apache/hadoop · error · IllegalArgumentException

-diff/-rdiff is valid only with -update option

Error message

-diff/-rdiff is valid only with -update option

What it means

Error "-diff/-rdiff is valid only with -update option" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java:623

        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Delete missing is applicable "
            + "only with update or overwrite options");
      }

      if (overwrite && syncFolder) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Overwrite and update options are "
            + "mutually exclusive");
      }

      if (!syncFolder && append) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "Append is valid only with update options");
      }
      if (skipCRC && append) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "Append is disallowed when skipping CRC");
      }
      if (!syncFolder && (useDiff || useRdiff)) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "-diff/-rdiff is valid only with -update option");
      }

      if (useDiff || useRdiff) {
        if (StringUtils.isBlank(fromSnapshot) ||
            StringUtils.isBlank(toSnapshot)) {
          throw new IllegalArgumentException(
              "Must provide both the starting and ending " +
                  "snapshot names for -diff/-rdiff");
        }
      }
      if (useDiff && useRdiff) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "-diff and -rdiff are mutually exclusive");
      }

      if (verboseLog && logPath == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Add -update when using -diff or -rdiff.
2. Drop the diff options if update semantics are not wanted.

When it happens

Trigger: distcp -diff/-rdiff is specified without -update.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5331e173ab0fe760. Report an issue: GitHub.