Fix collection install from source respects symlinks (#78983)

* Fix installation from source transforms symlinks of dirs to empty dirs

* Add test to check symlinks to dirs are respected when installing from source

* Add changelog for collection install from source symlink to dirs issue

changelogs/fragments/78983-fix-collection-install-from-source-respects-dir-symlinks.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ansible-galaxy collection install - respect symlinks when installing from source or local repository (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/78442)

lib/ansible/galaxy/collection/__init__.py

@@ -1372,17 +1372,24 @@ def _build_collection_dir(b_collection_path, b_collection_output, collection_man
         src_file = os.path.join(b_collection_path, to_bytes(file_info['name'], errors='surrogate_or_strict'))
         dest_file = os.path.join(b_collection_output, to_bytes(file_info['name'], errors='surrogate_or_strict'))
 
-        existing_is_exec = os.stat(src_file).st_mode & stat.S_IXUSR
+        existing_is_exec = os.stat(src_file, follow_symlinks=False).st_mode & stat.S_IXUSR
         mode = 0o0755 if existing_is_exec else 0o0644
 
-        if os.path.isdir(src_file):
+        # ensure symlinks to dirs are not translated to empty dirs
+        if os.path.isdir(src_file) and not os.path.islink(src_file):
             mode = 0o0755
             base_directories.append(src_file)
             os.mkdir(dest_file, mode)
         else:
-            shutil.copyfile(src_file, dest_file)
+            # do not follow symlinks to ensure the original link is used
+            shutil.copyfile(src_file, dest_file, follow_symlinks=False)
+
+        # avoid setting specific permission on symlinks since it does not
+        # support avoid following symlinks and will thrown an exception if the
+        # symlink target does not exist
+        if not os.path.islink(dest_file):
+            os.chmod(dest_file, mode)
 
-        os.chmod(dest_file, mode)
     collection_output = to_text(b_collection_output)
     return collection_output
 

test/integration/targets/ansible-galaxy-collection/tasks/install.yml

@@ -771,6 +771,56 @@
     - install_symlink_actual.results[5].stat.islnk
     - install_symlink_actual.results[5].stat.lnk_target == '../REÅDMÈ.md'
 
+
+# Testing an install from source to check that symlinks to directories
+# are preserved (see issue https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/78442)
+- name: symlink_dirs collection install from source test
+  block:
+
+    - name: create symlink_dirs collection
+      command: ansible-galaxy collection init symlink_dirs.symlink_dirs --init-path "{{ galaxy_dir }}/scratch"
+
+    - name: create directory in collection
+      file:
+        path: "{{ galaxy_dir }}/scratch/symlink_dirs/symlink_dirs/folderA"
+        state: directory
+
+    - name: create symlink to folderA
+      file:
+        dest: "{{ galaxy_dir }}/scratch/symlink_dirs/symlink_dirs/folderB"
+        src: ./folderA
+        state: link
+        force: yes
+
+    - name: install symlink_dirs collection from source
+      command: ansible-galaxy collection install {{ galaxy_dir }}/scratch/symlink_dirs/
+      environment:
+        ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATHS: '{{ galaxy_dir }}/ansible_collections'
+      register: install_symlink_dirs
+
+    - name: get result of install collection with symlink_dirs - {{ test_id }}
+      stat:
+        path: '{{ galaxy_dir }}/ansible_collections/symlink_dirs/symlink_dirs/{{ path }}'
+      register: install_symlink_dirs_actual
+      loop_control:
+        loop_var: path
+      loop:
+      - folderA
+      - folderB
+
+    - name: assert install collection with symlink_dirs - {{ test_id }}
+      assert:
+        that:
+        - '"Installing ''symlink_dirs.symlink_dirs:1.0.0'' to" in install_symlink_dirs.stdout'
+        - install_symlink_dirs_actual.results[0].stat.isdir
+        - install_symlink_dirs_actual.results[1].stat.islnk
+        - install_symlink_dirs_actual.results[1].stat.lnk_target == './folderA'
+  always:
+    - name: clean up symlink_dirs collection directory
+      file:
+        path: "{{ galaxy_dir }}/scratch/symlink_dirs"
+        state: absent
+
 - name: remove install directory for the next test because parent_dep.parent_collection was installed - {{ test_id }}
   file:
     path: '{{ galaxy_dir }}/ansible_collections'