dbeaver/dbeaver · error · IOException

Workspace directory is read-only

Error message

Workspace directory is read-only

What it means

Thrown by ConfigurationImportWizard when importing a workspace configuration zip and the resolved parent directory of a config file entry is not writable. The wizard resolves each zip entry name against the Eclipse settings metadata folder (.plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings) and checks getParentFile().canWrite() before writing. This is a filesystem permission check, not a zip-slip guard.

Source

Thrown at plugins/org.jkiss.dbeaver.core/src/org/jkiss/dbeaver/tools/configuration/ConfigurationImportWizard.java:87

            log.error("Error reading configuration");
            return false;
        }
        ConfigurationImportData configurationImportData = mainPage.getConfigurationImportData();
        new Job("Importing workspace configuration") {
            @Override
            protected IStatus run(IProgressMonitor monitor) {
                String zipFilepath = configurationImportData.getFilePath();
                File zipFile = Path.of(zipFilepath).toFile();
                if (!zipFile.exists() || !zipFile.canRead()) {
                    return Status.error("Can't read configuration file");
                }
                try (ZipInputStream zipInputStream = new ZipInputStream(new FileInputStream(zipFile))) {
                    ZipEntry nextEntry = zipInputStream.getNextEntry();
                    while (nextEntry != null) {
                        String name = nextEntry.getName();
                        Path configFilePath = workbench.resolve(name);
                        if (!configFilePath.toFile().getParentFile().canWrite()) {
                            throw new IOException("Workspace directory is read-only");
                        }
                        if (configFilePath.toFile().exists()) {
                            File listFile = configFilePath.toFile();
                            if (listFile.getName().equals(name)) {
                                writeZipEntryToFile(zipInputStream, listFile);
                            }
                        } else {
                            Files.createFile(configFilePath);
                            writeZipEntryToFile(zipInputStream, configFilePath.toFile());
                        }
                        nextEntry = zipInputStream.getNextEntry();
                    }
                } catch (FileNotFoundException exception) {
                    return Status.error("File not found", exception);
                } catch (IOException exception) {
                    return Status.error("Error reading file", exception);
                }
                if (UIUtils.confirmAction(getShell(),

View on GitHub (pinned to 1e5ee1042b)

Solutions

1. Verify the workspace metadata folder is writable: ls -la on the .plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings directory under the metadata folder
2. Check OS-level permissions and ownership of the workspace directory; grant write access to the running user
3. If the workspace is on a read-only mount, move the workspace to a writable location via -data <path> launch argument
4. Close other DBeaver instances that may have locked the directory
5. Restart DBeaver with elevated privileges only if the workspace legitimately requires them

Path settingsDir = DBWorkbench.getPlatform().getWorkspace().getMetadataFolder()
    .resolve(".plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings");
if (!settingsDir.toFile().isDirectory() || !settingsDir.toFile().canWrite()) {
    // abort import, warn user
}

try {
    // zip extraction loop
} catch (IOException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("read-only")) {
        log.error("Workspace settings directory is not writable: " + settingsDir, e);
        return Status.error("Cannot write to workspace settings. Check folder permissions.");
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: performFinish() runs a Job that iterates ZipInputStream entries; for each entry it resolves workbench.resolve(name) and tests configFilePath.toFile().getParentFile().canWrite(). If any entry's parent dir is read-only, the IOException is thrown and caught by the outer catch, producing Status.error("Error reading file").

Common situations: Running DBeaver from a read-only installation or a restricted user account where the workspace metadata folder lacks write permission. The workspace lives on a network mount mounted read-only. Another process or OS policy locked the .settings directory.

Related errors

• Cannot create directory '${exportData.getOutputFolder().getA
• Can't create directory '${fsDir.getAbsolutePath()}'
• Can't create directory '${fileDir.getAbsolutePath()}'
• Target file '${fsFile.getAbsolutePath()}' is a directory
• IO Error reading bookmarks storage

AI-assisted analysis of dbeaver/dbeaver@1e5ee1042b (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/aba3a4e1ccb6db63. Report an issue: GitHub.