NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IOException

Original configuration file not present: {}

Error message

Original configuration file not present: {}

What it means

Thrown by changeAuthCommand() when '<datadir>/postgresql.conf.orig' does not exist. BSim creates a '.orig' backup of the original PostgreSQL config during 'bsim_ctl start' so that changeauth can restore/merge from the pristine file. The IOException indicates the backup is missing, so the safe reconfiguration workflow cannot proceed.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/BSimControlLaunchable.java:1293

		int requestedLocalAuth = localAuthentication;
		int requestedHostAuth = hostAuthentication;
		int requestedPort = port;
		port = -1;
		recoverConfigurationParameters(configFile, hbaFile);
		if (isServerRunning()) {
			throw new IOException("Cannot modify settings on running server");
		}
		if ((!authConfigPresent || (requestedHostAuth == hostAuthentication &&
			requestedLocalAuth == localAuthentication)) &&
			(requestedPort == -1 || requestedPort == port)) {
			System.out.println("No changes to make");
			return;
		}

		File serverConfigFile = Application.getModuleDataFile("serverconfig.xml").getFile(false);
		File configCopy = new File(dataDirectory, POSTGRES_CONFIGFILE + ".orig");
		if (!configCopy.exists()) {
			throw new IOException(
				"Original configuration file not present: " + configCopy.getAbsolutePath());
		}
		File hbaCopy = new File(dataDirectory, POSTGRES_CONNECTFILE + ".orig");
		if (!hbaCopy.exists()) {
			throw new IOException(
				"Original connection file not present: " + hbaCopy.getAbsolutePath());
		}
		if (requestedPort != -1 && requestedPort != port) {
			port = requestedPort;
			System.out.println("Server will now listen on port " + Integer.toString(port));
		}
		boolean newRemotePki = false;		// Are we newly enabling remote pki
		boolean newLocalPki = false;		// Are we newly enabling local pki

		if (authConfigPresent && requestedLocalAuth != localAuthentication) {
			localAuthentication = requestedLocalAuth;
			System.out.print("New local authentication: ");
			if (localAuthentication == AUTHENTICATION_PASSWORD) {

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Ensure the directory was created via 'bsim_ctl start', which generates the .orig backups.
2. If the original postgresql.conf is still pristine, manually copy it: cp <datadir>/postgresql.conf <datadir>/postgresql.conf.orig.
3. If the original is lost, reinitialize the data directory with 'bsim_ctl start' from scratch.

Example fix

# before (backup missing)
bsim_ctl changeauth /opt/bsim/data --auth password
# after (restore the backup from the still-pristine config)
cp /opt/bsim/data/postgresql.conf /opt/bsim/data/postgresql.conf.orig
bsim_ctl changeauth /opt/bsim/data --auth password

File orig = new File(dataDirectory, "postgresql.conf.orig");
if (!orig.exists()) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("Missing config backup; directory may need reinitialization via 'bsim_ctl start'");
}

try {
    bsimControl.run(new String[]{"changeauth", dataDir, "--auth", "password"});
} catch (IOException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("configuration file not present")) {
        // restore the .orig backup or reinitialize the data directory
    } else {
        throw e;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running changeauth on a data directory whose postgresql.conf.orig backup was deleted, or that was initialized by a method other than 'bsim_ctl start' (e.g., manual initdb).

Common situations: Manual cleanup that removed .orig files; directory created by an older/alternate BSim version; filesystem backup that excluded .orig files.

Related errors

• Data directory not initialized: run "bsim_ctl start" first
• Cannot modify settings on running server
• Original connection file not present: {}
• PKI authentication requested, but certificate authority file
• {} is not a valid certification authority

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d749495fc76555f0. Report an issue: GitHub.