apache/hadoop · error · ParentNotDirectoryException

parent is not a dir:${f}

Error message

parent is not a dir:${f}

What it means

Error "parent is not a dir:${f}" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/DelegateToFileSystem.java:103

    checkPath(f);
    
    // Default impl assumes that permissions do not matter
    // calling the regular create is good enough.
    // FSs that implement permissions should override this.

    if (!createParent) { // parent must exist.
      // since this.create makes parent dirs automatically
      // we must throw exception if parent does not exist.
      Optional<Path> parentPath = f.getOptionalParentPath();
      if (!parentPath.isPresent()) {
        throw new FileNotFoundException("Missing parent:" + f);
      }
      final FileStatus stat = getFileStatus(parentPath.get());
      if (stat == null) {
        throw new FileNotFoundException("Missing parent:" + f);
      }
      if (!stat.isDirectory()) {
          throw new ParentNotDirectoryException("parent is not a dir:" + f);
      }
      // parent does exist - go ahead with create of file.
    }
    return fsImpl.primitiveCreate(f, absolutePermission, flag,
        bufferSize, replication, blockSize, progress, checksumOpt);
  }

  @Override
  public boolean delete(Path f, boolean recursive) throws IOException {
    checkPath(f);
    return fsImpl.delete(f, recursive);
  }

  @Override
  public BlockLocation[] getFileBlockLocations(Path f, long start, long len)
      throws IOException {
    checkPath(f);
    return fsImpl.getFileBlockLocations(f, start, len);

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Ensure the parent path exists as a directory, not a regular file.
2. Remove or relocate the conflicting file at the parent path, or choose a different target path.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/DelegateToFileSystem.java:103 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cb5a7941af4786ae. Report an issue: GitHub.