What causes "cloud_command.box.delete_warn" in hashicorp/vagrant?

Double-check the target: confirm org/box with `vagrant cloud box show org/box` before deleting.

cloud_command.box.delete_warn

Error message

cloud_command.box.delete_warn

What it means

Destructive-action warning from `vagrant cloud box delete` (plugins/commands/cloud/box/delete.rb). After validating exactly one argument, if --force was not passed it warns 'This will completely remove <box> from Vagrant Cloud. This cannot be undone.', prompts 'Do you wish to continue? [y/N]', and returns exit status 1 unless the answer (stripped, downcased) is exactly 'y'.

Source

Thrown at plugins/commands/cloud/box/delete.rb:38

              o.separator ""
              o.separator "Options:"
              o.separator ""

              o.on("-f", "--[no-]force", "Do not prompt for deletion confirmation") do |f|
                options[:force] = f
              end
            end

            # Parse the options
            argv = parse_options(opts)
            return if !argv
            if argv.empty? || argv.length > 1
              raise Vagrant::Errors::CLIInvalidUsage,
                help: opts.help.chomp
            end

            if !options[:force]
              @env.ui.warn(I18n.t("cloud_command.box.delete_warn", box: argv.first))
              cont = @env.ui.ask(I18n.t("cloud_command.continue"))
              return 1 if cont.strip.downcase != "y"
            end

            @client = client_login(@env)

            org, box_name = argv.first.split('/', 2)
            delete_box(org, box_name, @client.token)
          end

          # Delete the requested box
          #
          # @param [String] org Organization name of box
          # @param [String] box_name Name of box
          # @param [String] access_token User access token
          # @return [Integer]
          def delete_box(org, box_name, access_token)
            account = VagrantCloud::Account.new(

View on GitHub (pinned to 35f3160f4a)

Solutions

Double-check the target: confirm org/box with `vagrant cloud box show org/box` before deleting.
For scripted deletion, pass --force and ensure the name is computed, not typed: `vagrant cloud box delete --force "$ORG/$BOX"`.
If the prompt aborted you, that is by design (exit 1); re-run and answer 'y' (lowercase after downcase, any case works).
Consider deleting only a version/provider (`vagrant cloud version delete` / `vagrant cloud provider delete`) instead of the whole box when possible.

Example fix

# before
vagrant cloud box delete myorg/old-box   # interactive [y/N] prompt, aborts on anything but y

# after (explicit, non-interactive)
vagrant cloud box show myorg/old-box && \
  vagrant cloud box delete myorg/old-box --force

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

# confirm the box exists before offering deletion
vagrant cloud box show "$ORG/$BOX" >/dev/null || { echo "no such box" >&2; exit 1; }
[ -n "$BOX" ] || { echo "refusing: empty box name" >&2; exit 1; }

Prevention

Prefer --force only with programmatically derived names, never free-typed input.
Delete narrowest-first (provider, then version, then box).
Treat the [y/N] default N as a safety net: answer explicitly only after re-reading the warned path.

When it happens

Trigger: Running `vagrant cloud box delete org/box` without -f/--force; the command contacts Vagrant Cloud only after a 'y' confirmation, deleting the entire box entry (all versions, all providers).

Common situations: Cleaning up test boxes published under an org; accidental targeting of a shared org box because the wrong org/box path was typed; automation where the interactive prompt blocks or the default 'N' aborts with exit 1.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/vagrant@35f3160f4a (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2ef17381bb9dba1f. Report an issue: GitHub.