topic Can't access default shared folder in SAS Studio

Can't access default shared folder

AbhishekSamanta — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 16:22:47 GMT

I am using SAS Studio (University Edition) on Mac OSX using the latest Oracle VirtualBox. I have just started using it, so a newbie. The application works - I have tested running simple procedures on datasets from SASHELP library.

However when I try to assign a library to my local machine, it simply can't access the folder. Screenshot of error in log attached.

The folder is properly setup in VirtualBox settings - evidence of that is on the left hand pane of Folder Shortcuts it recognizes the default folder.

Would really appreciate any assistance from the community.

Thanks

Abhishek

Re: Can't access default shared folder

Reeza — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 16:48:42 GMT

SAS University Help Center

https://support.sas.com/software/products/university-edition/faq/main.htm

How do I create a library?

https://support.sas.com/software/products/university-edition/faq/SAS_libname.htm

When you are using the SAS University Edition, any libraries that you create must be assigned to a shared folder. You access your shared folder with this pathname: /folders/myfolders/. Always use '/' in the directory path, even in Windows operating environments.

Re: Can't access default shared folder

DartRodrigo — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 16:49:11 GMT

Hi mate,

This might help: How do I create my own SAS library?

When you use SAS University Edition, you MUST set up access to files on your C: drive in one of 2 ways:

1) set up a shared folder location

2) set up a shortcuts location.

No matter WHICH choice you make when you are using SAS University Edition you do NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT *EVER* (NOT EVER) use a C:\ drive location. Why is that? That is because your copy of SAS is a Unix copy of SAS delivered as a virtual application (vApp) that is being played by either Virtual Box or VMware Player. Unix SAS does not "know" about or know how to read directly off your personal machine. Your SAS is only able to "reach" to your C: drive through the locations you define in the Virtual Machine software. And so, those locations have to look like UNIX locations, with UNIX slashes.

On the SAS University Edition, your LIBNAME statement would be something like this:

libname jacky '/folders/myfolders/jack'; <-- with shared folders

libname jacky2 '/folders/myshortcuts/jack2'; <--- with shortcuts

The instructions for either shared folders or shortcuts belongs to your virtual machine player (either Virtual Box or VM Ware Player) so you have to understand how that works and do the setup. And, you have to do the setup BEFORE you test your LIBNAME statement. The difference between the 2 approaches is that with the MYFOLDERS approach #1, you MUST physically move your files to the shared folder location. With the #2 shortcut approach, you have to DEFINE the shortcut location in your Virtual Machine software and then use that shortcut name -- doesn't require moving files, but the shortcut approach seems to me a bit harder to understand conceptually.

There are a lot of postings on the Community Forum for SAS University Edition that explain that you can NEVER use a C: drive location for your LIBNAME or INFILE statement with the SAS University Edition. See this posting as an example of INFILE usage. There may be some useful screen shots here to get you going. https://communities.sas.com/message/223452#223452

Hope this helps.

Re: Can't access default shared folder

AbhishekSamanta — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 17:27:36 GMT

Many thanks for detailed response. Much appreciated!

Thanks

Abhishek