github/copilot-sdk · error

license file not found in tarball

Error message

license file not found in tarball

What it means

extractCLILicense iterates all entries of the tarball and only recognizes package/LICENSE.md and package/LICENSE. If it reaches EOF without matching either name, it returns this sentinel error. It means the archive contains no license file at the expected paths.

Solutions

1. Inspect the tarball layout (tar -tzf file.tgz) and confirm the license path matches package/LICENSE.md or package/LICENSE
2. If the upstream layout changed, update the case labels in extractCLILicense to the new paths
3. Verify you are bundling the correct, official release artifact
4. Repackage or download a tarball that includes the license

Example fix

// before
case "package/LICENSE.md", "package/LICENSE":
// after
case "package/LICENSE.md", "package/LICENSE", "package/license.md", "package/COPYING":

entries, err := listTarball(tarballPath)
if err != nil { return err }
hasLicense := false
for _, e := range entries { if e == "package/LICENSE.md" || e == "package/LICENSE" { hasLicense = true } }
if !hasLicense { return fmt.Errorf("tarball %s lacks package/LICENSE(.md)", tarballPath) }

if err := extractCLILicense(tarballPath, outputDir); err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "license file not found") {
        log.Printf("no standard license path in %s; skipping or failing loudly", tarballPath)
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: extractCLILicense (via buildBundle) is given a tarball whose top-level prefix is not 'package/' (e.g. 'cli-v1.2.0/LICENSE'), the license file has a different name/case (license.txt, LICENCE), or the tarball genuinely has no license entry.

Common situations: Upstream changed the release artifact layout after a version bump; repackaged tarball built with a different root directory name; downloading a custom or nightly build that omits the license.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• failed to open release package
• failed to extract CLI license
• failed to create gzip reader
• failed to read tar
• failed to write license

AI-assisted analysis of github/copilot-sdk@cd8cf15dc3 (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2f776d3ecdcd39d8. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at go/cmd/bundler/main.go:1116

	for {
		header, err := tarReader.Next()
		if err == io.EOF {
			break
		}
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("failed to read tar: %w", err)
		}
		switch header.Name {
		case "package/LICENSE.md", "package/LICENSE":
			licenseName := filepath.Base(licensePath)
			if err := extractFileFromTarballStream(tarReader, outputDir, licenseName, os.FileMode(header.Mode)); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to write license: %w", err)
			}
			return nil
		}
	}

	return fmt.Errorf("license file not found in tarball")
}

func licensePathForOutput(outputPath string) string {
	if strings.HasSuffix(outputPath, ".zst") {
		return strings.TrimSuffix(outputPath, ".zst") + ".license"
	}
	return outputPath + ".license"
}

func licenseFileName(binaryName string) string {
	if strings.HasSuffix(binaryName, ".zst") {
		return strings.TrimSuffix(binaryName, ".zst") + ".license"
	}
	return binaryName + ".license"
}

// extractFileFromTarballStream writes the current tar entry to disk.
func extractFileFromTarballStream(r io.Reader, destDir, outputName string, mode os.FileMode) error {

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