apache/hadoop · error · IOException

rename destination directory is not empty: {}

Error message

rename destination directory is not empty: {}

What it means

Error "rename destination directory is not empty: {}" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSDirRenameOp.java:592

          + " must both be directories";
      NameNode.stateChangeLog.warn("DIR* FSDirectory.unprotectedRenameTo: "
          + error);
      throw new IOException(error);
    }
    if (!overwrite) { // If destination exists, overwrite flag must be true
      error = "rename destination " + dst + " already exists";
      NameNode.stateChangeLog.warn("DIR* FSDirectory.unprotectedRenameTo: "
          + error);
      throw new FileAlreadyExistsException(error);
    }
    if (dstInode.isDirectory()) {
      final ReadOnlyList<INode> children = dstInode.asDirectory()
          .getChildrenList(Snapshot.CURRENT_STATE_ID);
      if (!children.isEmpty()) {
        error = "rename destination directory is not empty: " + dst;
        NameNode.stateChangeLog.warn("DIR* FSDirectory.unprotectedRenameTo: "
            + error);
        throw new IOException(error);
      }
    }
  }

  private static void validateRenameSource(FSDirectory fsd,
      INodesInPath srcIIP, List<INodeDirectory> snapshottableDirs)
      throws IOException {
    String error;
    final INode srcInode = srcIIP.getLastINode();
    // validate source
    if (srcInode == null) {
      error = "rename source " + srcIIP.getPath() + " is not found.";
      NameNode.stateChangeLog.warn("DIR* FSDirectory.unprotectedRenameTo: "
          + error);
      throw new FileNotFoundException(error);
    }
    if (srcIIP.length() == 1) {
      error = "rename source cannot be the root";

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Delete the contents of the destination directory before renaming onto it.
2. Pick an empty or non-existing destination directory.

When it happens

Trigger: Renaming (with overwrite semantics) a directory onto an existing destination directory that still contains entries.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/60c1a96052d7997e. Report an issue: GitHub.