS3 and test.

https://scoop.sh/ - to install scoop package manager

{
    "version": "0.0.33-17065",
    "description": "Sony PlayStation 3 emulator",
    "homepage": "https://rpcs3.net/",
    "license": {
        "identifier": "GPL-2.0",
        "url": "https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/blob/master/LICENSE"
    },
    "notes": [
        "ATTENTION: RPCS3 requires a copy of the official PS3 firmware to function.",
        "Install the ps3-system-software package.  You must still manually load PS3UPDAT.PUP",
        "See the official quickstart guide for further instructions: https://rpcs3.net/quickstart",
        ""
    ],
    "suggest": {
        "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime 2022": "extras/vcredist2022",
        "PS3 Firmware": "emulators/ps3-system-software"
    },
    "url": "https://github.com/rpcs3/rpcs3-binaries-win/releases/download/build-431221f1725577d1eba6fe439ed1f2cdc4c09600/rpcs3-v0.0.33-17065-431221f1_win64.7z",
    "hash": "46a4eaa80575352166a0cb412fb58be92b46c59a579fd1e80e8067cc3557f5df",
    "pre_install": [
        "if (!(Test-Path \"$persist_dir\")) {",
            "echo ''",
            "echo ''",
            "echo 'Note: During fresh installation, launching RPCS3.exe in the background is required to create additional files that the script will move to the Persist directory.'",
            "echo ''",
            "Start-Sleep -Seconds 8",
            "echo 'Starting RPCS3.exe within 10 sec...'",
            "echo '(Ctrl + C to Abort)...'",
            "Start-Sleep -Seconds 10",
            "echo ''",
            "Start-Process \"$dir\\rpcs3.exe\"  -WindowStyle Hidden -PassThru | Out-Null",
            "Start-Sleep -Seconds 5",
            "Stop-Process -Name rpcs3 -Force",
            "'[Meta]', 'checkUpdateStart=false' | Set-Content \"$dir\\GuiConfigs\\CurrentSettings.ini\"",
        "}"
    ],
    "post_install": [
        "if (!(Test-Path \"$persist_dir\")) {",
            "Get-ChildItem -Path \"$dir\" -Filter '*.original' -Directory | ForEach-Object { Remove-Item -Recurse $_.FullName }",
        "}"
    ],
    "bin": "rpcs3.exe",
    "shortcuts": [
        [
            "rpcs3.exe",
            "Sony PlayStation 3 [ps3][rpcs3]"
        ]
    ],
    "persist": [
        "dev_flash",
        "dev_flash2",
        "dev_flash3",
        "dev_hdd0",
        "dev_hdd1",
        "dev_usb000",
        "cache",
        "captures",
        "config.yml",
        "config",
        "firmware",
        "games.yml",
        "GuiConfigs",
        "Icons",
        "patches"
    ],
    "checkver": {
        "url": "https://rpcs3.net/compatibility?b",
        "regex": "/rpcs3-binaries-win/releases/download/build-(?<fullhash>[0-9a-f]+)/rpcs3-v(?<build>[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\-[0-9]+)-(?<shorthash>[0-9a-f]{8})",
        "replace": "${build}"
    },
    "autoupdate": {
        "url": "https://github.com/rpcs3/rpcs3-binaries-win/releases/download/build-$matchFullhash/rpcs3-v$matchBuild-$matchShorthash_win64.7z",
        "hash": {
            "url": "https://rpcs3.net/compatibility?b",
            "regex": "Windows SHA-256: ($sha256)"
        }
    }
}

Attach a log file

Not required

Attach capture files for visual issues

No response

System configuration

Windows 11 24h2

Other details

No response

[elad335]

Test #16256

[Daviteusz]

I tried to build, but VSCode stubbornly insists that I don’t have Visual Studio 2022, even though it’s installed along with build tools. 🤔

[elad335]

Retest on master

[Daviteusz]

Sorry for the late reply. Has this change been added to the new RPCS3 version?

I updated RPCS3 to the latest version, but the issue persists.

Here’s what I’m doing:

The Scoop script launches RPCS3 for the first time and then closes it. It creates hard links for config.yml and CurrentSettings.ini in another folder outside the RPCS3 directory.

On the second launch of RPCS3 or after making changes to its settings, the files in the RPCS3 folder are deleted, and new files are created. During this process, these files lose their (hard)links to the files located in the different directory.

To test this without installing scoop, just create a hard link of the config.yml file to another location from the terminal:

mkdir C:\RPCS3_data
cmd /c mklink /H "C:\RPCS3_data\config.yml" "C:\RPCS3\config.yml"

To test hardlink:

fsutil hardlink list C:\RPCS3\config.yml

Change some settings in RPCS3, then run the same command above

[elad335]

Test #16269

[elad335]

Retest on latest build

[Daviteusz]

2024-11-01.19-21-50.mp4