ERROR: “copy_file failed: copy_file: System Error : invalid file paths” when you change Plesk administrator password

While changing Plesk admin password it throws following

copy_file failed: copy_file: System Error: invalid file paths in /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/copy_file /var/backup/psa/tmp/nsfuJB48u /etc/psa/.psa.shadow:0: cmd_server.php3:95 ch_admin_pass(string ‘***************’, string ‘*************’) 1: ch_pass.php3:34 require(string ‘/usr/local/psa/admin/htdocs/server/ch_pass.php3’) 2: plesk.php:51


Above error arises when the problem is when Plesk is unable to copy files in /var/backup/psa/tmp/ directory. As per http://kb.parallels.com/en/5201 the main cause of the problem is “Such error occurs in case if symbolic link is used as the path to the Plesk product directory. PHP does not follow symlinks for security reasons.”

When we checked the server we found a Symlink for tmp in /var/backup/psa/ directory

[root@server ~]# ls -la /usr/local/psa

total 176
drwxr-xr-x 15 root psaadm 4096 Jul 19 09:11 .
drwxr-xr-x 13 root root 4096 Jun 2 15:53 ..
drwxr-xr-x 14 root psaadm 4096 Jul 19 09:47 admin
drwxr-xr-x 2 psaadm psaadm 4096 Jul 19 09:07 bin
drwxr-xr-x 10 psaadm psaadm 4096 Jul 19 09:07 etc
drwxr-xr-x 8 root root 4096 Jun 23 16:47 handlers
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 Jun 23 16:47 handlers.default
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 30 18:29 lib
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 30 18:18 libexec
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 May 30 18:16 logrotate
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 30 18:18 pam_plesk_config
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 21099 Jun 3 03:32 passwd
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root 4096 Jun 22 10:30 PMM
-r——– 1 root root 19218 Jun 3 03:32 shadow
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 30 18:18 share
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jul 19 09:07 suexec
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 Jun 22 12:02 tmp -> /var/backup/psa/tmp
drwxr-xr-x 10 psaadm psaadm 4096 Apr 22 07:52 var
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 27 Jul 19 09:11 version


So We removed the symbolic link and remounted the tmp folder physically using following steps:

[root@server ~]# rm /usr/local/psa/tmp
rm: remove symbolic link `/usr/local/psa/tmp’? y
[root@server ~]# mkdir /usr/local/psa/tmp
[root@server ~]# mount –bind /var/backup/psa/tmp /usr/local/psa/tmp
[root@server ~]# /etc/init.d/psa restart


Now please try to reset the passwords.

**Note: This settings will save till next system reboot.

To make this setting permanent execute following command from the shell of the server which will modify the /etc/fstab file of the Server.

[root@server ~]# echo “/var/backup/psa/tmp /usr/local/psa/tmp auto bind ” >> /etc/fstab

About: Mike

Milind Koyande loves to work on new technologies specially virtualization and troubleshoot server problems. I’m an avid photographer and love to spend my free time close to nature, trying to capture its glory on my camera.


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