Python script not deleting Git files in Windows

Question

I'm using the following code to delete a directory containing a git repo:

import errno
import os
import stat
import shutil


def clear_dir(path):
    shutil.rmtree(path, ignore_errors=False, onerror=handle_remove_readonly)


def handle_remove_readonly(func, path, exc):
  excvalue = exc[1]
  if func in (os.rmdir, os.remove) and excvalue.errno == errno.EACCES:
      os.chmod(path, stat.S_IRWXU| stat.S_IRWXG| stat.S_IRWXO) # 0777
      func(path)
  else:
      raise

This code should deal well with read-only files. I can delete the directory/folder from Windows Explorer, but when I run the following code:

if __name__ == '__main__':
    clear_dir(r'c:\path\to\ci-monitor')

I get the following error:

  File "C:\Users\m45914\code\ci-monitor\utils\filehandling.py", line 8, in clear_dir                              
    shutil.rmtree(path, ignore_errors=False, onerror=handle_remove_readonly)                                      
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 488, in rmtree                
    return _rmtree_unsafe(path, onerror)                                                                          
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 378, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    _rmtree_unsafe(fullname, onerror)                                                                             
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 378, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    _rmtree_unsafe(fullname, onerror)                                                                             
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 378, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    _rmtree_unsafe(fullname, onerror)                                                                             
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 378, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    _rmtree_unsafe(fullname, onerror)                                                                             
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 383, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    onerror(os.unlink, fullname, sys.exc_info())                                                                  
  File "C:\Users\m45914\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 381, in _rmtree_unsafe        
    os.unlink(fullname)                                                                                           
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'scratch\\repos\\ci-monitor\\.git\\objects\\pack\\pack-83e55c6964d
21e8be0afb2cbccd887eae3e32bf4.idx'                                                                                

I've tried running the script as administrator (no change.)

The directory being deleted is a git repo, and I am periodically cloning, checking and deleting it. The checks are to make sure there are no unmerged release and hotfix branches in the repo.

Anyone got any ideas?

Answer 1

If that file is being used by another process then it would not be possible to delete it. cross check it by using 'unlocker' OR any other similar software.

Answer 2

I faced with the same issue. I was able to resolve it by adding os.unlink to the list of funcs:

if func in (os.rmdir, os.remove, os.unlink) and excvalue.errno == errno.EACCES: