{"record":{"id":"accf56f826a02d26","repo":"pbakaus/impeccable","slug":"existing-skills-were-left-untouched-re-run-with","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Existing skills were left untouched. Re-run with --force to replace them with links.","messagePattern":"Existing skills were left untouched\\. Re-run with --force to replace them with links\\.","errorType":"console","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"crates/skills/src/commands.rs","lineNumber":492,"sourceCode":"        out(io, &format!(\"Source checkout: {}\", source.checkout_root));\n        out(io, &format!(\"Target harness folder(s): {}\", targets.join(\", \")));\n        let ans = prompt.ask(io, &format!(\"Link impeccable skills into {} folder(s)? (Y/n) \", targets.len()))?;\n        if ans == \"n\" || ans == \"no\" {\n            out(io, \"Aborted. Re-run with --providers=<names> to choose explicitly (e.g. --providers=claude,cursor).\");\n            return Err(Flow::Exit(0));\n        }\n    }\n    let result = bundle::link_provider_skills(io, &source.bundle_root, &root, &targets, force).map_err(Flow::Throw)?;\n    // Linked installs are excluded from install/update refreshes (overwriting\n    // a symlink would destroy the link), so this is the only path that can\n    // deliver the OpenCode command bridge to them. A copy, not a symlink: the\n    // bridge is static and OpenCode scans the real commands dir. No-ops when\n    // the source checkout has no built commands (#483).\n    bundle::copy_provider_commands(&sys, &source.bundle_root, &root, &targets, Some(Scope::Project));\n    if result.linked == 0 && result.already == 0 {\n        if result.skipped > 0 {\n            err(io, \"Nothing was linked because matching skill folders already exist.\");\n            err(io, \"Existing skills were left untouched. Re-run with --force to replace them with links.\");\n        } else {\n            err(io, &format!(\"Nothing was linked: {} had no variants for {}.\", source.bundle_root, targets.join(\", \")));\n        }\n        return Err(Flow::Exit(1));\n    }\n    // Linked skill dirs resolve into the source checkout; repair the\n    // launcher/binary executable bit there too (through the symlink), so a\n    // checkout whose copier dropped modes still runs.\n    for provider in &targets {\n        let skills_dir = util::jsp::join(&[&root, provider, \"skills\"]);\n        for skill in util::read_dir_names(&skills_dir).unwrap_or_default() {\n            let dir = util::jsp::join(&[&skills_dir, &skill]);\n            if util::is_dir(&dir) {\n                crate::engine_binary::ensure_executable_scripts(&dir);\n            }\n        }\n    }\n    let mut parts = Vec::new();","sourceCodeStart":474,"sourceCodeEnd":510,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/pbakaus/impeccable/blob/2bc2879276c1f321a53c4ca99d3371e411329b52/crates/skills/src/commands.rs#L474-L510","documentation":"Follow-up hint in link after link_provider_skills reported zero linked and zero already-linked with skipped > 0: matching skill folders already existed as copies, so linking was refused without --force. This line explains the existing copies were preserved and how to override.","triggerScenarios":"Same conditions as error 163: all matching skills exist and none were linked.","commonSituations":"Users surprised that a re-run of `link` did nothing because their install was copy-based.","solutions":["Re-run with `--force`","Delete the existing skill directories manually if you want links without force"],"exampleFix":"// before\nimpeccable link\n// after\nimpeccable link --force","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"if (existingSkills.length && !args.includes('--force')) confirm('Replace existing skills with links (--force)?');","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"try { await link(); } catch (e) { if (/--force/.test(String(e))) console.error('Existing skills untouched; rerun with --force'); }","preventionTips":["Run link with --force when migrating from copy installs","Inspect the harness folder before linking"],"tags":["cli","link","hint"],"backgroundTag":"file-already-exists","analyzedSha":"2bc2879276c1f321a53c4ca99d3371e411329b52","analyzedAt":"2026-09-08T04:51:14.109Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-08T04:51:14.109Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T00:17:10.932Z"}