BigPizzaV3/CodexPlusPlus · error · anyhow::Error

Dream Skin image is not a file

Error message

Dream Skin image is not a file

What it means

The source is checked with std::fs::symlink_metadata, which does not follow links: the entry must be a regular file and must not itself be a symlink. Directories, FIFOs, device nodes, and symlinks-to-images are all rejected, so the import always reads a real file.

Source

Thrown at crates/codex-plus-core/src/dream_skin.rs:53

    Ok(destination)
}

pub(crate) fn prepare_dream_skin_image_for_directory(
    source: &Path,
    destination_dir: &Path,
    destination_stem: &str,
) -> anyhow::Result<PathBuf> {
    if destination_stem.is_empty()
        || !destination_stem
            .bytes()
            .all(|byte| byte.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || matches!(byte, b'-' | b'_'))
    {
        bail!("invalid Dream Skin destination name");
    }
    let metadata = std::fs::symlink_metadata(source)
        .with_context(|| format!("failed to read image metadata {}", source.display()))?;
    if !metadata.file_type().is_file() || metadata.file_type().is_symlink() {
        bail!("Dream Skin image is not a file");
    }
    if metadata.len() == 0 {
        bail!("Dream Skin image is empty");
    }
    if metadata.len() > DREAM_SKIN_SOURCE_LIMIT {
        bail!("Dream Skin source image exceeds 50 MiB");
    }

    let extension = supported_image_extension(source)?;
    std::fs::create_dir_all(destination_dir).with_context(|| {
        format!(
            "failed to create Dream Skin theme directory {}",
            destination_dir.display()
        )
    })?;

    let (prepared_path, prepared_extension) = prepare_image(source, destination_dir, &extension)?;
    let prepared_metadata = std::fs::metadata(&prepared_path).with_context(|| {

View on GitHub (pinned to f2074595a2)

Solutions

  1. Resolve the selection with std::fs::canonicalize and pass the resolved regular-file path
  2. Filter file-picker results to regular files before enabling import
  3. Prompt for a re-pick when the path no longer resolves to a file
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

fn is_regular_non_symlink(path: &std::path::Path) -> bool {
    std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)
        .map(|m| m.file_type().is_file() && !m.file_type().is_symlink())
        .unwrap_or(false)
}

Type guard

fn is_regular_non_symlink(path: &std::path::Path) -> bool {
    std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)
        .map(|m| m.file_type().is_file() && !m.file_type().is_symlink())
        .unwrap_or(false)
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a directory, a Finder alias or an 'ln -s' symlink, a mounted device path, or a stale drag-and-drop path that now resolves to a folder.

Common situations: macOS Finder aliases; users symlinking a Pictures folder into the picker; the target being moved or deleted between selection and import.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of BigPizzaV3/CodexPlusPlus@f2074595a2 (2026-08-23). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b782325724f3d102. Report an issue: GitHub.