apache/hadoop · error · HadoopIllegalArgumentException

Missing either <acl_spec> or <path>

Error message

Missing either <acl_spec> or <path>

What it means

Setfacl.processOptions throws HadoopIllegalArgumentException('Missing either <acl_spec> or <path>') when a modify/replace flag (-m, -x, --set) was given and exactly one argument remains after option parsing — two operands (spec, then path) are required, only one was supplied.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/shell/AclCommands.java:215

      boolean setOption = cf.getOpt("-set");
      boolean hasExpectedOptions = cf.getOpt("b") || cf.getOpt("k") ||
          cf.getOpt("m") || cf.getOpt("x") || cf.getOpt("-set");

      if ((bothRemoveOptions || bothModifyOptions)
          || (oneRemoveOption && oneModifyOption)
          || (setOption && (oneRemoveOption || oneModifyOption))) {
        throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException(
            "Specified flags contains both remove and modify flags");
      }

      // Only -m, -x and --set expects <acl_spec>
      if (oneModifyOption || setOption) {
        if (args.isEmpty()) {
          throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException(
              "Missing arguments: <acl_spec> <path>");
        }
        if (args.size() < 2) {
          throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException(
              "Missing either <acl_spec> or <path>");
        }
        aclEntries = AclEntry.parseAclSpec(args.removeFirst(), !cf.getOpt("x"));
        if (aclEntries.isEmpty()) {
          throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException(
              "Missing <acl_spec> entry");
        }
      }

      if (args.isEmpty()) {
        throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException("<path> is missing");
      }
      if (args.size() > 1) {
        throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException("Too many arguments");
      }

      if (!hasExpectedOptions) {
        throw new HadoopIllegalArgumentException(

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Supply both operands in order: hadoop fs -setfacl -m user:tom:r-- /data.
2. In scripts, assert argument count before invoking: require non-empty SPEC and non-empty PATH.

Example fix

# before
hadoop fs -setfacl -m user:tom:r--

# after
hadoop fs -setfacl -m user:tom:r-- /data

[ $# -eq 2 ] || { echo "usage: setfacl -m|-x|--set <acl_spec> <path>" >&2; exit 2; }
hadoop fs -setfacl -m "$1" "$2"

When it happens

Trigger: 'hadoop fs -setfacl -m user:tom:r--' (spec given, path forgotten) or 'hadoop fs -setfacl --set /data' (path given, spec forgotten) — either way args.size() < 2 at AclCommands.java:215.

Common situations: Forgetting the trailing path operand; shell quoting mistakes that merge or drop an argument; scripts where one of the two variables expands to nothing.

Related errors

• Missing arguments: <acl_spec> <path>
• <path> is missing
• Specified flags contains both remove and modify flags
• Missing <acl_spec> entry
• Expected one of -b, -k, -m, -x or --set options

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4ecaf6983d46ddc7. Report an issue: GitHub.