Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · anyhow::Error

skill is not an import candidate

Error message

skill is not an import candidate

What it means

Raised in import_external when no owned package with the same canonical name exists and the audited source's import_candidate flag is false. The audit only marks skills as import candidates when they advertise a skill manifest the importer understands; this guard blocks copying arbitrary external directories that were never declared importable.

Source

Thrown at crates/tui/src/skills/mutation.rs:670

    }
    if source_skill.path_unsafe {
        bail!("refusing to import unsafe external skill package");
    }

    let owned_snap = scan_with_configured(
        ctx.workspace,
        ctx.home,
        ctx.configured_skills_dir,
        SkillAuditMode::OwnedOnly,
        None,
    );
    let owned_has_name = owned_snap
        .skills
        .iter()
        .any(|s| s.id.canonical_name == source_id.canonical_name);

    if !owned_has_name && !source_skill.import_candidate {
        bail!("skill is not an import candidate");
    }

    let before = verify_expected_digest(&source_path, Some(&expected_digest))?;

    let skills_dir = prepare_owned_target(ctx.workspace, ctx.home, target)?;
    let anchor = owned_anchor(ctx.workspace, ctx.home, target)?;

    let want_kind = match target {
        SkillTargetScope::Project => SkillRootKind::CodeWhaleProject,
        SkillTargetScope::Global => SkillRootKind::CodeWhaleGlobal,
    };
    let existing_in_target: Vec<&AuditedSkill> = owned_snap
        .skills
        .iter()
        .filter(|s| s.id.canonical_name == source_id.canonical_name)
        .filter(|s| s.root.kind == want_kind)
        .collect();

View on GitHub (pinned to 0c42157ee5)

Solutions

1. Ensure the external skill package includes a valid manifest (SKILL.md / metadata) so the audit marks it import_candidate
2. If an owned package of the same canonical name already exists, import may proceed to replace it; otherwise the source must qualify first
3. Verify you are importing the audited directory you intended, not a sibling that failed audit

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at crates/tui/src/skills/mutation.rs:670 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@0c42157ee5 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4e6c1d9bb5fb35ef. Report an issue: GitHub.