NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · LoadException

Selected file is not a program

Error message

Selected file is not a program

What it means

LoadException from TenetLoader after resolving the named domain file: it checks df.getContentType() against ProgramContentHandler.PROGRAM_CONTENT_TYPE and throws if they differ. The selected file must be a Ghidra Program; a Trace, data-type archive, folder, or other content type is rejected.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/Debugger-importers/src/main/java/ghidra/app/util/opinion/TenetLoader.java:276

		Trace trace;
		String programPath = null;

		for (final Option option : settings.options()) {
			final String name = option.getName();
			if (name.equals(DOMAIN_FILE_OPTION_NAME)) {
				programPath = (String) option.getValue();
			}
		}

		if ((programPath == null) || programPath.isBlank()) {
			throw new LoadException("No progam to associate with trace was given");
		}

		Msg.info(this, "Loading trace for %s".formatted(programPath));

		final DomainFile df = settings.project().getProjectData().getFile(programPath);
		if (!df.getContentType().equals(ProgramContentHandler.PROGRAM_CONTENT_TYPE)) {
			throw new LoadException("Selected file is not a program");
		}
		Program program = null;

		try {
			program = (Program) df.getDomainObject(this, false, false, settings.monitor());

			final long start = System.currentTimeMillis();

			trace = loadTrace(settings.provider(), settings.importName(), program,
				settings.consumer(), settings.log(), settings.monitor());

			final long loadDone = System.currentTimeMillis();

			// TODO: This is needed because
			// ghidra.trace.database.DBTraceContentHandler.createFile can't do
			// it, due to a lock in
			// ghidra.framework.data.GhidraFolderData.createFile
			final DBTraceObjectManager objManager = (DBTraceObjectManager) trace.getObjectManager();

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Point DOMAIN_FILE_OPTION_NAME at a domain file whose content type equals ProgramContentHandler.PROGRAM_CONTENT_TYPE.
2. Before loading, resolve the DomainFile and assert its getContentType() is the Program content type, surfacing a clearer message to the user.
3. Re-import or open the intended executable as a Program first, then reference that domain file path.

Example fix

// before
// (user picks an archive .gdt as the associated program)

// after
DomainFile df = project.getProjectData().getFile(programPath);
if (!ProgramContentHandler.PROGRAM_CONTENT_TYPE.equals(df.getContentType())) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException(programPath + " is not a Program; pick the executable");
}

DomainFile df = project.getProjectData().getFile(programPath);
if (df == null || !ProgramContentHandler.PROGRAM_CONTENT_TYPE.equals(df.getContentType())) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException(programPath + " is not a Program");
}

try {
    loader.load(settings);
} catch (LoadException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("not a program")) {
        // re-prompt for a Program domain file
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: DOMAIN_FILE_OPTION_NAME points at a domain file whose content type is not a Program (e.g. a previously imported Trace, a .gdt archive, a folder). Resolved via settings.project().getProjectData().getFile(programPath).

Common situations: User selects the trace's own file or an archive instead of the executable program in the import dialog; wrong path string that resolves to a non-program domain object; selecting a project folder rather than a leaf program file.

Related errors

• Selected file is not a program
• No progam to associate with trace was given
• No progam to associate with trace was given
• Cannot add Trace to a program
• Encountered too many errors with this trace

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/afc5fc4ff54ce353. Report an issue: GitHub.