apache/hadoop · error · FileNotFoundException

Missing parent:${f}

Error message

Missing parent:${f}

What it means

primitiveMkdir(f, permission, createParent=false) is the deprecated helper behind non-recursive creates. When createParent is false it stats f.getParent() first; implementations whose getFileStatus returns null for absent paths (instead of throwing) reach the explicit FileNotFoundException('Missing parent: f'). It is the 'parent must already exist' contract made loud.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/FileSystem.java:1402

   * This a temporary method added to support the transition from FileSystem
   * to FileContext for user applications.
   *
   * @param f the path.
   * @param absolutePermission permission.
   * @param createParent create parent.
   * @throws IOException IO failure.
   */
  @Deprecated
  protected void primitiveMkdir(Path f, FsPermission absolutePermission,
                    boolean createParent)
    throws IOException {

    if (!createParent) { // parent must exist.
      // since the this.mkdirs makes parent dirs automatically
      // we must throw exception if parent does not exist.
      final FileStatus stat = getFileStatus(f.getParent());
      if (stat == null) {
        throw new FileNotFoundException("Missing parent:" + f);
      }
      if (!stat.isDirectory()) {
        throw new ParentNotDirectoryException("parent is not a dir");
      }
      // parent does exist - go ahead with mkdir of leaf
    }
    // Default impl is to assume that permissions do not matter and hence
    // calling the regular mkdirs is good enough.
    // FSs that implement permissions should override this.
    if (!this.mkdirs(f, absolutePermission)) {
      throw new IOException("mkdir of "+ f + " failed");
    }
  }

  /**
   * Opens an FSDataOutputStream at the indicated Path with write-progress
   * reporting. Same as create(), except fails if parent directory doesn't
   * already exist.

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Create the parent chain first: fs.mkdirs(f.getParent())
2. Or use fs.mkdirs(f) / pass createParent=true so parents are created automatically
3. If you implement a FileSystem, keep getFileStatus/primitiveMkdir semantics consistent (throw rather than return null)

Example fix

// before
fs.primitiveMkdir(dst, FsPermission.getDefault(), false); // parent may be absent

// after
fs.mkdirs(dst.getParent());
fs.primitiveMkdir(dst, FsPermission.getDefault(), false);

Path parent = f.getParent();
if (!fs.exists(parent)) {
  fs.mkdirs(parent);
}
fs.primitiveMkdir(f, perm, false);

When it happens

Trigger: Calling primitiveMkdir with createParent=false (including the deprecated 2-arg overload that forwards false) on a path whose parent directory chain does not exist.

Common situations: Non-recursive create flows that assume an earlier step already made the parent; a concurrent job deleting the parent between an exists() check and the mkdir; custom FileSystems that return null from getFileStatus for missing paths.

Related errors

• Parent directory doesn't exist: {}
• Mkdirs failed to create {} (exists={}, cwd={})
• parent is not a dir
• mkdir of ${f} failed
• rename destination parent ${parent} not found.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/11cbfa4bfff9ae38. Report an issue: GitHub.