[dotfiles]."{req.target_raw}": source does not exist: {req.s

Error message

[dotfiles]."{req.target_raw}": source does not exist: {req.source.display}

What it means

When building the dotfiles layer, mise checks that each `[dotfiles]` entry's `source` path exists on disk — unless the mode is `content` or `track`, which don't read the source file (content is inline; track applies only on the tracked machine). If a copy/symlink/template/symlink-each entry points at a missing file or directory, the build fails with the target and source path in the message.

Source

Thrown at src/oci/builder.rs:931

fn resolve_layer_owner(opts_owner: Option<LayerOwner>, oci: &OciConfig) -> LayerOwner {
    opts_owner.unwrap_or_else(|| {
        let uid = oci.user_id.unwrap_or(0);
        let gid = oci.group_id.unwrap_or(uid);
        LayerOwner::new(uid, gid)
    })
}

fn build_dotfiles_layer(
    cfg: &Config,
    requests: &[FileRequest],
    owner: LayerOwner,
) -> Result<LayerBlob> {
    let mut entries = DotfilesLayerEntries::default();

    for req in requests {
        if !matches!(req.mode, FileMode::Content | FileMode::Track) && !req.source.exists() {
            bail!(
                "[dotfiles].\"{}\": source does not exist: {}",
                req.target_raw,
                req.source.display()
            );
        }

        match req.mode {
            // a tracked file lives on the machine that tracks it; an image
            // has nothing to copy
            FileMode::Track => continue,
            FileMode::Symlink | FileMode::Copy => {
                collect_source_as_files(&req.source, &oci_target_path(req)?, &mut entries)
                    .wrap_err_with(|| {
                        format!("adding [dotfiles].\"{}\" to OCI image", req.target_raw)
                    })?;
            }
            FileMode::SymlinkEach => {
                if !req.source.is_dir() {

View on GitHub (pinned to afd2eddd3a)

Solutions

Fix the `source` path in the `[dotfiles]` entry to point at an existing file/directory.
Use `mode = "content"` with inline `content` if the file shouldn't be read from disk.
Use `mode = "track"` if this target is only meant to be tracked on the machine, not baked into the image.
Create the missing source file, or remove the entry if it's obsolete.

Example fix

# before
[dotfiles."/root/.gitconfig"]
source = "~/.gitconfig"   # missing in build environment
mode = "copy"
# after
[dotfiles."/root/.gitconfig"]
mode = "content"
content = """
[user]\n  email = me@example.com
"""

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// before building, check every non-content/track dotfile source exists
for (const req of requests) {
  if (!['content', 'track'].includes(req.mode) && !fs.existsSync(req.source)) {
    throw new Error(`[dotfiles]."${req.target}": source does not exist: ${req.source}`);
  }
}

Prevention

Use absolute or correctly-based paths for `source` values.
Prefer `mode = "content"` (inline) for files that may not exist on the build machine.
Keep dotfiles sources inside the repo so they exist wherever the build runs.
Prune stale `[dotfiles]` entries when files are renamed or deleted.

When it happens

Trigger: A `[dotfiles]."target"` entry with mode `copy`, `symlink`, `symlink-each`, or `template` whose `source` path doesn't exist at build time — deleted file, wrong relative path, or a path that only exists on another machine.

Common situations: Config written on a machine where the dotfile exists but built in a container/CI where it doesn't; renames in the dotfiles repo; source given relative to the wrong base directory; typo in the path.

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

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@afd2eddd3a (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/538d40bfe4ff43b2. Report an issue: GitHub.