conflicting managed directory declarations for

Error message

conflicting managed directory declarations for {}

  first:
    {}

  second:
    {}

What it means

Thrown when merging managed directory declarations across config layers for the same path whose declaration values differ (e.g. different create/remove semantics or attributes), while composing directories from bootstrap config maps. Exactly-equal duplicate declarations are deduplicated silently; a real conflict stops validation with both declarations' conflict descriptions in the message.

Solutions

Read the 'first'/'second' conflict descriptions to identify the differing attribute.
Align the declarations across layers or delete one of them.
Concentrate the authoritative directory declaration in the most specific layer intended to own it.

Example fix

# before: global says {create=true}, project says {create=false} for /var/log/myapp
# after: single declaration in the owning layer
[bootstrap.directories]
"/var/log/myapp" = { create = true }

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

seen = {}
for layer in layers:
  for path, decl in layer.directories.items():
    if path in seen and seen[path] != decl:
      raise SystemExit(f'conflicting directory decl for {path}')
    seen[path] = decl

Prevention

Declare each managed directory once, in its owning layer.
Keep directory options identical across layers if duplication is required.
Review directory overrides when adding new config layers.

When it happens

Trigger: The same directory path declared in multiple bootstrap config layers with differing flags/attributes; an environment-specific config overriding a directory declaration's settings unintentionally.

Common situations: Global config declares `/var/log/myapp` as managed and a project config redeclares it with different options; refactors that change directory semantics in one layer only; two included config files diverging over time.

Understand the failure class

Background: Conflicting config options: "cannot be used together" — configuration validation errors across open-source libraries — this error's family across 162 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@533346cc37 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cbc337413d8a3c1e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/system/managed_files.rs:455

                merged
                    .entry(target)
                    .or_insert_with(|| (file, base.clone(), file_origin));
            }
        }
    }
    Ok(merged)
}

fn directories_from_config(config: &Config) -> Result<Vec<ManagedDirectoryRequest>> {
    let mut composed: IndexMap<PathBuf, (ManagedDirectoryTomlConfig, ResourceOrigin)> =
        IndexMap::new();
    for config_files in config.bootstrap_config_maps() {
        for (path, declaration) in directories_from_config_files(config_files)? {
            if let Some(existing) = composed.get(&path) {
                if existing.0 == declaration.0 {
                    continue;
                }
                bail!(
                    "conflicting managed directory declarations for {}\n\n  first:\n    {}\n\n  second:\n    {}",
                    path.display(),
                    existing.1.conflict_description(),
                    declaration.1.conflict_description(),
                );
            }
            composed.insert(path, declaration);
        }
    }
    composed
        .into_iter()
        .map(|(path, (config, origin))| ManagedDirectoryRequest::from_toml(path, config, origin))
        .collect()
}

/// Merges managed directories within one config hierarchy using normal precedence.
fn directories_from_config_files(
    config_files: &ConfigMap,

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