Choco: Tab Completion - Modify profile if file exists but is empty

[ownmaster]

Just tried to install latest Chocolatey on freshly installed PowerShell 5 (Windows 7 x64).

I did not have profile file, so I've got

Not setting tab completion: Profile file does not exist at '$profileFile'.

warning.

Then I created an empty Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1, deleted choco folder and ran setup again.
This time I've got

Not setting tab completion: File is Authenticode signed at '$profile'.

So I checked chocolateysetup.psm1 code, and found that Get-AuthenticodeSignature $profile produces 'UnknownError' Status on my profile file, I guess it does that for any file smaller than 4 bytes.
Fixed that by adding dummy comment to the file and running choco setup again.

So, I offer:
1) add an option to installation script - create profile if not exists
2) before checking for signature, check profile file size and modify it if its empty

Related to #894

[ferventcoder]

Option 1 is a no-go, it causes issues.

Option 2 is definitely doable.

[ohadschn]

@ferventcoder out of curiosity, what issues would creating a blank PS file (with a dummy comment) cause? Presumably that's what the user would do anyway to get rid of this warning?

[ferventcoder]

@ohadschn https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/issues/834 for reference.

[ferventcoder]

Causes issues with packer as well.

[ohadschn]

@ferventcoder thanks. So what's the bottom line for the user here? Should we create a blank profile manually like ownmaster did for the tab completion, or would that cause issues?

[ferventcoder]

If the file exists, ensure it is not empty before the authenticode check (which errors when the file is less than 4 bytes). Then it will add the profile automatically.

The check will come at https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/blob/5fcbbf15f081a8105386d7d13071c3482325bd1c/nuget/chocolatey/tools/chocolateysetup.psm1#L596-L600, right after we've determined the file exists.

[ohadschn]

Thank you. So that raises the question, why not incorporate that same logic (if file exist, create one with a dummy comment) into the Chocolatey installer?

[ferventcoder]

@ohadschn if file exists or if file does not exist?

We can't simply create the file - that causes issues in packer, vagrant and other scenarios (linked previously at https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/issues/834).

However if the file already exists but is empty, that's what we are already talking about here, add the profile to it as part of the changes that would come from this issue.

[ohadschn]

Thanks, that settles the case where it does exist and is empty.

Now suppose the file doesn't exist. You're saying I shouldn't create it myself due to possible issues (in packer, vagrant, and others)? If so, I'm guessing those packages should be fixed (as I'm assuming an empty PS profile file is legitimate)?

[ferventcoder]

Now suppose the file doesn't exist. You're saying I shouldn't create it myself due to possible issues (in packer, vagrant, and others)? If so, I'm guessing those packages should be fixed (as I'm assuming an empty PS profile file is legitimate)?

Those are not package issues.

[ferventcoder]

Sorry, what I am saying is that it is not a "package" that is having an issue - we are talking environments and tools that are running into PowerShell issues because of having a profile. It's actually most likely a PowerShell bug more than it is anything else.

[ohadschn]

Understood, thanks. So to sum up, a person encountering this issue currently has two options:

1. Create an empty PS profile with a dummy comment as described by ownmaster at his own peril (as the mere existence of a PS profile can evidently cause issues). Once that is done, uninstall and reinstall choco and tab completion should work.
2. Eschew PS profiles and therefore tab autocompletion.

If I got it right, perhaps the warning message could be modified to explain this?

[ferventcoder]

Other options:

• Manually add the profile
• run choco profile add (after #894 is completed)

[ohadschn]

OK but those two will still result in a PS profile in place, and hence possibly cause issues with the packages we've mentioned, correct?

[ferventcoder]

Again, not packages. The packages have no issues. Perhaps you have never used either tool.

When you are running Vagrant or Packer (not with choco install packagename, but actually using those tools and installing Chocolatey itself and using PowerShell), you won't set up a profile in the machine you are building or running unless you explicitly set it up that way.

[ferventcoder]

Please read over #834 and let me know where you need help understanding so I can help fill in the gaps.

[ohadschn]

Thanks @ferventcoder . You were right, I never used either tool, but quickly glancing over the Vagrant docs I think I get it (kind of like docker).

So let me try that again -
In environments created by tools such as Vagrant or Packer, it is undesirable to have PS profiles as those might cause issues, specifically when trying to manage those environments using said tools. For that reason, it would be problematic for choco to automatically add a PS profile without understanding the environment under which it is installed. As such, https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/issues/833 was implemented.

As for "home" users, they can either add the profile manually, or install it using choco profile add once https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/issues/894 is completed.

If I got it right so far, I just have one suggestion to consider. It seems like a very specialized scenario to affect all choco installations, so perhaps make the profile installation the default. Then have some environment variable (or a parameter to the installer) that allows overriding it for such environments.

[ferventcoder]

Docker may also suffer the same issues - it may feel like specialized scenarios at first glance, but requiring one more switch always tends to lead to confusion, as we've learned, especially so if it is required in some settings and not in others.

Currently we are dealing with an example of this is in useWindowsCompression needing to be set false prior to install of choco in some environments, like Server Core.

[ohadschn]

Fair enough, I suppose it makes sense to have the default as compatible as possible. It's pretty strange though that the mere existence of a PS profile, even an empty one, trips up such environments. Do we understand why?

[ferventcoder]

Something, possibly a bug, in PowerShell v5. There are many areas to focus on, and sometimes some things really are not worth diving into understanding why. This to me felt like one of them. There was a place someone mentioned it triggers some update progress bar in regular PowerShell calls (outside of Chocolatey) that completely destroys the automation. Just due to having a profile file.

[ohadschn]

Interesting. I totally get not diving into this, if anything it's something the vagrant et al. devs should probably look into. Thanks for all your help and patience!

[milia1990]

Hi!
I'll try install choco, bun somthing is wrong :(
Please help me gyes.

---

logout:
Not setting tab completion: Profile file does not exist at
'C:\Users\admin\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1'.

[ferventcoder]

@milia1990 Looks good to me.