docker/cli · error

public key file already exists: "%s"

Error message

public key file already exists: "%s"

What it means

Error "public key file already exists: "%s"" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:59

}

// key names can use lowercase alphanumeric + _ + - characters
var validKeyName = lazyregexp.New(`^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9\_\-]*$`).MatchString

// validate that all of the key names are unique and are alphanumeric + _ + -
// and that we do not already have public key files in the target dir on disk
func validateKeyArgs(keyName string, targetDir string) error {
	if !validKeyName(keyName) {
		return fmt.Errorf("key name \"%s\" must start with lowercase alphanumeric characters and can include \"-\" or \"_\" after the first character", keyName)
	}

	pubKeyFileName := keyName + ".pub"
	if _, err := os.Stat(targetDir); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("public key path does not exist: \"%s\"", targetDir)
	}
	targetPath := filepath.Join(targetDir, pubKeyFileName)
	if _, err := os.Stat(targetPath); err == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("public key file already exists: \"%s\"", targetPath)
	}
	return nil
}

func setupPassphraseAndGenerateKeys(streams command.Streams, opts keyGenerateOptions) error {
	targetDir := opts.directory
	if targetDir == "" {
		cwd, err := os.Getwd()
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}
		targetDir = cwd
	}
	return validateAndGenerateKey(streams, opts.name, targetDir)
}

func validateAndGenerateKey(streams command.Streams, keyName string, workingDir string) error {
	freshPassRetGetter := func() notary.PassRetriever { return trust.GetPassphraseRetriever(streams.In(), streams.Out()) }

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:59 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@e9452d6e78 (2026-08-01). Data as JSON: /data/errors/5f1d722130103110.json. Report an issue: GitHub.