gastownhall/beads · error

search gates: %w

Error message

search gates: %w

What it means

findPendingGates lists open gh:run gates needing run-ID discovery via store.SearchIssues. If the underlying Dolt-backed store query fails (DB unavailable, corrupt schema, context canceled), the error is wrapped as "search gates: %w" so callers of `bd gate discover` see the storage-layer cause.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/gate_discover.go:388

	}

	return false
}

// findPendingGates returns open gh:run gates that need run ID discovery.
// This includes gates with empty AwaitID OR non-numeric AwaitID (workflow name hint).
func findPendingGates() ([]*types.Issue, error) {
	var gates []*types.Issue

	gateType := types.IssueType("gate")
	filter := types.IssueFilter{
		IssueType:     &gateType,
		ExcludeStatus: []types.Status{types.StatusClosed},
	}

	allGates, err := store.SearchIssues(rootCtx, "", filter)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("search gates: %w", err)
	}

	for _, g := range allGates {
		if needsDiscovery(g) {
			gates = append(gates, g)
		}
	}

	return gates, nil
}

// getGitBranchForGateDiscovery returns the current git branch name
// Uses CWD repo context since this is for user's project CI discovery
func getGitBranchForGateDiscovery() string {
	rc, err := beads.GetRepoContext()
	if err != nil {
		return "main" // Default fallback
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Run `bd doctor` to check database health and follow its repair guidance
2. Verify the Dolt backing store is reachable (start the server / check .beads directory permissions)
3. Re-run `bd gate discover` in the correct repository root (bd init if the repo was never initialized)
4. If the DB is corrupt, restore from the git-synced refs/dolt/data or issues.jsonl export

Example fix

// before
$ bd gate discover
Error: search gates: database is locked
// after
$ bd dolt pull && bd gate discover

// preflight: confirm the store is reachable before running discovery
if _, err := store.SearchIssues(ctx, "", types.IssueFilter{Limit: ptr(1)}); err != nil {
  return fmt.Errorf("store unreachable, aborting discovery: %w", err)
}

gates, err := findPendingGates()
if err != nil {
  var derr *store.DBError
  if errors.As(err, &derr) {
    // database-level failure: surface `bd doctor` / repair guidance
    return fmt.Errorf("gate search failed at storage layer: %w", err)
  }
  return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `bd gate discover` when store.SearchIssues on the IssueFilter{IssueType: gate, ExcludeStatus: closed} fails: the Dolt database is unreachable/corrupt, rootCtx is canceled, or the storage driver errors mid-query.

Common situations: Dolt server not running or embedded DB locked by another bd process; running the command outside an initialized bd repo; disk/permission problems on the .beads data directory; an interrupted sync leaving the DB in a bad state.

Understand the failure class

Background: Database query failed: Internal Server Error 500s wrapping SQL, Prisma, and connection failures — what to check first — this error's family across 16 libraries.

Related errors

• ErrExec
• database not available: %w
• database not available: %w
• failed to get template: %w
• db: SetLocalMetadata %s: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/75a8ac654cf39d61. Report an issue: GitHub.