NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IOException

Error copying original configuration file

Error message

Error copying original configuration file

What it means

Thrown by initializeDataDirectory() when configFile.renameTo(configCopy) fails — i.e. postgresql.conf could not be moved to postgresql.conf.orig so BSim can write its tailored config. Java's renameTo fails across filesystems, on missing files, or on permission/lock issues.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/BSimControlLaunchable.java:921

			checkCertAuthorityFile();
		}
		command.add("-D");
		command.add(dataDirectory.getAbsolutePath());
		int res = runCommand(null, command, loadLibraryVar, loadLibraryValue);
		if (res != 0) {
			throw new IOException("Error initializing postgres database");
		}
		File configCopy = new File(dataDirectory, POSTGRES_CONFIGFILE + ".orig");

		if (hostAuthentication == AUTHENTICATION_PKI || localAuthentication == AUTHENTICATION_PKI) {
			File rootCA = new File(dataDirectory, POSTGRES_ROOTCA);
			FileUtilities.copyFile(certAuthorityFile, rootCA, false, null);
			addCertificateName(connectingUserName);
		}

		// Move the original configuration file
		if (!configFile.renameTo(configCopy)) {
			throw new IOException("Error copying original configuration file");
		}

		File hbaCopy = new File(dataDirectory, POSTGRES_CONNECTFILE + ".orig");

		// Move the original connection file
		if (!hbaFile.renameTo(hbaCopy)) {
			throw new IOException("Error copying original connection file");
		}
		// Patch the configuration
		tuneConfig(configCopy, configFile, hbaCopy, hbaFile, serverConfigFile);
		System.out.println("Generating servers SSL certificate");
		generateSelfSignedCertificate(new File(dataDirectory, "server.crt"),
			new File(dataDirectory, "server.key"));
	}

	/**
	 * Scan the PostgreSQL data directory from the command-line
	 * Make sure the directory exists and establish the File object -dataDirectory-

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Check filesystem permissions and ownership of postgresql.conf in the data directory.
2. Ensure the data directory is on a single local filesystem (avoid NFS rename pitfalls).
3. If a previous run left postgresql.conf.orig, restore the original layout before retrying.
4. Free any process holding the file open and retry the command.

// Pre-flight filesystem suitability for the rename BSim performs.
File conf = new File(dataDir, "postgresql.conf");
File copy = new File(dataDir, "postgresql.conf.orig");
if (conf.exists() && copy.exists()) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("Stale postgresql.conf.orig already present; clean up first");
}

public boolean canAtomicallyRenameIn(File dir) {
    return dir != null && dir.isDirectory()
        && dir.toPath().getFileSystem().equals(dir.toPath().toAbsolutePath().getFileSystem());
}

try {
    bsimControl.start(args);
} catch (IOException e) {
    if ("Error copying original configuration file".equals(e.getMessage())) {
        throw new UserFacingException("Cannot move postgresql.conf aside; check perms/fs", e);
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: After a successful pg_ctl init, BSim moves postgresql.conf aside; the rename returns false and BSim aborts the whole initialization.

Common situations: Data directory on a filesystem where rename crosses mount boundaries; postgresql.conf held open/locked by another process; permissions changed between init and rename; antivirus/SAN/NFS rename semantics; the file was already moved by a previous interrupted run.

Related errors

• Error copying original connection file
• PKI authentication requested, but certificate authority file
• {} is not a valid certification authority
• Distinguished name option (--dn) required for {}
• Missing ident file: {}

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fe3fd2eb57049c46. Report an issue: GitHub.