asdf-vm/asdf · error

no such plugin: %s

Error message

no such plugin: %s

What it means

Plugin.Update calls p.Exists() first; if the plugin's directory does not exist in the data dir, it returns 'no such plugin: %s'. Updating requires the plugin to already be installed — this error signals you tried to update a plugin asdf does not know about.

Source

Thrown at internal/plugins/plugins.go:270

	if name != "" {
		commandName = fmt.Sprintf("command-%s", name)
	}

	path := filepath.Join(p.Dir, "lib", "commands", commandName)
	_, err := os.Stat(path)
	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
		return "", NoCommandError{command: name, plugin: p.Name}
	}

	return path, nil
}

// Update a plugin to a specific ref, or if no ref provided update to latest
func (p Plugin) Update(conf config.Config, ref string, out, errout io.Writer) (string, error) {
	err := p.Exists()
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("no such plugin: %s", p.Name)
	}

	repo := git.NewRepo(p.Dir)

	hook.Run(conf, "pre_asdf_plugin_update", []string{p.Name})
	hook.Run(conf, fmt.Sprintf("pre_asdf_plugin_update_%s", p.Name), []string{p.Name})

	newRef, oldSHA, newSHA, err := repo.Update(ref)
	if err != nil {
		return newRef, err
	}

	env := map[string]string{
		"ASDF_DATA_DIR":        conf.DataDir,
		"ASDF_PLUGIN_PATH":     p.Dir,
		"ASDF_PLUGIN_PREV_REF": oldSHA,
		"ASDF_PLUGIN_POST_REF": newSHA,
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 074a1722ca)

Solutions

1. List installed plugins (`asdf plugin list`) and fix the name.
2. Add the plugin first: asdf plugin add <name> [<git-url>].
3. Verify ASDF_DATA_DIR/home matches the environment where the plugin was added.
4. Re-add the plugin if its directory was deleted manually.

Example fix

// before
asdf plugin update nodjs   # typo
# Error: no such plugin: nodjs
// after
asdf plugin list
asdf plugin update nodejs

exists, err := plugins.PluginExists(conf.DataDir, pluginName)
if err != nil || !exists {
    // add it first instead of updating
    return plugins.Add(conf, pluginName, repoURL)
}

ref, err := plugin.Update(conf, "", out, errout)
if err != nil && strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "no such plugin") {
    log.Printf("%s not installed; run: asdf plugin add %s", pluginName, pluginName)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling Update (or `asdf plugin update <name>`) when: the plugin name is misspelled; the plugin was never added (`asdf plugin add` not run); the plugin was removed earlier; the ASDF_DATA_DIR differs from the one used to add the plugin, so the directory lookup misses.

Common situations: Typo on the CLI; scripts assuming a plugin exists; switching ASDF_DATA_DIR or running as a different user whose home differs; plugin dir removed manually while asdf's metadata still referenced it elsewhere.

Related errors

• unable to resolve plugin new Git HEAD: %w
• plugin %s not found in repository
• unable to check if plugin already exists: %w

AI-assisted analysis of asdf-vm/asdf@074a1722ca (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e7f5862c1ceb7a81. Report an issue: GitHub.