deepfakes/faceswap · error · FaceswapError

Error reading from '{filename}': {err.strerror}

Error message

Error reading from '{filename}': {err.strerror}

What it means

Serializer.load wraps file-read IOErrors: the serialized file could not be opened or read (missing file, permission denied, path is a directory). Raised as FaceswapError with the OS strerror and the exact filename requested.

Source

Thrown at lib/serializer.py:114

        data: varies
            The data in a python object format

        Example
        ------
        >>> serializer = get_serializer('json')
        >>> json_file = '/path/to/json/file.json'
        >>> data = serializer.load(json_file)
        """
        logger.debug("filename: %s", filename)
        try:
            with open(filename, self._read_option) as s_file:
                data = s_file.read()
                logger.debug("stored data type: %s", type(data))
                retval = self.unmarshal(data)

        except IOError as err:
            msg = f"Error reading from '{filename}': {err.strerror}"
            raise FaceswapError(msg) from err
        logger.debug("data type: %s", type(retval))
        return retval

    def marshal(self, data):
        """ Serialize an object

        Parameters
        ----------
        data: varies
            The data that is to be serialized

        Returns
        -------
        data: varies
            The data in a the serialized data format

        Example
        ------

View on GitHub (pinned to f530cb7508)

Solutions

1. Verify the file exists with os.path.isfile before calling load.
2. Restore or relocate the missing file to the expected path.
3. Fix read permissions on the file and its directory.

Example fix

import os
from lib.serializer import get_serializer

# before
data = get_serializer('json').load('/out/state.json')  # missing -> FaceswapError

# after
if not os.path.isfile('/out/state.json'):
    raise SystemExit('state file missing, cannot resume')
data = get_serializer('json').load('/out/state.json')

import os

assert os.path.isfile(filename), f'state file not found: {filename}'
data = serializer.load(filename)

try:
    data = serializer.load(filename)
except FaceswapError as err:
    if 'Error reading' in str(err):
        data = default_state  # start fresh if state file unreadable
    else:
        raise

When it happens

Trigger: Loading a state/alignments/model-settings file that does not exist yet (e.g. resuming a session whose files were moved), unreadable files, or pointing load at a directory.

Common situations: Resume-after-crash flows where the state file was never written; renamed/moved training folders; wrong filename typos; permission changes after copying between machines.

Related errors

• The location '{self.location}' does not exist
• The output location '{self.location}' is not a folder
• Error writing to '{filename}': {err.strerror}
• PermissionError while reading: {filename}
• Not all locations in the input list exist

AI-assisted analysis of deepfakes/faceswap@f530cb7508 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6f3916c0c53b6960. Report an issue: GitHub.