apache/hadoop · error · IOException

failed to create directory {}

Error message

failed to create directory {}

What it means

Error "failed to create directory {}" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/NamenodeFsck.java:1011

    final DFSClient dfs = new DFSClient(DFSUtilClient.getNNAddress(conf), conf);
    final String fullName = file.getFullName(parent);
    OutputStream fos = null;
    try {
      if (!lfInited) {
        lostFoundInit(dfs);
      }
      if (!lfInitedOk) {
        throw new IOException("failed to initialize lost+found");
      }
      String target = lostFound + fullName;
      if (hdfsPathExists(target)) {
        LOG.warn("Fsck: can't copy the remains of " + fullName + " to " +
          "lost+found, because " + target + " already exists.");
        return;
      }
      if (!namenode.getRpcServer().mkdirs(
          target, file.getPermission(), true)) {
        throw new IOException("failed to create directory " + target);
      }
      // create chains
      int chain = 0;
      boolean copyError = false;
      for (LocatedBlock lBlk : blocks.getLocatedBlocks()) {
        LocatedBlock lblock = lBlk;
        DatanodeInfo[] locs = lblock.getLocations();
        if (locs == null || locs.length == 0) {
          if (fos != null) {
            fos.flush();
            fos.close();
            fos = null;
          }
          continue;
        }
        if (fos == null) {
          fos = dfs.create(target + "/" + chain, true);
          chain++;

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Check permissions on the parent path and NameNode safemode state, then retry directory creation.

When it happens

Trigger: fsck fails to create a target directory (e.g., lost+found subdirectories).

Common situations: Insufficient privileges or safemode during fsck's directory creation steps.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d0a0d1e7ccb6bb03. Report an issue: GitHub.