[ucrt64] luarocks v3.11.1 doesn't work

[Raffaello]

Description / Steps to reproduce the issue

install lua and luarocks ucrt64

run luarocks install luasocket

the error will be:

The system cannot find the path specified.
The system cannot find the path specified.

Error: Current directory does not exist. Please run LuaRocks from an existing directory.

looking inside the luarocks script:

#!C:/msys64/ucrt64/bin/lua.exe
package.loaded["luarocks.core.hardcoded"] = { SYSCONFDIR = [[C:/msys64/ucrt64/etc/luarocks]] }
package.path=[[C:/msys64/ucrt64/share/lua/5.4/?.lua;]] .. package.path
local list = package.searchers or package.loaders; table.insert(list, 1, function(name) if name:match("^luarocks%.") then return loadfile([[C:/msys64/ucrt64/share/lua/5.4/]] .. name:gsub([[%.]], [[/]]) .. [[.lua]]) end end)

same thing for luarocks-admin

besides running luarocks from a cmd.exe or like git bash it doesn't report that error. (but it will fail after when trying to compile)

so it might be something with msys2?

NOTE: I did not have a fresh msys2 install, but an upgraded one if it matters...

Expected behavior

luarocks should produce an output like:

$ luarocks

Usage: luarocks [-h] [--version] [--dev] [--server <server>]
       [--only-server <server>] [--only-sources <url>]
       [--namespace <namespace>] [--lua-dir <prefix>]
       [--lua-version <ver>] [--tree <tree>] [--local] [--global]
       [--no-project] [--force-lock] [--verbose] [--timeout <seconds>]
       [<command>] ...

LuaRocks 3.11.1, the Lua package manager

C:/msys64/ucrt64/bin/luarocks - LuaRocks main command-line interface

Options:
   -h, --help            Show this help message and exit.
   --version             Show version info and exit.
   --dev                 Enable the sub-repositories in rocks servers for
                         rockspecs of in-development versions.
   --server <server>     Fetch rocks/rockspecs from this server (takes priority
                         over config file).
   --only-server <server>
                         Fetch rocks/rockspecs from this server only (overrides
                         any entries in the config file).
   --only-sources <url>  Restrict downloads to paths matching the given URL.
   --namespace <namespace>
                         Specify the rocks server namespace to use.
   --lua-dir <prefix>    Which Lua installation to use.
   --lua-version <ver>   Which Lua version to use.
   --tree <tree>         Which tree to operate on.
   --local               Use the tree in the user's home directory.
                         To enable it, see 'C:/msys64/ucrt64/bin/luarocks help
                         path'.
   --global              Use the system tree when `local_by_default` is `true`.
   --no-project          Do not use project tree even if running from a project
                         folder.
   --force-lock          Attempt to overwrite the lock for commands that require
                         exclusive access, such as 'install'
   --verbose             Display verbose output of commands executed.
   --timeout <seconds>   Timeout on network operations, in seconds.
                         0 means no timeout (wait forever). Default is 30.

Commands:
   help                  Show help for commands.
   completion            Output a shell completion script.
   build                 Build/compile a rock.
   config                Query information about the LuaRocks configuration.
   doc                   Show documentation for an installed rock.
   download              Download a specific rock file from a rocks server.
   init                  Initialize a directory for a Lua project using
                         LuaRocks.
   install               Install a rock.
   lint                  Check syntax of a rockspec.
   list                  List currently installed rocks.
   make                  Compile package in current directory using a rockspec.
   new_version           Auto-write a rockspec for a new version of a rock.
   pack                  Create a rock, packing sources or binaries.
   path                  Return the currently configured package path.
   purge                 Remove all installed rocks from a tree.
   remove                Uninstall a rock.
   search                Query the LuaRocks servers.
   show                  Show information about an installed rock.
   test                  Run the test suite in the current directory.
   unpack                Unpack the contents of a rock.
   upload                Upload a rockspec to the public rocks repository.
   which                 Tell which file corresponds to a given module name.
   write_rockspec        Write a template for a rockspec file.

Variables:
   Variables from the "variables" table of the configuration file can be
   overridden with VAR=VALUE assignments.

Configuration:
   Lua:
      Version    : 5.4
      LUA        : C:/msys64/ucrt64\bin\lua.exe (ok)
      LUA_INCDIR : C:/msys64/ucrt64/include (ok)
      LUA_LIBDIR : C:\msys64\ucrt64\bin (ok)

   Configuration files:
      System  : C:\msys64\ucrt64\etc\luarocks\config-5.4.lua (ok)
      User    : C:\Users\user\.luarocks\config-5.4.lua (not found)

   Rocks trees in use:
      C:\Users\user\.luarocks ("user")
      C:\msys64\ucrt64 ("system")

Actual behavior

instead it produces an error:

$ luarocks
The system cannot find the path specified.
The system cannot find the path specified.

