alibaba/open-code-review · error

read symlink %q: %w

Error message

read symlink %q: %w

What it means

os.Readlink failed on an entry that Lstat reports as a symlink — it disappeared between listing and reading, or readlink was denied. For symlinks, the link target string itself is returned as the 'content' so the diff shows the change of target; that read is what failed.

Source

Thrown at internal/diff/workspace_file.go:46

	parent, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(filepath.Dir(fullPath))
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve parent path for %q: %w", relPath, err)
	}
	if !pathutil.WithinBase(repoRoot, parent) {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("file path %q is outside repository", relPath)
	}

	info, err := os.Lstat(fullPath)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("stat file %q: %w", relPath, err)
	}
	if info.IsDir() {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("file path %q is a directory", relPath)
	}
	if info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
		target, err := os.Readlink(fullPath)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("read symlink %q: %w", relPath, err)
		}
		return []byte(target), nil
	}

	resolvedPath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(fullPath)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve file %q: %w", relPath, err)
	}
	if !pathutil.WithinBase(repoRoot, resolvedPath) {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("file path %q is outside repository", relPath)
	}
	content, err := os.ReadFile(resolvedPath)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read file %q: %w", relPath, err)
	}
	return content, nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 5cf97d0d15)

Solutions

1. Check the wrapped error — the symlink may be dangling or unreadable
2. Remove or repair the broken symlink; note that for valid symlinks the link target itself is returned as content, so no target read is attempted
3. Ensure filesystem permissions allow readlink

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at internal/diff/workspace_file.go:46 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of alibaba/open-code-review@5cf97d0d15 (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/84a01832eaf488cc. Report an issue: GitHub.