[HBASE-3781] hbase shell cannot start "NoMethodError: undefined method `close' for nil:NilClass"

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 0.90.2
• Fix Version/s: 0.92.0
• Component/s: shell

Environment

windows 7, cygwin

• Hadoop Flags: Reviewed
• Release Note: resolve problem under windows for starting the hbase shell (no close method error)
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Mikael Sitruk
• Created: 14/Apr/11 13:38
• Updated: 20/Nov/15 12:42
• Resolved: 18/Apr/11 19:47

Description

After following the instruction for installing hbase on windows with cygwin, and trying to run the hbase shell i got the following error
NoMethodError: undefined method `close' for nil:NilClass
initialize at C:/_servers/db/hbase/V090~1.2//bin/../lib/ruby/irb/hirb.rb:39
start at C:_servers\db\hbase\V090~1.2\/bin/hirb.rb:171
(root) at C:_servers\db\hbase\V090~1.2\/bin/hirb.rb:183

After a while of investigation it seems that the error comes from the fact that "/dev/null" is not functioning as expected. When changing to "NUL" (in lib/ruby/irb/hirb.rb line 34), which is window equivalent, the shell worked ok.
The fix
change: f = File.open("/dev/null", "w") to f = File.open("NUL", "w")