Endless self-referential paradox on OS X 10.6 Server

[gunug]

I'm having some problems on a OS 10.6 server in one of our more far-flung locations.  It is having trouble mapping a directory or two for even for the account that is an administrator on it.  A feature of this problem seems to be a kind of deep-nested loop or something like a paradox where a files alias when you trace it down is the alias itself (over and over again for as far as I was welling to take it:



Does this make sense to anyone?  Would a file or two like this be a cause for this folder not mount to a workstation?  The most important question, can I fix this using the normal tools that I've got access to: Applejack, Onyx, that sort of thing?

[Paddy]

Whoa...it's like a hall of mirrors. I'm sure if it gets stuck in a loop trying to map the directory, all manner of problems could occur.

What happens when you try to delete the top level alias?

[Xairbusdriver]

What does the "List" view look like?

[gunug]

BOTH Good questions!  I'm sure the list view just shows the single level of the alias; I can remember that!  I'm thinking of downing the server tomorrow and starting it up in "single user" because I've done that on a 10.4 server before. . .I'm not sure about Applejack.  I'm thinking that perhaps "some" of the damage may have been in changing administrators which someone did and then deleted his account entirely. . .not me!

[tacit]

There's absolutely nothing weird or unusual going on here. I just replicated this same effect easily, simply by making an alias to a folder and placing the alias inside that folder.

That's all that has happened here. Someone has made an alias of the folder, named it "Danielle Time.xlsx alias," and put it into the folder. Just delete that folder and the behavior you see will vanish.

Most likely, someone tried to make an alias of a file called Danielle Time.xlsx but accidentally made an alias of the folder instead, and then stuck that alias into the folder. No biggie.

[gunug]

I was playing around last night with this on a home system and had about come to the same conclusion; but would this have anything to do with lack of access to the other files?

[Paddy]

Do the other files look ok - ie: no aliases inside?

What are the permissions set to on the other files?

[gunug]

I did shut the server down and ran FSCK on it and it did find some "minor" problems but I'm not sure that it would be enough.  They logon to the server, open up an Excel file and then get booted out.  I ran diagnostics (Applejack) on one workstation and that fixed lots of things.  I also tried to empty the trash and it was a 10.6 "secured" trashcan and it isn't entirely getting empty. . .it reaches about 2,000 or so out of 5,000 files and then seems to stop trying to empty.  I don't have a 10.6 system at my office or home so I'm going to have to read up on what could be causing that!