create directories that are specified but missing, use open-output-nowhere

svn: r11810

collects/handin-server/private/config.ss

@@ -100,10 +100,11 @@
 (define (paths->map dirs)
   (define (path->name dir)
     (unless (directory-exists? dir)
-      (error 'get-conf
-             "directory entry for an inexistent directory: ~e" dir))
+      (if (file-exists? dir)
+        (error 'get-conf "directory entry points at a file: ~e" dir)
+        (make-directory* dir)))
     (let-values ([(_1 name _2) (split-path dir)])
-      (bytes->string/locale (path-element->bytes name))))
+      (path-element->string name)))
   (let ([names (map path->name dirs)])
     (append (map list names dirs) (map list dirs names))))
 

collects/handin-server/private/logger.ss

@@ -35,11 +35,7 @@
 ;; output the line on the output port
 (define (make-logger-port out log)
   (if (and (not out) (not log))
-    ;; /dev/null-like output port
-    (make-output-port 'nowhere
-                      always-evt
-                      (lambda (buf start end imm? break?) (- end start))
-                      void)
+    (open-output-nowhere)
     (let ([prompt? #t]
           [sema (make-semaphore 1)]
           [outp (cond [(not log) out]

collects/handin-server/scribblings/server-setup.scrbl

@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ This directory contains the following files and sub-directories:
     absolute; the last path element for each of these (and
     @scheme[inactive-dirs] below) should be unique, and is used to
     identify the submission (for example, in the client's submission
-    dialog and in the status servlet).}
+    dialog and in the status servlet).  If a specified directory does
+    not exist, it will be created.}
 
   @item{@indexed-scheme[inactive-dirs] --- a list of inactive
     submission directories (see above for details).}