Services & Resources

Mathematica

Systems & Installation

Unix

	Solaris

	Mathematica
	Network Mathematica
	webMathematica
	gridMathematica
	Personal Grid Edition
	Wolfram Workbench
	Wolfram Education Group
	Application Packages
	Mathematica for Students
	Mathematica CalcCenter
	Publicon
	A New Kind of Science Explorer
	Mathematical Explorer
	Mathematica Teacher's Edition
	Calculus WIZ
	Mathematica Player

	Sign up for our newsletter:

What do I do about `chmod` warning messages when I launch the Mathematica 6 installer?

If you launch the Mathematica 6.0 installer on a Solaris machine (SPARC or x86-64) from an NFS mounted directory, you may find that the installer displays warning messages about chmod.

This typically manifests itself such as the following:

•	The extraction phase of the install begins as usual:

Mathematica Secured 6.0.1 for UNIX Installer Archive

Verifying archive integrity. 
Extracting installer...................................................

•	But eventually `chmod: WARNING` messages appear. This is most noticeable on Solaris-x86-64 on which a long stream of messages are produced resembling the following:

  chmod: WARNING: can't access ./Unix/././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././
  ././././././Files/././././././SystemFiles.Dictionaries

•	However, this is also reproducible on Solaris-SPARC on which a single instance of the messages are produced reseembling the following:

chmod: WARNING: Too many open files
chmod: WARNING: Too many open files
chmod: WARNING: chmod: could not getcwd /home/usr1/testmngr/.1585/Unix

The installer is able to continue after the messages, but it is not clear if this adversely affects the actual installation of Mathematica.

The following links indicate that this is most likely an issue with the chmod command on Solaris.

http://groups.google.co.kr/group/comp.unix.solaris/browse_thread/thread/ba59b0b172167900

http://bugs.opensolaris.org/view_bug.do?bug_id=4171523

The recommended workaround is to launch the Mathematica for Solaris installer from a directory that is local to the machine.

Download this FAQ as a Mathematica 6.0 Notebook

Questions or comments about this FAQ? Send email to support@wolfram.com.

What do I do about chmod warning messages when I launch the Mathematica 6 installer?

What do I do about `chmod` warning messages when I launch the Mathematica 6 installer?