Mempool WAL is still created by default in home directory, leads to permission errors (#2758)

* only invoke InitWAL/CloseWAL if WalPath is not empty

Closes #2717

* panic if WAL is not initialized when calling CloseWAL

* add a changelog entry

CHANGELOG_PENDING.md

@@ -25,3 +25,4 @@ Friendly reminder, we have a [bug bounty program](https://hackerone.com/tendermi
 ### IMPROVEMENTS:
 
 ### BUG FIXES:
+- [mempool] fix a bug where we create a WAL despite `wal_dir` being empty

config/config.go

@@ -497,6 +497,11 @@ func (cfg *MempoolConfig) WalDir() string {
 	return rootify(cfg.WalPath, cfg.RootDir)
 }
 
+// WalEnabled returns true if the WAL is enabled.
+func (cfg *MempoolConfig) WalEnabled() bool {
+	return cfg.WalPath != ""
+}
+
 // ValidateBasic performs basic validation (checking param bounds, etc.) and
 // returns an error if any check fails.
 func (cfg *MempoolConfig) ValidateBasic() error {

mempool/mempool.go

@@ -213,39 +213,33 @@ func WithMetrics(metrics *Metrics) MempoolOption {
 	return func(mem *Mempool) { mem.metrics = metrics }
 }
 
-// CloseWAL closes and discards the underlying WAL file.
+// InitWAL creates a directory for the WAL file and opens a file itself.
-// Any further writes will not be relayed to disk.
+//
-func (mem *Mempool) CloseWAL() bool {
+// *panics* if can't create directory or open file.
-	if mem == nil {
+// *not thread safe*
-		return false
-	}
-
-	mem.proxyMtx.Lock()
-	defer mem.proxyMtx.Unlock()
-
-	if mem.wal == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if err := mem.wal.Close(); err != nil && mem.logger != nil {
-		mem.logger.Error("Mempool.CloseWAL", "err", err)
-	}
-	mem.wal = nil
-	return true
-}
-
 func (mem *Mempool) InitWAL() {
 	walDir := mem.config.WalDir()
-	if walDir != "" {
 	err := cmn.EnsureDir(walDir, 0700)
 	if err != nil {
-			cmn.PanicSanity(errors.Wrap(err, "Error ensuring Mempool wal dir"))
+		panic(errors.Wrap(err, "Error ensuring Mempool WAL dir"))
 	}
 	af, err := auto.OpenAutoFile(walDir + "/wal")
 	if err != nil {
-			cmn.PanicSanity(errors.Wrap(err, "Error opening Mempool wal file"))
+		panic(errors.Wrap(err, "Error opening Mempool WAL file"))
 	}
 	mem.wal = af
+}
+
+// CloseWAL closes and discards the underlying WAL file.
+// Any further writes will not be relayed to disk.
+func (mem *Mempool) CloseWAL() {
+	mem.proxyMtx.Lock()
+	defer mem.proxyMtx.Unlock()
+
+	if err := mem.wal.Close(); err != nil {
+		mem.logger.Error("Error closing WAL", "err", err)
 	}
+	mem.wal = nil
 }
 
 // Lock locks the mempool. The consensus must be able to hold lock to safely update.

mempool/mempool_test.go

@@ -369,15 +369,12 @@ func TestMempoolCloseWAL(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// 7. Invoke CloseWAL() and ensure it discards the
 	// WAL thus any other write won't go through.
-	require.True(t, mempool.CloseWAL(), "CloseWAL should CloseWAL")
+	mempool.CloseWAL()
 	mempool.CheckTx(types.Tx([]byte("bar")), nil)
 	sum2 := checksumFile(walFilepath, t)
 	require.Equal(t, sum1, sum2, "expected no change to the WAL after invoking CloseWAL() since it was discarded")
 
-	// 8. Second CloseWAL should do nothing
+	// 8. Sanity check to ensure that the WAL file still exists
-	require.False(t, mempool.CloseWAL(), "CloseWAL should CloseWAL")
-
-	// 9. Sanity check to ensure that the WAL file still exists
 	m3, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(rootDir, "*"))
 	require.Nil(t, err, "successful globbing expected")
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(m3), "expecting the wal match in")

node/node.go

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promhttp"
-	"github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
 
+	amino "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
 	bc "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/blockchain"
 	cfg "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
@@ -279,7 +279,9 @@ func NewNode(config *cfg.Config,
 	)
 	mempoolLogger := logger.With("module", "mempool")
 	mempool.SetLogger(mempoolLogger)
+	if config.Mempool.WalEnabled() {
 		mempool.InitWAL() // no need to have the mempool wal during tests
+	}
 	mempoolReactor := mempl.NewMempoolReactor(config.Mempool, mempool)
 	mempoolReactor.SetLogger(mempoolLogger)
 
@@ -586,6 +588,11 @@ func (n *Node) OnStop() {
 	// TODO: gracefully disconnect from peers.
 	n.sw.Stop()
 
+	// stop mempool WAL
+	if n.config.Mempool.WalEnabled() {
+		n.mempoolReactor.Mempool.CloseWAL()
+	}
+
 	if err := n.transport.Close(); err != nil {
 		n.Logger.Error("Error closing transport", "err", err)
 	}