gastownhall/beads · error

deleting existing proto: %w

Error message

deleting existing proto: %w

What it means

When replacing an existing proto with `--force`, `bd cook` first deletes the existing proto subgraph via `deleteProtoSubgraph`. If that deletion fails (database error, dependency constraints, I/O failure), the error is wrapped as `deleting existing proto` and cook aborts before creating the replacement. This prevents a half-deleted proto state.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/cook.go:321

		}

		// Substitute variables in the formula
		substituteFormulaVars(resolved, inputVars)
	}
	return outputJSON(resolved)
}

// persistCookFormula creates a proto bead in the database (persist mode)
func persistCookFormula(ctx context.Context, resolved *formula.Formula, protoID string, force bool, vars, bondPoints []string) error {
	// Check if proto already exists
	existingProto, err := store.GetIssue(ctx, protoID)
	if err == nil && existingProto != nil {
		if !force {
			return fmt.Errorf("proto %s already exists (use --force to replace)", protoID)
		}
		// Delete existing proto and its children
		if err := deleteProtoSubgraph(ctx, store, protoID); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("deleting existing proto: %w", err)
		}
	}

	// Create the proto bead from the formula
	result, err := cookFormula(ctx, store, resolved, protoID)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("cooking formula: %w", err)
	}

	if jsonOutput {
		return outputJSON(cookResult{
			ProtoID:    result.ProtoID,
			Formula:    resolved.Formula,
			Created:    result.Created,
			Variables:  vars,
			BondPoints: bondPoints,
		})
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

  1. Read the wrapped inner error for the storage-level cause and fix that first (e.g. unlock the DB, resolve the dependency)
  2. Run `bd doctor` to check database health
  3. Manually delete the stale proto subgraph (`bd delete <protoID>` including children) then re-run cook without `--force`
  4. Back up `.beads` storage before forced deletes; if the store is corrupted, restore from backup or re-sync
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

// preflight: verify store is healthy before a forced replace
if err := bdDoctorStoreCheck(); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("store unhealthy before forced proto replace: %w", err)
}

Try / catch

if err := deleteProtoSubgraph(ctx, store, protoID); err != nil {
    // do NOT proceed to re-create; surface wrapped error and stop
    return fmt.Errorf("deleting existing proto: %w", err)
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: `bd cook --mode=persist --force` where `deleteProtoSubgraph` returns an error: the underlying store write fails, child issues cannot be removed due to dependency or referential problems, or the DB is locked/unavailable.

Common situations: Corrupt or locked Dolt database; a child bead referenced elsewhere blocks deletion; disk or permission problems affecting the `.beads` storage; concurrent `bd` processes writing simultaneously.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f94b260f00881a1c. Report an issue: GitHub.