Error: Current directory does not exist. Please run LuaRocks from an existing directory.

Verification

• I have verified that my MSYS2 is up-to-date before submitting the report (see https://www.msys2.org/docs/updating/)

Windows Version

MSYS_NT-10.0-26100

MINGW environments affected

• MINGW64
• MINGW32
• UCRT64
• CLANG64
• CLANGARM64

Are you willing to submit a PR?

yes, but i don't have a clue at the moment what coudl be the error

[luau-project]

Hi,

I am unable to reproduce your issue with up-to-date packages on MSYS2.

I executed the following statements on a UCRT64 shell:

1. Install the default C compiler for the environment, Lua and LuaRocks

pacman -S mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-cc mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-lua mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-lua-luarocks

2. Install LuaSocket through LuaRocks

luarocks install luasocket

---

Questions:

1. Do you have a C compiler installed to build luasocket? On MSYS2, installing only Lua and LuaRocks packages would fail LuaSocket's build due the lack of a C compiler. In other words, you are also required to install the package mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-cc

2. Are you sure LuaRocks from UCRT64 is the only LuaRocks on your path? LuaRocks from other places / providers could cause issues

3. What is MSYS2 install folder on your computer? On my computer, it is the standard C:\msys64

4. Is your home drive C:? You can check it on a standard cmd.exe through the commands

   • Home drive variable

     echo %HOMEDRIVE%

   • System drive variable

     echo %SYSTEMDRIVE%

5. Can you post your LuaRocks config file? It would help to understand your environment.

[Raffaello]

1. yes gcc 15.1
2. yes only ucrt64
3. standard c:\msys64
4. yes for both
5. it should be this one.

$ cat /ucrt64/etc/luarocks/config-5.4.lua
-- LuaRocks configuration

rocks_trees = {
   { name = "user", root = home .. "/.luarocks" };
   { name = "system", root = "C:/msys64/ucrt64" };
}
variables = {
   LUA_DIR = "C:/msys64/ucrt64";
   LUA_BINDIR = "C:/msys64/ucrt64/bin";
   LUA_VERSION = "5.4";
   LUA = "C:/msys64/ucrt64/bin/lua.exe";
}

[Raffaello]

i can add also all my installed packages:

$ pacman -Qe
base 2022.06-1
base-devel 2024.11-1
filesystem 2025.05.08-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-SDL2_image 2.8.8-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-SDL2_mixer 2.8.1-4
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-binutils 2.44-3
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-ffmpeg 7.1.1-4
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gcc 15.1.0-5
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gdb 16.3-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gdb-multiarch 16.3-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-glm 1.0.1-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gtest 1.17.0-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-libmangle-git 12.0.0.r747.g1a99f8514-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-lua 5.4.7-3
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-lua-luarocks 3.11.1-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-make 4.4.1-3
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-ninja 1.12.1-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-pkgconf 1~2.3.0-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-tools-git 12.0.0.r747.g1a99f8514-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-winstorecompat-git 12.0.0.r747.g1a99f8514-1
mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-yaml-cpp 0.8.0-1
msys2-runtime 3.6.1-4
vim 9.1.1365-1

[Raffaello]

basically in my msys2, luarocks is failing here: https://github.com/luarocks/luarocks/blob/main/src/luarocks/cmd.lua#L717-L719

if i am running this lua script:

local fs = require("luarocks.fs")

print(fs)
fs.init()
print ('---')

print(fs.current_dir)
print(fs.current_dir()) -- this is generating the error 'The system cannot find the path specified.'

i have the error of luarocks.
so not sure if it is my MSYS2 or luarocks.fs module.

[luau-project]

if I understood correctly your latest post, you are using LuaRocks internals, not as a tool as most people uses.

Even though I don't have a deep understanding about LuaRocks internals, I know by personal experience that you need to load configuration, then do anything else.

I tried your script, it failed even trying to perform fs.init(). But, knowing that config should be loaded, I edited it and got it to print the current directory:

local cfg = require("luarocks.core.cfg")
local fs = require("luarocks.fs")

cfg.init()
fs.init()

print("---")

print(fs.current_dir())

To be honest, (I really don't know), I don't even know if it is a kind of "public" API to use LuaRocks this way.

[Raffaello]

no i am using it as a tools just like as a bash script.

i tried that script just to understand where the error has been hiding, at most likely at this point i think i have a kind of corrupted MSYS2 install. I will try to start with a fresh install and see if it will be all ok.
thanks.