NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

Invalid option use with --config option: --commit

Error message

Invalid option use with --config option: --commit

What it means

Thrown by doGenerateSigs() when the user supplies an XML output directory (params.size()==1) together with both --config and --commit. The --commit flag tells BSim to commit signatures directly to the database, but --config mode is for generating standalone XML files only (no DB commit). These are mutually exclusive: --commit only applies when --bsim points at a live database.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/ingest/BSimLaunchable.java:600

		System.out.println("Database NOT dropped");
		return false;
	}

	private void doGenerateSigs(List<String> params, TaskMonitor monitor)
			throws Exception, CancelledException {
		// concurrent --bsim and --config option use already checked
		if (params.size() > 1) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid generatesigs parameter use!");
		}
		boolean commitOption = booleanOptions.contains(COMMIT_OPTION);
		boolean overwriteOption = booleanOptions.contains(OVERWRITE_OPTION);
		String configOption = optionValueMap.get(CONFIG_OPTION);

		String xmlDirectory = null;
		if (params.size() == 1) {
			xmlDirectory = params.get(0);
			if (configOption != null && commitOption) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
					"Invalid option use with " + CONFIG_OPTION + " option: " + COMMIT_OPTION);
			}
		}
		else {
			if (overwriteOption) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid option use: " + OVERWRITE_OPTION);
			}
			commitOption = true; // assume DB commit using temp XML directory
		}

		try (BulkSignatures bsim = getBulkSignatures()) {
			if (commitOption) {
				// Generate and commit signatures to BSim database
				bsim.signatureRepo(ghidraURL, xmlDirectory, overwriteOption, monitor);
			}
			else {
				// Generate sig XML files only
				bsim.generateSignaturesFromServer(ghidraURL, xmlDirectory, overwriteOption,

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Remove --commit when using --config (XML generation does not commit to a DB).
2. Or switch to --bsim <bsimURL> mode if you want direct commit: generatesigs <ghidraURL> <xmldir> --bsim <url> --commit.
3. Re-read the usage: line 1033 (--config, no commit) vs line 1034 (--bsim, optional --commit).

Example fix

// before
bsim generatesigs ghidra://myhost/Repo /tmp/xml --config medium_64 --commit
// after (XML only)
bsim generatesigs ghidra://myhost/Repo /tmp/xml --config medium_64
// after (direct commit)
bsim generatesigs ghidra://myhost/Repo /tmp/xml --bsim postgresql://myhost/BsimDB --commit

// Mutually exclusive: --config and --commit cannot coexist when a directory is given
String config = optionValueMap.get("--config");
boolean commit = booleanOptions.contains("--commit");
if (config != null && commit) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("--commit is not valid with --config; use --bsim for direct commit");
}

When it happens

Trigger: Command: generatesigs <ghidraURL> <xmldir> --config <template> --commit. At line 599, configOption is non-null AND commitOption is true, triggering the throw at line 600.

Common situations: Mixing the two valid modes (XML-generation mode vs. direct-commit mode) in one invocation; assuming --commit is harmless when writing XML; upgrading and not noticing the option semantics changed.

Related errors

• Invalid option use: --overwrite
• Invalid generatesigs parameter use!
• The --name, --arch, --compiler options are not valid when --
• Unknown command: {}
• Unsupported command: {}

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a0ee1e0423830cf5. Report an issue: GitHub.