atuinsh/atuin · error

unknown Dotfiles var record type

Error message

unknown Dotfiles var record type {n}

What it means

The dotfiles var record decoder matches a record-type byte after the version. If the byte is not a known var record variant (Set/Delete), it throws 'unknown Dotfiles var record type'. This indicates a payload type this decoder does not implement.

Solutions

1. Upgrade atuin to a build supporting the new var record type
2. Skip records that fail to decode rather than aborting sync
3. Remove the offending record from the store

// Peek the var record type byte (after version byte) before decoding
// fn is_known_var_type(payload: &[u8]) -> bool {
//     matches!(payload.get(1), Some(0) | Some(1))
// }

fn is_known_var_type(payload: &[u8]) -> bool {
    matches!(payload.get(1), Some(0) | Some(1))
}

match VarRecord::deserialize(&mut bytes) {
    Ok(rec) => apply(rec),
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("unknown Dotfiles var record type") => {
        log::warn!("skipping var record with unknown type");
    }
    Err(e) => return Err(e),
}

When it happens

Trigger: Deserializing (directly or via sync) a var record payload with an unrecognized type byte, usually produced by a newer atuin version that introduced a new var record operation.

Common situations: Older atuin client receiving records from a newer client; corrupted payload flipping the type byte.

Related errors

• unknown alias record version
• unknown AliasRecord type
• unknown var record version
• too many entries in v0 dotfiles env create record, got
• trailing bytes in encoded dotfiles var record. malformed

AI-assisted analysis of atuinsh/atuin@900007c480 (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c44a3e2cf001873d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/atuin-dotfiles/src/store/var.rs:85

                    // delete
                    1 => {
                        let nfields = decode::read_array_len(&mut bytes).map_err(error_report)?;
                        ensure!(nfields == 1, "too many entries in v0 dotfiles var delete record");

                        let bytes = bytes.remaining_slice();

                        let (key, bytes) =
                            decode::read_str_from_slice(bytes).map_err(error_report)?;

                        if !bytes.is_empty() {
                            bail!("trailing bytes in encoded dotfiles var record. malformed");
                        }

                        Ok(Self::Delete(key.to_owned()))
                    }

                    n => {
                        bail!("unknown Dotfiles var record type {n}");
                    }
                }
            }
            other => {
                bail!("unknown var record version {other:?}");
            }
        }
    }
}

#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
pub struct VarStore {
    pub store: SqliteStore,
    pub host_id: HostId,
    pub encryption_key: paseto_v4::Key,
}

impl VarStore {

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