# Reading files from symbolic link folder

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [February 2, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646 "2022-02-02T11:35:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anastasia.blinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@anastasia.blinova](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/anastasia.blinova)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/1 "2022-02-02T11:35:59Z")

</div>

I have a symbolic link folder on the C drive of the machine running the gateway.  
When I try:

```auto
os.path.exists(path)

```

it returns False.

When I try the same with a different folder on the C drive with the same permissions, it returns True.  
Both folders appear when I try:

```auto
os.listdir('C:\\')

```

Any ideas why the gateway script cannot see the first folder?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/2 "2022-02-02T11:49:14Z")

</div>

try

```auto
os.path.islink(path)

```

this will return true if its a link even if it has no permissions or something

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anastasia.blinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@anastasia.blinova](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/anastasia.blinova)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/3 "2022-02-02T12:12:00Z")

</div>

That also returns False.  
The docs to mention that for os.path.islink(), it:

> Always returns `False` if symbolic links are not supported by the Python runtime

I don't know if that is the case here.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 12:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/4 "2022-02-02T12:16:45Z")

</div>

Seems python 2.7 doesnt suppport symlinks on windows

> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15258506/os-path-islink-on-windows-with-python>

hmm how about the igntions function? does that find it?

`system.file.fileExists`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anastasia.blinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@anastasia.blinova](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/anastasia.blinova)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 12:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/5 "2022-02-02T12:32:36Z")

</div>

Also no luck. Return False.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/6 "2022-02-02T12:46:52Z")

</div>

hmm you can try going java…

```auto
import java.io.File as File
path = "C:\\"
File(path).exists()

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anastasia.blinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@anastasia.blinova](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/anastasia.blinova)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/7 "2022-02-02T13:02:53Z")

</div>

I don’t think it is an issue of python vs java.  
Might be some Ignition conf setting need to change. Or maybe Ignition doesn’t like symbolic link folders.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/8 "2022-02-02T13:11:27Z")

</div>

> [@anastasia.blinova](#):
>
> Might be some Ignition conf setting need to change

maybe...

i was able to do both java and pyhton exists on a new junction symlink i made.  
islink did not work tho

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/9 "2022-02-02T13:24:07Z")

</div>

Use java’s `File`. It _ **IS** _ an issue of java vs. python. (Always use java’s alternatives to python’s stdlib in jython if you want predictable, bug-free operation.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anastasia.blinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@anastasia.blinova](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/anastasia.blinova)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-files-from-symbolic-link-folder/55646/10 "2022-02-03T16:33:06Z")

</div>

The Java version also did not work.

However it turned out it was a permissions thing in the end. Ignition is a system account user by default, and the system account user had no permission to read/write the mapped drive. And so neither the symbolic folder.  
Followed [this answer](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-script-cant-open-directory/3003/4?) and changed Ignition login to be local user. All works now.