NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · FileNotFoundException

Unable to find weights file: {weightsfile}

Error message

Unable to find weights file: {weightsfile}

What it means

Thrown by Configuration.loadTemplate after reading the dbconfig XML if the <weightsfile> element names a non-'default' file that does not exist at rootPath/weightsfile. The weights file contains LSH weight/IDF data needed to initialize the WeightFactory and IDFLookup; a missing file prevents proper vector configuration.

Source

Thrown at Ghidra/Features/BSim/src/main/java/ghidra/features/bsim/query/client/Configuration.java:92

		parser.start("dbconfig");
		info = new DatabaseInformation();
		info.restoreXml(parser);
		parser.start("k");
		k = SpecXmlUtils.decodeInt(parser.end().getText());
		parser.start("L");
		L = SpecXmlUtils.decodeInt(parser.end().getText());
		parser.start("weightsfile");
		String weightsfile = parser.end().getText();
		parser.end();
		weightfactory = new WeightFactory();
		idflookup = new IDFLookup();
		
		if (weightsfile.equals("default")) {
			return;								// Use the default weights
		}
		file = new ResourceFile(rootPath, weightsfile);
		if (!file.exists()) {
			throw new FileNotFoundException("Unable to find weights file: "+weightsfile);
		}
		parser =
			new NonThreadedXmlPullParserImpl(file.getInputStream(), file.getName(), handler, false);
		parser.start("weights");
		weightfactory.restoreXml(parser);
		idflookup.restoreXml(parser);
		parser.end();
	}
}

View on GitHub (pinned to d5f144c24d)

Solutions

1. Ensure the weights file named in the template exists in rootPath before calling loadTemplate.
2. Set the template's <weightsfile> element to 'default' if custom weights are not needed.
3. Ship the weights file with the template in the same directory.

Example fix

<!-- before -->
<weightsfile>custom_weights</weightsfile> <!-- file missing -->
<!-- after -->
<weightsfile>default</weightsfile>

// Inspect the template XML; if weightsfile != "default", verify:
ResourceFile wf = new ResourceFile(rootPath, weightsfileName);
if (!wf.exists()) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Weights file missing: " + wf);
}

catch (FileNotFoundException e) { /* fall back to 'default' weights or surface missing file name to user */ }

When it happens

Trigger: The template XML references a weightsfile value other than 'default', but the named file is absent from rootPath; weights file deleted, moved, or not deployed alongside the template.

Common situations: Custom LSH weight sets referenced by a template but not shipped; partial deployment of template directory; weights file renamed during an upgrade; typo in the weightsfile element.

Related errors

• Unable to find configuration template
• Could open module data directory
• Function tag does not exist: {}
• Protocol not permissable for BSim URL
• BSim URL missing DB name/path

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/eef63f6b024cab1f. Report an issue: GitHub.