Vague and unhelpful error message if log cannot be created

[ghost]

Running Capistrano 3.6.1 and airbrussh 1.1.1, if the project has a log file, trying to run cap fails with:

$ cap test deploy 
(Backtrace restricted to imported tasks)
cap aborted!
Errno::EEXIST: File exists @ dir_s_mkdir - log

Tasks: TOP => test
(See full trace by running task with --trace)

or with --trace:

$ cap test deploy --trace
** Invoke test (first_time)
** Execute test
** Invoke load:defaults (first_time)
** Execute load:defaults
cap aborted!
Errno::EEXIST: File exists @ dir_s_mkdir - log
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:253:in `mkdir'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:253:in `fu_mkdir'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:227:in `block (2 levels) in mkdir_p'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:225:in `reverse_each'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:225:in `block in mkdir_p'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:211:in `each'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/fileutils.rb:211:in `mkdir_p'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/airbrussh-1.1.1/lib/airbrussh/log_file_formatter.rb:35:in `ensure_directory_exists'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/airbrussh-1.1.1/lib/airbrussh/log_file_formatter.rb:17:in `initialize'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/airbrussh-1.1.1/lib/airbrussh/configuration.rb:48:in `new'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/airbrussh-1.1.1/lib/airbrussh/configuration.rb:48:in `formatters'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/airbrussh-1.1.1/lib/airbrussh/formatter.rb:15:in `initialize'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/sshkit-1.11.3/lib/sshkit/configuration.rb:66:in `new'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/sshkit-1.11.3/lib/sshkit/configuration.rb:66:in `use_format'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/lib/capistrano/configuration.rb:155:in `configure_sshkit_output'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/lib/capistrano/configuration.rb:93:in `block in configure_backend'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/sshkit-1.11.3/lib/sshkit.rb:11:in `configure'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/lib/capistrano/configuration.rb:92:in `configure_backend'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/lib/capistrano/setup.rb:32:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:240:in `block in execute'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:235:in `each'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:235:in `execute'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:179:in `block in invoke_with_call_chain'
/usr/lib/ruby/2.3.0/monitor.rb:214:in `mon_synchronize'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:172:in `invoke_with_call_chain'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/task.rb:165:in `invoke'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:150:in `invoke_task'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:106:in `block (2 levels) in top_level'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:106:in `each'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:106:in `block in top_level'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:115:in `run_with_threads'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:100:in `top_level'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:78:in `block in run'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:176:in `standard_exception_handling'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/rake/application.rb:75:in `run'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/lib/capistrano/application.rb:14:in `run'
/var/lib/gems/2.3.0/gems/capistrano-3.6.1/bin/cap:3:in `<top (required)>'
/usr/local/bin/cap:23:in `load'
/usr/local/bin/cap:23:in `<main>'
Tasks: TOP => test

[mattbrictson]

The problem is that Airbrussh is trying to create its default log file at log/capistrano.log, and it cannot because log exists and is not a directory.

You can solve this by changing the log file location to something else, or disable it entirely, using this option:

set :format_options, log_file: "a/different/path.log"
# or disable it
set :format_options, log_file: nil

That aside, I agree that the error behavior in this scenario could be improved. Should Airbrussh print an error that it cannot create the log file and then exit? Or print a warning and continue without writing a log? What is your expectation?

[ghost]

The problem is that Airbrussh is trying to create its default log file at log/capistrano.log, and it cannot because log exists and is not a directory.

indeed, I figured that much out, but the error message wasn't very clear.

Should Airbrussh print an error that it cannot create the log file and then exit? Or print a warning and continue without writing a log? What is your expectation?

Me personally, I'd expect it to "print an error that it cannot create the log file and then exit", maybe telling the user how to fix it (something like "you can change the log file via the :format_options option, check the help to know how")

[mattbrictson]

Good suggestion. Thanks for the bug report! 🙇

[mattbrictson]

I will accept a PR to improve the error message if anyone is interested! 😃