# Can't extract .gwbk with zipfile.ZipFile on Windows (works fine in Linux)

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81, scripting\
**Created:** [May 6, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989 "2024-05-06T20:07:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/1 "2024-05-06T20:07:53Z")

</div>

This code works fine in Linux, but not in Windows:

```python
import system
import tempfile, os
import zipfile

tempDir = tempfile.gettempdir()

def unzip(gwbk_path):
	extractDir = os.path.join(tempDir, 'extracted').decode('unicode-escape')
	# Extract the .gwbk (zip) file
	with zipfile.ZipFile(gwbk_path, 'r') as zip_ref:
		zip_ref.extractall(extractDir) ### bails here ###

```

I have a feeling it's breaking on an empty `email-profiles` folder, and perhaps [this cpython 2.7.4 issue](https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/61856) is related.

any workaround ideas?

> **Wrapper log**
>
> ```python
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | W [p.a.script] [14:54:47.185]: Error running action 'component.onFileReceived' on _DEV/GWBK@C/root/FileUpload: Traceback (most recent call last):
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<function:runAction>", line 2, in runAction
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<module:_DEV.GWBK>", line 52, in runAction
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<module:_DEV.GWBK>", line 11, in unzip
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1038, in extractall
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | self.extract(zipinfo, path, pwd)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1026, in extract
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | return self._extract_member(member, path, pwd)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1059, in _extract_member
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | arcname = arcname.translate(table)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | TypeError: character mapping must return integer, None or unicode
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | project-name=_DEV, view=_DEV/GWBK@C, component=root/FileUpload
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script.JythonExecException: Traceback (most recent call last):
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<function:runAction>", line 2, in runAction
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<module:_DEV.GWBK>", line 52, in runAction
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "<module:_DEV.GWBK>", line 11, in unzip
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1038, in extractall
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | self.extract(zipinfo, path, pwd)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1026, in extract
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | return self._extract_member(member, path, pwd)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | File "C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib\zipfile.py", line 1059, in _extract_member
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | arcname = arcname.translate(table)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | TypeError: character mapping must return integer, None or unicode
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | 
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyException.doRaise(PyException.java:211)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.Py.makeException(Py.java:1654)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.Py.makeException(Py.java:1658)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.Py.makeException(Py.java:1662)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.Py.makeException(Py.java:1666)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx18.unzip$1(<module:_DEV.GWBK>:39)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx18.call_function(<module:_DEV.GWBK>)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyTableCode.call(PyTableCode.java:173)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyBaseCode.call(PyBaseCode.java:150)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyFunction. __call__ (PyFunction.java:426)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx18.runAction$2(<module:_DEV.GWBK>:59)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx18.call_function(<module:_DEV.GWBK>)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyTableCode.call(PyTableCode.java:173)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyBaseCode.call(PyBaseCode.java:150)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyFunction. __call__ (PyFunction.java:426)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx17.runAction$1(<function:runAction>:2)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.pycode._pyx17.call_function(<function:runAction>)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyTableCode.call(PyTableCode.java:173)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyBaseCode.call(PyBaseCode.java:306)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyFunction.function ___call__ (PyFunction.java:474)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyFunction. __call__ (PyFunction.java:469)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at org.python.core.PyFunction. __call__ (PyFunction.java:464)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script.ScriptManager.runFunction(ScriptManager.java:847)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script.ScriptManager.runFunction(ScriptManager.java:829)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.gateway.project.ProjectScriptLifecycle$TrackingProjectScriptManager.runFunction(ProjectScriptLifecycle.java:868)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.script.ScriptManager$ScriptFunctionImpl.invoke(ScriptManager.java:1010)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.gateway.project.ProjectScriptLifecycle$AutoRecompilingScriptFunction.invoke(ProjectScriptLifecycle.java:950)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.script.ScriptFunctionHelper.invoke(ScriptFunctionHelper.java:161)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.script.ScriptFunctionHelper.invoke(ScriptFunctionHelper.java:98)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.action.ScriptAction.runAction(ScriptAction.java:80)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.action.ActionDecorator.runAction(ActionDecorator.java:18)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.action.SecuredAction.runAction(SecuredAction.java:44)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.model.ActionCollection$ActionSequence$ExecuteActionsTask.lambda$call$0(ActionCollection.java:263)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.api.LoggingContext.mdc(LoggingContext.java:54)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.model.ActionCollection$ActionSequence$ExecuteActionsTask.call(ActionCollection.java:252)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.model.ActionCollection$ActionSequence$ExecuteActionsTask.call(ActionCollection.java:221)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.threading.BlockingTaskQueue$TaskWrapper.run(BlockingTaskQueue.java:154)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at java.base/java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Unknown Source)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at com.inductiveautomation.perspective.gateway.threading.BlockingWork$BlockingWorkRunnable.run(BlockingWork.java:58)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | Caused by: org.python.core.PyException: TypeError: character mapping must return integer, None or unicode
> INFO | jvm 1 | 2024/05/06 14:54:47 | ... 43 common frames omitted
> 
> ```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/2 "2024-05-06T22:02:52Z")

</div>

> [@hunterdg](#):
>
> any workaround ideas?

