Could not start the fs_event watchter for path

[Dich0tomy]

Description

When I toggle NvimTree first time after opening the editor it takes a couple of seconds and I get this error:

Also, opening folders in the tree for the first time is quite slow (like half a second at least), after the first time they open seamlessly.

Neovim version

NVIM v0.7.2
Build type: RelWithDebInfo
LuaJIT 2.1.0-beta3

Operating system and version

Windows 10 Pro N

nvim-tree version

1685484

Minimal config

I just have `require 'nvim-tree'.setup()`.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open neovim
2. Do :NvimTreeToggle

Expected behavior

No response

Actual behavior

No response

[alex-courtis]

Also, opening folders in the tree for the first time is quite slow (like half a second at least), after the first time they open seamlessly.

Is that for a specific directory? How many files / directories? git repos? git submodules? symlinks?

I'm guessing that you are using powershell, from the \ in the path. Unfortunately we can't offer much support for windows, as we don't have expertise in or access to a windows environment.

Please:

• enable diagnostic logging for git, profile and watcher
• open vim / nvim-tree in a "small" directory that behaves well and collect logs
• open in the problem directory and collect logs
• attach the output of find . for the problem directory

[Dich0tomy]

Well apparently everything happens here:

  self._fs_event, _, name = uv.new_fs_event()
  if not self._fs_event then
    self._fs_event = nil
    utils.notify.warn(string.format("Could not initialize an fs_event watcher for path %s : %s", self._path, name))
    return false
  end

So I assume it might actually be neovim's fault.

I'm not using powershell, I'm using neovide on windows.
Here are the logs and a gif for a repo wih 6 files:

[2022-08-06 10:39:30] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\oxocarbon-lua.nvim
[2022-08-06 10:39:30] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\projects\oxocarbon-lua.nvim" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:39:31] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\oxocarbon-lua.nvim  718ms
[2022-08-06 10:39:31] [profile] START git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:39:31] [git] git -C Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 config --type=bool status.showUntrackedFiles
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] END   git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
  598ms
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] START git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [git] running job with timeout 400ms
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [git] git --no-optional-locks status --porcelain=v1 --ignored=matching -u
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] END   git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil  402ms
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [git] job timed out  Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] END   draw  1ms
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:39:32] [profile] END   draw  2ms

Here are the logs and a gif for a small directory but without a repo:

[2022-08-06 10:44:21] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll
[2022-08-06 10:44:21] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:44:21] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll  616ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:21] [profile] START git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:44:21] [git] git -C Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 config --type=bool status.showUntrackedFiles
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] END   git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
  618ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] START git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [git] running job with timeout 400ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [git] git --no-optional-locks status --porcelain=v1 --ignored=matching -u
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] END   git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil  403ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [git] job timed out  Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:44:22] [profile] END   draw  1ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:24] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\what
[2022-08-06 10:44:24] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\what" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:44:25] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\what  625ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:25] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:44:25] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:26] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\aa
[2022-08-06 10:44:26] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\aa" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 10:44:26] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\projects\ragdoll\aa  610ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:26] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:44:26] [profile] END   draw  1ms
[2022-08-06 10:44:28] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:44:28] [profile] END   draw  1ms

Here's the same thing for a bigger github repository.
What's very weird is that it sometimes opens and works seamlessly and sometimes it works slowish like the two examples above.

The first log and gif is when it works seamlessly, the second log is when it works slow.

[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] END   draw  3ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:45] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:49] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\examples
[2022-08-06 10:48:49] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\examples" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:49] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\examples  1ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:49] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:49] [profile] END   draw  3ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:50] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:50] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\bin
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\bin" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\bin  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:51] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:52] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:52] [profile] END   draw  6ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:52] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:52] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:53] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] END   draw  3ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:54] [profile] END   draw  3ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:55] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\src
[2022-08-06 10:48:55] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\src" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:55] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\src  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:55] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:55] [profile] END   draw  4ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:56] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:56] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser  0ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar" rev-parse --show-toplevel
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar  1ms
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 10:48:57] [profile] END   draw  7ms

[2022-08-06 11:16:26] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang
[2022-08-06 11:16:26] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:26] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang  617ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:26] [profile] START git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:26] [git] git -C Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 config --type=bool status.showUntrackedFiles
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] END   git untracked Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
  608ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] START git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [git] running job with timeout 400ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [git] git --no-optional-locks status --porcelain=v1 --ignored=matching -u
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] END   git job Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil  407ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [git] job timed out  Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)
 nil
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:27] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:31] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser
[2022-08-06 11:16:31] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:32] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser  618ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:32] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:32] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:33] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include
[2022-08-06 11:16:33] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:34] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include  619ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:34] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:34] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:34] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser
[2022-08-06 11:16:34] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:35] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser  615ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:35] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:35] [profile] END   draw  2ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:35] [profile] START git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar
[2022-08-06 11:16:35] [git] git -C "F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar" rev-parse --show-toplevel
Error: 
  ├Ś The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2)

[2022-08-06 11:16:36] [profile] END   git toplevel F:\prv\dev\forks\rigc-lang\Parser\include\RigCParser\Grammar  619ms
[2022-08-06 11:16:36] [profile] START draw
[2022-08-06 11:16:36] [profile] END   draw  4ms

So when I look at the logs it looks like it's a git's issue?
But also why does nvim-tree try to use git if I'm no in a repo?

After trying it for a little bit more it seems like the issues isn't only with git repos, big or small. It just sometimes happens and sometimes it doesn't...

[alex-courtis]

But also why does nvim-tree try to use git if I'm no in a repo?

rev-parse --show-toplevel is actually nvim-tree trying to determine whether it is in a git repo.

• get_toplevel is not detecting the error in this case; fix: ff6e796

That's probably why we're hitting the watcher error: it's trying to watch that incorrect .git directory. I'm not seeing any file watcher errors, so I assume the problems are all git related.

[alex-courtis]

Why is git -C "F:\prv\dev\projects\oxocarbon-lua.nvim" rev-parse --show-toplevel failing?

It's a problem with the shell: git operations are an external git command which is implicitly inside $SHELL or &shell. What is your shell? Try running that git command in it.

You could try changing your shell to a known good one i.e. bash or zsh

[alex-courtis]

RE neovide I am afraid you are on your own. The above fix will stop the errors, however git will not be functional.

Please try running nvim in another way: I know of cygwin (msys2?), WSL or powershell.

If it is a neovide specific problem, we will accept a PR to fix it providing all the fix is behind the appropriate feature flag. I imagine it would be something like vim.fn.has "neovide".

[Dich0tomy]

@alex-courtis It doesn't display the error now which is nice, but I know what's the issue now.
It's not an issue regarding neovide it's an issue regarding my shell, which handles \ in strings "" as escape characters.

I think a general fix to that would be just escaping the strings doubly, so F:\prv\dev\projects would become F:\\prv\\dev\\projects. Cmd, powershell, git and a few other tools I've tested seem to handle doubly escaped strings properly.

I could file a PR but idk if this wouldn't break anything else.

[alex-courtis]

I could file a PR but idk if this wouldn't break anything else.

nvim-tree supports many operating systems via vim.fn.has features:

1. unix
2. mac, macunix
3. win32, win32unix (covers powershell, msys2 and WSL) see msys2 git support #1290

Any OS specific code is guarded by vim.fn.has feature flags. We are happy to add more OS specific code providing it is feature checked. In this case, we would need to use a neovide specific feature, so as not to break other windows users.