runtime mode requires all variables to have values Missing:

Error message

runtime mode requires all variables to have values
Missing: %s
Provide with: --var %s=<value>

What it means

In `--mode=runtime`, `bd cook` requires every variable declared by the formula to be supplied via `--var`. Before cooking, it diffs the formula's declared vars against the provided input vars and fails, listing all missing names and hinting the `--var <name>=<value>` syntax for the first one. Runtime mode cooks an ephemeral subgraph, so unresolved variables cannot be left symbolic.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/cook.go:301

// outputCookEphemeral outputs the resolved formula as JSON (ephemeral mode)
func outputCookEphemeral(resolved *formula.Formula, runtimeMode bool, inputVars map[string]string, vars []string) error {
	if runtimeMode {
		// Apply defaults from formula variable definitions
		for name, def := range resolved.Vars {
			if _, provided := inputVars[name]; !provided && def.Default != nil {
				inputVars[name] = *def.Default
			}
		}

		// Check for missing required variables
		var missingVars []string
		for _, v := range vars {
			if _, ok := inputVars[v]; !ok {
				missingVars = append(missingVars, v)
			}
		}
		if len(missingVars) > 0 {
			return fmt.Errorf("runtime mode requires all variables to have values\nMissing: %s\nProvide with: --var %s=<value>",
				strings.Join(missingVars, ", "), missingVars[0])
		}

		// 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

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

Read the `Missing:` list in the message and pass each variable: `bd cook <formula> --mode=runtime --var name1=value1 --var name2=value2`
Run `bd formula show <formula>` to list the formula's declared variables and their expected values
Fix typos: a provided var with a misspelled name still counts as missing because it doesn't match a declaration
Switch to interactive mode (omit `--mode=runtime`) if you want to be prompted for values instead

Example fix

// before
bd cook deploy --mode=runtime
// after
bd cook deploy --mode=runtime --var env=prod --var region=us-east-1

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

missing := []string{}
for _, v := range declaredVars {
    if _, ok := inputVars[v.Name]; !ok {
        missing = append(missing, v.Name)
    }
}
if len(missing) > 0 {
    return fmt.Errorf("missing vars for runtime cook: %v", missing)
}

Try / catch

if err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "runtime mode requires all variables") {
        // parse Missing: list, prompt user or supply defaults
    }
    return err
}

Prevention

Generate cook commands from the formula's declared variable list, not by hand
Pin cook invocations in scripts and update them when the formula gains variables
Prefer interactive mode when variable values aren't known ahead of time

When it happens

Trigger: Running `bd cook <formula> --mode=runtime` while omitting one or more `--var` flags for variables the formula declares; providing vars with misspelled names that don't match declarations.

Common situations: Formula gained a new required variable after the user's script/alias was written; copy-pasting a cook command from docs without filling in vars; shell quoting dropping a `--var` argument; confusing runtime mode's all-vars-required rule with interactive mode's prompting.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1bb8bf1364f94315. Report an issue: GitHub.