google-gemini/gemini-cli · error · Error

Extension ${extension.name} cannot be updated. ${getErrorMes

Error message

Extension ${extension.name} cannot be updated. ${getErrorMessage(e)}. To fix this, reinstall the extension.

What it means

Catch-all around verifyExtensionIntegrity in checkForExtensionUpdate. Any throw from integrity verification (hash mismatch, missing files, metadata inconsistency) is wrapped with the extension name and the underlying message, plus a directive to reinstall.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/config/extensions/update.ts:70

      `Extension ${extension.name} cannot be updated, type is unknown.`,
    );
  }

  try {
    const status = await extensionManager.verifyExtensionIntegrity(
      extension.name,
      installMetadata,
    );

    if (status === IntegrityDataStatus.INVALID) {
      throw new Error('Extension integrity cannot be verified');
    }
  } catch (e) {
    dispatchExtensionStateUpdate({
      type: 'SET_STATE',
      payload: { name: extension.name, state: ExtensionUpdateState.ERROR },
    });
    throw new Error(
      `Extension ${extension.name} cannot be updated. ${getErrorMessage(e)}. To fix this, reinstall the extension.`,
    );
  }

  if (installMetadata?.type === 'link') {
    dispatchExtensionStateUpdate({
      type: 'SET_STATE',
      payload: { name: extension.name, state: ExtensionUpdateState.UP_TO_DATE },
    });
    throw new Error(`Extension is linked so does not need to be updated`);
  }

  if (extension.migratedTo) {
    const migratedState = await checkForExtensionUpdate(
      {
        ...extension,
        installMetadata: { ...installMetadata, source: extension.migratedTo },
        migratedTo: undefined,

View on GitHub (pinned to 5024443c72)

Solutions

Reinstall the extension to restore a consistent file set and integrity record.
If reinstall is undesirable, inspect error.cause / the verifier output to identify and restore the specific changed file.
Lock the extension directory against manual edits to prevent recurrence.

Example fix

// before
try { await verifyExtensionIntegrity(...); } catch (e) { throw new Error('reinstall'); }
// after
try { await verifyExtensionIntegrity(...); }
catch (e) {
  logger.warn('integrity failed for %s: %s', extension.name, e);
  await reinstallExtension(extension.name);
}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

try { await checkForExtensionUpdate(ext, mgr); } catch (e) { if (/reinstall the extension/.test(String(e))) { await reinstallExtension(ext.name); } else throw e; }

Prevention

Avoid manual edits inside installed extension directories.
Treat an interrupted update as corrupting; reinstall before retrying.

When it happens

Trigger: verifyExtensionIntegrity throws — typically because files referenced by the integrity record are missing or their hashes no longer match (post-update partial state, manual edits, disk corruption).

Common situations: A previous update was interrupted leaving half-written files; the user edited files inside the extension directory; antivirus/quarantine removed a file; cross-filesystem move changed permissions.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of google-gemini/gemini-cli@5024443c72 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e8a43cc3e9adab89. Report an issue: GitHub.