How to create a hidden file in Windows/Mac/Linux? - go

Question

I build an console application, need create some hidden files.
As well I know filename start with dot will hidden in Linux and mac, but windows?
Set file attributes?
Is there a way to create hidden files and directories in both Windows / Linux / Mac?

Answer 1

Windows:
SetFileAttributesW function
Sets the attributes for a file or directory.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN 2 (0x2)
The file or directory is hidden. It is not included in an ordinary
directory listing.
Go:
Package syscall
func SetFileAttributes
func SetFileAttributes(name *uint16, attrs uint32) (err error)
Convert from a Go UTF-8 encoded string (string) to a Windows UTF-16 encoded string pointer (*uint16).
Package syscall
func UTF16PtrFromString
func UTF16PtrFromString(s string) (*uint16, error)
UTF16PtrFromString returns pointer to the UTF-16 encoding of the UTF-8
string s, with a terminating NUL added. If s contains a NUL byte at
any location, it returns (nil, EINVAL).
Use OS Build Contraints.
For example,
hide/attrib.go:
package main
import (
"fmt"
"io/ioutil"
"os"
)
func main() {
filename := `test.hidden.file`
os.Remove(filename)
os.Remove("." + filename)
err := ioutil.WriteFile(filename, []byte(filename), 0666)
if err != nil {
fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
return
}
err = HideFile(filename)
if err != nil {
fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
return
}
fmt.Println("hidden:", filename)
}
hide/hide.go:
// +build !windows
package main
import (
"os"
"path/filepath"
"strings"
)
func HideFile(filename string) error {
if !strings.HasPrefix(filepath.Base(filename), ".") {
err := os.Rename(filename, "."+filename)
if err != nil {
return err
}
}
return nil
}
hide/hide_windows.go:
// +build windows
package main
import (
"syscall"
)
func HideFile(filename string) error {
filenameW, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(filename)
if err != nil {
return err
}
err = syscall.SetFileAttributes(filenameW, syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN)
if err != nil {
return err
}
return nil
}
Output (Linux):
$ tree hide
hide
├── attrib.go
├── hide.go
└── hide_windows.go
$
$ go build && ./hide
hidden: test.hidden.file
$ ls -a .test.hidden.file
.test.hidden.file
$
Output (Windows):
>go build && hide
hidden: test.hidden.file
>attrib test.hidden.file
A H \test.hidden.file
>

Answer 2

I made a cross-platform module for this (it's available here: higgs).
You can hide or unhide file or directory simply by calling Hide or Unhide functions.
Sample code:
package main
import (
"fmt"
"github.com/dastoori/higgs"
)
func main() {
err := higgs.Hide("foo.txt")
if err != nil {
fmt.Println(err)
}
}

Answer 3

Make a file like this:
//go:generate mkwinsyscall -output zhide.go hide.go
//sys setFileAttributes(name string, attr int) (err error) = kernel32.SetFileAttributesW
package main
const (
file_attribute_hidden = 2
file_attribute_normal = 128
)
func main() {
setFileAttributes("file.txt", file_attribute_hidden)
}
Then build:
go mod init hide
go mod tidy
go generate
go build

Answer 4

import (
_ "golang.org/x/sys/windows"
"os"
"runtime"
"syscall"
)
func HideFile(filename string) (status bool, err error) {
if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
filenameW, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(filename)
if err != nil {
return false, err
}
err = syscall.SetFileAttributes(filenameW, syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN)
if err != nil {
return false, err
}
} else {
if filename[0:1] != "." {
err = os.Rename(filename, "." + filename)
if err != nil {
return false, err
}
}
}
return true, nil
}
That's my code. But can't build in Linux。
Errors:
src/util/hidden.go:12:21: undefined: syscall.UTF16PtrFromString
src/util/hidden.go:17:9: undefined: syscall.SetFileAttributes
src/util/hidden.go:17:46: undefined: syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN