sh: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory

[dentaku65]

Binary package hint: apt

I did apt-get update and apt-get dist-upgrade
I got this output:

The following packages will be upgraded:
  libdvdread4
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 64.2kB of archives.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe libdvdread4 4.1.3-5ubuntu2 [64.2kB]
Fetched 64.2kB in 0s (90.6kB/s)
sh: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
sh: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
sh: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
(Reading database ... 217316 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libdvdread4 4.1.3-5ubuntu1 (using .../libdvdread4_4.1.3-5ubuntu2_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libdvdread4 ...
Setting up libdvdread4 (4.1.3-5ubuntu2) ...

Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

Date:
04 October 09
Karmic beta

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
CheckboxSubmission: 154f4fceb50fd0badadd6245967b13ab
CheckboxSystem: 331fbefb4b1f6727f4a8261fee7507c9
Date: Sun Oct 4 12:16:19 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Package: apt 0.7.23.1ubuntu1
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-11.38-generic
SourcePackage: apt
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-11-generic i686

[Sebastian Geiger (lanoxx)]

I got this behaviour too today, and also when running apport-bug or ubuntu-bug.

[Felix Yan (felixonmars)]

Same problem after updating here today.
when running bash, i got a message a little different:

shell-init: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory

[Felix Yan (felixonmars)]

And when using auto-complition, I got these messages after pressing TAB:

symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
symlink-hook: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

This error occurs if you run a command in a directory which no longer exists. To reproduce it, do the following:
Make an empty dir called bugreprod in your home directory and cd into it.
Now, open Nautilus and delete the directory.
Run 'sudo apt-get update' or any other command in the shell which is in the non-existant directory, and you will get this error.

I think this is a problem with your system, and not with bash or apport.

[pioruns (pioruns)]

Still true, as today, on Xubuntu 11.10 i386.
I uninstalled postfix, and current directory on terminal was still /etc/postfix/. Every command with apt-get was spamming output with
sh: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
I changed current directory to ~ and problem gone.

[Jānis Kangarooo (kangarooo)]

But why anyway installing something on sustem should be checking in folder im now in terminal? It shouldnt

[Renato Alexandre do Passo Magnelli (renatomagnelli)]

Same as pioruns: "cd .." solved the problem.

[JmAbuDabi (dambldor91)]

Command: cd ~

Resolve this problem