hashicorp/vagrant · error · Vagrant::Errors::PackageIncludeMissing

Package include file doesn't exist

Error message

Package include file doesn't exist: %{file}

What it means

The package_setup_files middleware builds the package.files map from `--include` entries (plus `--vagrantfile`, which is mapped to '_Vagrantfile'), then verifies each source path exists on the host. The first missing source raises PackageIncludeMissing naming that file, before any packaging work begins.

Solutions

1. Check each path from the message: `ls <path>` from the directory where you run vagrant.
2. Fix the path — absolute paths are the safest for includes in scripts.
3. Re-run `vagrant package` from the project root, or regenerate the missing artifact before packaging.

Example fix

# before (run from project root, file lives under artifacts/)
vagrant package --include manifest.yml    # => PackageIncludeMissing

# after
vagrant package --include "$PWD/artifacts/manifest.yml"

# Shell: verify every include (and vagrantfile override) exists first
for f in "$@"; do [ -e "$f" ] || { echo "missing include: $f"; exit 1; }; done
vagrant package --output "$OUT" $(printf -- '--include %s ' "$@")

When it happens

Trigger: Running `vagrant package --include file.txt` (or --vagrantfile Vagrantfile.pkg) where any listed path does not exist — typo, wrong relative directory, or file generated by a previous skipped step (lib/vagrant/action/general/package_setup_files.rb:38-44).

Common situations: Relative include paths resolved against the current working directory rather than the project root; CI steps where an artifact wasn't produced before packaging; renamed files after refactoring a packaging script.

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

• The information file that you've attempted to include…
• The specified file ' ' to save the package as already…
• The specified output is a directory. Please specify a path…
• The box you're using with the Hyper-V provider
• The Vagrant virtual environment you are trying to package…

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/vagrant@35f3160f4a (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e9f9c3c23cd990df. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at lib/vagrant/action/general/package_setup_files.rb:42

            # expect based on history.
            if source.relative?
              dest = source
            else
              dest = source.basename
            end

            # Assign the mapping
            files[file] = dest
          end

          if env["package.vagrantfile"]
            # Vagrantfiles are treated special and mapped to a specific file
            files[env["package.vagrantfile"]] = "_Vagrantfile"
          end

          # Verify the mapping
          files.each do |from, _|
            raise Vagrant::Errors::PackageIncludeMissing,
                  file: from if !File.exist?(from)
          end

          # Save the mapping
          env["package.files"] = files

          @app.call(env)
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

View on GitHub (pinned to 35f3160f4a)