apache/hadoop · error · IllegalArgumentException

Overwrite and update options are mutually exclusive

Error message

Overwrite and update options are mutually exclusive

What it means

Error "Overwrite and update options are mutually exclusive" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java:610

      }

      if (!atomicCommit && atomicWorkPath != null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
            "-tmp work-path can only be specified along with -atomic");
      }

      if (syncFolder && atomicCommit) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Atomic commit can't be used with "
            + "sync folder or overwrite options");
      }

      if (deleteMissing && !(overwrite || syncFolder)) {
        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) ||

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Choose either -overwrite or -update, not both.
2. Use -update for incremental syncs and -overwrite for full replacement.

When it happens

Trigger: distcp is invoked with both -overwrite and -update.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/626da8c413d881d2. Report an issue: GitHub.