cygwin make fails when calling mkdir in Windows 7

[cpow]

I'm using make package version 3.82.90-1.  cygwin1.dll version is 1.7.13.

Occasionally make will fail with the error:

make[1]: *** No rule to make target `<path>`, needed by `<rule>`.  Stop.

<path> and <rule> are not terribly relevant but <path> is under /cygdrive/c/...

I started having this problem on upgrading to Windows 7.  I've tried the "solutions" I've found elsewhere such as running Cygwin as "administrator" and making sure I have local administrator rights on my laptop--which I do.  However, I still have this problem.

Executing:

mkdir -pv <path>

after the make failure and re-issuing the make command causes the build to progress past the point of this fault, as expected.  Soon, though, it stumbles when trying to create another path.

Interestingly make doesn't seem to fail when creating the first level of a path hierarchy.  For example, if the makefile were trying to create:

folder1
folder1/subfolder1
folder1/subfolder2

folder1 is created but the errors occur when it hits the rule trying to create the subfolderN's.

ls -al shows the permissions for folder1 and subfolder1 are identical even though one was created by make and one was created by me with mkdir:

drwxr-xr-x+ 1 e198614        Domain Users      0 Jan  3 15:45

I'd really like to know if there's a solution to this problem other than having to manually mkdir the paths that make seems to fail to be able to make.  It slows down my automated build quite dramatically!

[Warren Young]

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[David Stacey]

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[Earnie Boyd]

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[cpow]

Warren Young wrote

Is there a particularly good reason you haven't tried upgrading yet?

Yes.  I am locked to that version for business reasons.  I have started the conversation internally RE upgrading.

Warren Young wrote

You can't expect people to downgrade just to help
you, if it turns out to be an old bug.

I'm not expecting anyone to downgrade.

Warren Young wrote

What happens if you move the build tree under ~cpow?  Does it always
succeed, or does the problem remain?

Apologies I meant to specify more of the path but forgot to paste!  The location of my build is several folders under ~, where ~ is:

$ echo $HOME
/cygdrive/c/Projects

The permissions of that:

drwxrwxrwx+ 1 Administrators Domain Users              0 Dec 13 15:56 Projects

Warren Young wrote

This suggests BLODA.  Nothing other than some bit of quasi-malware
should have the ability to deny Administrator the right to do anything.

Having googled BLODA I can assume you might be referring to McAfee or anything else my employer's overprotective IT department forces me to use?  I have tried with McAfee's "on access scan" and "access protection" tasks disabled and get the same results.  If I uninstall McAfee I'm likely to receive a nastygram from Big Brother.

Warren Young wrote

What happens if you just re-start the make operation?  Does it persist
in failing to get past that point, or does re-starting it sometimes get
you past the problem?

If I restart the make operation without doing mkdir myself it fails in exactly the same spot.  Restarting it without doing mkdir myself never gets past the problem.

Warren Young wrote

I'm basing this question on the assumption that the Makefile is
well-written, such that if the directory creation fails, re-starting the
make operation will retry the mkdir operation.  That requires that
someone has set up the necessary dependency rules, though.

I've inspected the makefile and I think it is constructed well.

Warren Young wrote

Is it always the same paths, or is it random?

Same.

[Greg Chicares-2]

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