dgraph-io/dgraph · error

Create path failed to create path %s, got error: %v

Error message

Create path failed to create path %s, got error: %v

What it means

fileHandler.CreateDir wraps os.MkdirAll failures with this message, embedding the resolved path and the OS error. It means the local-filesystem handler could not create (recursively) the directory needed for a backup or export operation. The message deliberately includes both the path and the underlying cause for diagnosis.

Source

Thrown at worker/backup_handler.go:189

func (h *fileHandler) FileExists(path string) bool      { return pathExist(h.JoinPath(path)) }
func (h *fileHandler) Read(path string) ([]byte, error) { return os.ReadFile(h.JoinPath(path)) }

func (h *fileHandler) JoinPath(path string) string {
	return filepath.Join(h.rootDir, h.prefix, cleanRelPath(path))
}
func (h *fileHandler) Stream(path string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
	return os.Open(h.JoinPath(path))
}
func (h *fileHandler) ListPaths(path string) []string {
	path = h.JoinPath(path)
	return x.WalkPathFunc(path, func(path string, isDis bool) bool {
		return true
	})
}
func (h *fileHandler) CreateDir(path string) error {
	path = h.JoinPath(path)
	if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0755); err != nil {
		return errors.Errorf("Create path failed to create path %s, got error: %v", path, err)
	}
	return nil
}

type fileSyncer struct {
	fp *os.File
}

func (fs *fileSyncer) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) { return fs.fp.Write(p) }
func (fs *fileSyncer) Close() error {
	if err := fs.fp.Sync(); err != nil {
		return errors.Wrapf(err, "while syncing file: %s", fs.fp.Name())
	}
	err := fs.fp.Close()
	return errors.Wrapf(err, "while closing file: %s", fs.fp.Name())
}

func (h *fileHandler) CreateFile(path string) (io.WriteCloser, error) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 759e242be6)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped %v cause to see the exact errno (EACCES, ENOSPC, ENOTDIR, EROFS).
2. Verify/fix permissions: chown/chmod the parent directory for the worker user.
3. Remove or rename any non-directory file occupying the target path.
4. Check disk space and mount status (df -h, mount) for ENOSPC or ro filesystems.
5. If path is outside the intended root, fix the URI/rootDir configuration.

Example fix

// before
if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0755); err != nil {
    return errors.Errorf("Create path failed to create path %s, got error: %v", path, err)
}
// after
if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0755); err != nil {
    if errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) {
        return errors.Errorf("Create path failed to create path %s: permission denied; check worker user owns parent", path)
    }
    return errors.Errorf("Create path failed to create path %s, got error: %v", path, err)
}

root := handlerRootDir()
if info, err := os.Stat(root); err != nil || !info.IsDir() {
    return fmt.Errorf("backup root %s missing or not a directory", root)
}
if err := unix.Access(root, unix.W_OK); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("backup root %s not writable: %v", root, err)
}

func canCreateDir(root string) bool {
    f, err := os.CreateTemp(root, ".writetest*")
    if err != nil { return false }
    f.Close()
    os.Remove(f.Name())
    return true
}

if err := handler.CreateDir(dir); err != nil {
    var pe *os.PathError
    if errors.As(err, &pe) {
        log.Printf("mkdir failed path=%s op=%s cause=%v", pe.Path, pe.Op, pe.Err)
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: os.MkdirAll(path, 0755) fails: parent directory not writable, path component is a file, permission denied, disk full, or read-only filesystem on the JoinPath-resolved path under the handler's rootDir.

Common situations: Worker lacks write permission on the backup root; a file exists where a directory is expected; container running with read-only rootfs; NFS stale-handle issues on network mounts; path length limits exceeded.

Understand the failure class

Background: mkdir permission denied (EACCES): failed to create directory errors explained — this error's family across 32 libraries.

Related errors

• error while creating debug file: %s
• File handler failed to create file %s
• RunRestore failed to write group id file
• error while creating temporary directory: %s
• error while archiving debuginfo directory: %s

AI-assisted analysis of dgraph-io/dgraph@759e242be6 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4ddb6b95224ac95b. Report an issue: GitHub.