KBFS: Mac OS keybase fs mkdir error

[Zuline]

Using

keybase fs mkdir pelorus32,anotheruser

inside my Private directory, keybase throws the following error:

▶ ERROR Cannot use empty name for BlockRef{id: 01c3cblahblah}

But it creates the directory.

Is the directory that's been created a "functioning" and safe directory to use or is there a problem? What's the error about?

[strib]

I think the api is probably expecting something after the folder name. Normally the folders are treated as if they exist, and don't need to be explicitly made. By running it, you just made it show up in your list of folders. I think it's safe and functioning. In the future, I think you can just use the API to create stuff inside those top-level folders.

[strib]

(But we should fix that error message.)

[Zuline]

Normally the folders are treated as if they exist, and don't need to be explicitly made.

I think that's the bit that is a little confusing. As I had an existing chat going, that folder implicitly existed?

What about if I want to use an assertion with a (currently) non-keybase user such as creating a folder pelorus32,some-non-user so that that user can later create an account and locate and access the contents of that folder? That folder can't implicitly exist without keybase knowing about the user.

[strib]

I think that's the bit that is a little confusing. As I had an existing chat going, that folder implicitly existed?

All possible folders implicitly exist. You can just cd into them, and they will automatically appear. That doesn't mean there's anything in them or that there's any record of them on our servers, it just means they are created on-demand when you access them for the first time, so you don't have to create them explicitly.

What about if I want to use an assertion with a (currently) non-keybase user such as creating a folder pelorus32,some-non-user so that that user can later create an account and locate and access the contents of that folder? That folder can't implicitly exist without keybase knowing about the user.

Yep, that works fine too, just as above.

[Zuline]

Thanks @strib I'm still struggling.

Yep, that works fine too, just as above.

So the issue is that if I try that with some future possible folder simply using a Mac OS FS cd it fails with:

-bash: cd: pelorus32,some-future-user: No such file or directory

The Keybase CLI help doesn't list a CD command and one doesn't seem to exist when I try to use it. So at the moment I don't know how to "just cd into the folder" as suggested below.

All possible folders implicitly exist. You can just cd into them, and they will automatically appear.

[strib]

Sorry for not being clear. I was assuming you have the Keybase file system integration installed (you can check the Folders tab in the Keybase GUI if you're not sure, and install it if needed). Then you can do something like cd /keybase/private/pelorus32,some-other-user and just start putting files in that directory through normal file system commands, without needing to use keybase fs at all.

[strib]

More details here: https://keybase.io/docs/kbfs

[Zuline]

Sorry for not being clear. I was assuming you have the Keybase file system integration installed (you can check the Folders tab in the Keybase GUI if you're not sure, and install it if needed).

If by that you mean "Show keybase folders in Finder" or something similar...yes that's set. Otherwise I don't know how to install the KBFS integration. I see no other GUI setting to do that.

Then you can do something like cd /keybase/private/pelorus32,some-other-user and just start putting files in that directory through normal file system commands, without needing to use keybase fs at all.

So this is where it still goes astray:

Mikes-MacBook-Pro:~ pelorus32$ cd /keybase/private/pelorus32,some-unkown-user

-bash: cd: /keybase/private/pelorus32,some-unkown-user: No such file or directory Mikes-MacBook-Pro:~ pelorus32$

Am I missing something here?

[Zuline]

And if I substitute open for cd as per the docs I get:

The file /keybase/private/pelorus32,some-unkown-user does not exist.

[strib]

Does some-unknown-user have the form of user@service, like "beyonce@twitter" or something like that? It doesn't work if it's just a plain keybase username.

If you want to do a keybase log send and report the resulting ID here, I can take a look.

[Zuline]

That explains it all!! It might be my reading or it might not be clear in the docs. Thanks for the clarification.

Does some-unknown-user have the form of user@service, like "beyonce@twitter" or something like that? It doesn't work if it's just a plain keybase username.