Your best approach would probably be to use the Java standard library to do the unzip operation. Not nearly as straightforward, though, unfortunately. Look into Filesystems.newFileSystem; you can open a given path to a zip file as if it's an entire browseable filesystem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/3 "2024-05-07T17:31:56Z")

</div>

Well that was a fun little exercise. AI failed hard and repeatedly. Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/4 "2024-05-08T17:15:01Z")

</div>

Edit - additional struggles

It appears a manually unzipped/rezipped gwbk file fails to restore with `java.io.FileNotFoundException: C:\Program Files\Inductive Automation\Ignition\user-lib\pylib (Access is denied)` despite being "identical" (internally) - which makes absolutely no sense to me.

However if I purposefully _exclude_ empty subfolders from the recreated gwbk, I have no issues restoring it, though I imagine this could cause problems.

Clearly Ignition is somehow creating gwbks with empty folders that don't break on restore (I imagine in Java directly) - which means I _should also_ be able to accomplish the same thing through jython right? Any thoughts/pointers? Might this be a "feature" to block modified gwbks?

> [@paul-griffith](#):
>
> open a given path to a zip file as if it's an entire browseable filesystem

are you suggesting I should be able to interact with (modify) the gwbk _directly_ (avoiding extract/recompress) with this method? If so, I haven't been able to come up with a working connection string to `db_backup_sqlite.idb` for `zxJDBC.connect`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/5 "2024-05-08T17:24:41Z")

</div>

> [@hunterdg](#):
>
> Might this be a "feature" to block modified gwbks?

Nothing like that exists.

The zip file _contents_ are likely the same (or close to the same; zip is a fairly malleable format, with things like intermediate folders being more of a 'suggestion' than a requirement) - but are the _permissions_ being carried into the zip file? Perhaps the output of the script you're running is inheriting the 'ownership' from the gateway system user.

> [@hunterdg](#):
>
> I haven't been able to come up with a working connection

I think this is a fundamental SQLite limitation. As far as I know, the underlying C API only allows loading from a 'real' file handle that it locates and reads itself. I've run into the same limitation with the raw JDBC driver in Kindling; I have to copy the .idb out to a temp file to actually load it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/6 "2024-05-08T17:27:47Z")

</div>

> [@paul-griffith](#):
>
> Perhaps the output of the script you're running is inheriting the 'ownership' from the gateway system user

~~I started down this path until I (accidentally) realized just excluding the empty dirs worked - and pylib is not an empty directory, so the behavior should theoretically be unrelated.~~ Maybe I'll dig a bit more

> [@paul-griffith](#):
>
> I've run into the same limitation with the raw JDBC driver in Kindling

thanks, this makes me feel better

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/9 "2024-05-08T18:28:29Z")

</div>

Yeah, I really can't explain it. I remember having issues with manually generated ZIPs restoring cleanly in the past, but I don't remember ever really finding a solution...  
Maybe this post will nerd snipe Phil successfully.

A random GUI zip tool suggests the files have slightly different attributes:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/8/e/8e372347e145140e4a8b6986b6c59a61be6e942a.jpeg)

`unzip -vl`, oddly, suggests that in 'original', folders take up 2 bytes?

```python
Archive: original.gwbk
 Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name
-------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ----
 1716224 Defl:N 320411 81% 05-08-2024 10:14 3fd13bf5 db_backup_sqlite.idb
       0 Defl:N 2 0% 05-08-2024 10:14 00000000 certificates/
       0 Defl:N 2 0% 05-08-2024 10:14 00000000 certificates/supplemental/
       0 Defl:N 2 0% 05-08-2024 10:14 00000000 email-profiles/
       0 Defl:N 2 0% 05-08-2024 10:14 00000000 gateway-network/
       0 Defl:N 2 0% 05-08-2024 10:14 00000000 gateway-network/client/

```

Whereas in 'identical' they're totally empty:

```python
Archive: identical.gwbk
 Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name
-------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ----
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 modules/
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 projects/
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 user-lib/
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 certificates/
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 opcua/
       0 Defl:N 0 0% 05-08-2024 10:52 00000000 email-profiles/

```

But I can't see a way to get a more useful description than that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hunterdg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hunterdg/32/67774_2.png) [@hunterdg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/hunterdg)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 6:51am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/10 "2024-05-09T06:51:20Z")

</div>

Well thanks for pointing out attributes - and sending me down another rabbit hole 😅

I've managed to duplicate the original attributes (and lack of permissions), including the peculiar user-lib (no D attribute) and 2-byte folder quirks - all while saving a few KBs!

 ![CleanShot 2024-05-09 at 01.44.26](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/b/4/b4ee020c4add55fab4e0426bb0020119def238e0.png)  
 ![CleanShot 2024-05-09 at 01.46.33](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/2/1/21b4f7f4aec86887376e1a57ff146103dd20b020.png)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/f/3f0834a195c4a8094ab887ee805e5e634b9b2207.png)

semi-related: Kindling shows the empty email-profiles folder as a file icon. It also appears to hang on these gwbks (including original)

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/b/6/b68d91e8f6aea6bd0fce4fe5da7f792077c8a1e6.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-extract-gwbk-with-zipfile-zipfile-on-windows-works-fine-in-linux/89989/11 "2024-05-13T15:20:30Z")

</div>

> [@hunterdg](#):
>
> I've managed to duplicate the original attributes (and lack of permissions), including the peculiar user-lib (no D attribute) and 2-byte folder quirks - all while saving a few KBs!

What'd you change in your code, out of curiosity?

> [@hunterdg](#):
>
> semi-related: Kindling shows the empty email-profiles folder as a file icon. It also appears to hang on these gwbks (including original)

🙈  
I'll have to figure out what's going on there.