gitbutlerapp/gitbutler · error

Failed to create a new commit

Error message

Failed to create a new commit

What it means

Thrown by StackDzHandler.ondropChangeData in stackDropHandler.ts after calling macros.createNewStackAndCommit() for a drop with selectionId.type === "commit": the macro reported no newCommit in its outcome, meaning the underlying stack/commit creation mutation did not produce the commit the drop needs as its destination.

Solutions

1. Check the backend logs / toast output from createNewStackAndCommit for the underlying mutation failure (hooks, lock file, conflicts)
2. Resolve any git-level blockers (index.lock, pre-commit hook failures, merge conflicts) and retry the drop
3. Inspect macros.createNewStackAndCommit to confirm it surfaces errors instead of returning an outcome without newCommit
4. Retry the operation after refreshing workspace/stack state

try {
  await handler.ondropChangeData(data);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Failed to create a new commit') {
    toast.error('Could not create the destination commit; check hooks, conflicts and repository state, then retry');
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: createNewStackAndCommit() returns outcome.newCommit === null/undefined — e.g. the backend stack creation or commit mutation failed silently, the workspace had no assignable changes, or the dryRun/apply path produced no commit while the caller assumed success.

Common situations: Repository in a state blocking commit creation (hooks failing, index lock, unresolved conflicts); backend service error swallowed by the macro returning an outcome without newCommit; racing mutations where the stack was rewritten between creation and commit.

Understand the failure class

Background: "git command failed": what it means when a tool shells out to git and git exits non-zero — this error's family across 21 libraries.

Related errors

• Aborting due to empty branch name
• Ad-hoc (single-branch) branch moves are not supported…
• An octopus merge commits must have at least two parents
• another pre-commit hook is already using the repository…
• askpass broker must be initialized

AI-assisted analysis of gitbutlerapp/gitbutler@58e5313667 (2026-09-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/60c1f5698ea06238. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at apps/desktop/src/lib/dragging/dropHandlers/stackDropHandler.ts:85

		return true;
	}

	accepts(data: unknown) {
		return (
			this.acceptsChangeDropData(data) ||
			this.acceptsBranchDropData(data) ||
			this.acceptsHunkDropData(data) ||
			this.acceptsCommitDropData(data)
		);
	}

	async ondropChangeData(data: ChangeDropData) {
		switch (data.selectionId.type) {
			case "commit": {
				const { stack, outcome, branchName } = await this.macros.createNewStackAndCommit();

				if (!outcome.newCommit) {
					throw new Error("Failed to create a new commit");
				}

				const sourceStackId = data.stackId;
				const sourceCommitId = data.selectionId.commitId;
				if (sourceStackId) {
					const diffSpec = changesToDiffSpec(await data.treeChanges());
					await this.macros.moveChangesToNewCommit(
						stack.id,
						outcome.newCommit,
						sourceStackId,
						sourceCommitId,
						branchName,
						diffSpec,
					);
				} else {
					// Should not happen, but just in case
					throw new Error("Change drop data must specify the source stackId");
				}

View on GitHub (pinned to 58e5313667)