Informix Error -43038: The ON-Bar log file cannot be a symbolic link.

Cause and resolution

The ON-Bar log file cannot be a symbolic link.

The ON-Bar log file that ON-Bar is attempting to open is a symbolic link. For security reasons, this is not permissible.

Remove the symbolic link or change the onconfig file so that the ON-Bar parameters BAR_DEBUG_LOG and/or BAR_ACT_LOG in your ONCONFIG file point to non-symbolic linked files.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-43038 fires when the ON-Bar log file ON-Bar is trying to open is a symbolic link — per the official guidance, this is disallowed for security reasons.

The configured BAR_DEBUG_LOG/BAR_ACT_LOG file being a symbolic link, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Remove the symbolic link, per the official guidance, or
Change BAR_DEBUG_LOG/BAR_ACT_LOG in ONCONFIG to point to non-symbolic-linked files, per the official guidance.

Examples

Checking for a symlinked log file

$ ls -l $INFORMIXDIR/bar_act.log
lrwxrwxrwx 1 informix informix ... bar_act.log -> /tmp/bar_act.log

Diagnostic Checks

Check whether the configured BAR_DEBUG_LOG/BAR_ACT_LOG file is a symbolic link, and remove the link or repoint the ONCONFIG parameter.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-43039 — "The ON-Bar log file must be owned by user informix." A related ON-Bar log-file restriction, on ownership rather than symbolic-link status.

The ON-Bar log file is a symbolic link, which isn't permitted — remove the link or repoint the ONCONFIG parameter.