### Please describe the problem.

Was trying to create a prelim package for datalad but unittests failed.  Apparently under cowbuilder (I guess it is the culprit) annex decides that the filesystem is crippled.  Looking at the code, annex does two tests:

1. either it can create a symlink (which it should be able to -- I can create symlinks no problem there)
2. either it can't write to a file with write permissions removed

But that is where I am getting confused ;) since it seems that I can write to a file, when write permissions were removed, if I am root (that is how package is built in that chroot):

[[!format sh """
root@hopa:/tmp# echo 123 > 123; chmod a-w 123;  echo "add" >> 123;
root@hopa:/tmp# echo $?
0
root@hopa:/tmp# cat 123
123
add
root@hopa:/tmp# ls -ld 123
-r-------- 1 root root 8 Aug 17 07:32 123
root@hopa:/tmp# python -c 'open("123", "w")'
root@hopa:/tmp# python -c 'open("123", "w").write("asdf")'
root@hopa:/tmp# cat 123
asdfroot@hopa:/tmp# 

"""]]

but annex doesn't detect file system as crippled when merely in a root session.  So I guess there is something more to it (cowbuilder?)

### What steps will reproduce the problem?


### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?

Debian sid   5.20150812-2

### Please provide any additional information below.

[[!format sh """
# If you can, paste a complete transcript of the problem occurring here.
# If the problem is with the git-annex assistant, paste in .git/annex/daemon.log


# End of transcript or log.
"""]]

> [[fixed|done]] --[[Joey]]


