jdx/mise · error

files: entries with errors

Error message

files: entries with errors:
{}

What it means

Before applying dotfiles, mise renders every `template`-mode entry; if any render fails, it collects all errors and bails with a single aggregated 'files: entries with errors' listing each failure. This gives one report of every broken template instead of failing on the first.

Solutions

1. Read each listed sub-error and fix the corresponding template (syntax, variables).
2. Define the missing variables/secrets the template references.
3. Change problematic entries from template mode to plain copy if templating is not needed.

Example fix

// before
"~/.gitconfig" = { source = "gitconfig.tmpl", mode = "template" } // uses {{ email }} which is unset
// after (config)
[files.env]
email = "me@example.com"
// or fix the .tmpl file's syntax/variable name

// Render each template locally before apply:
for (target, entry) in template_entries {
    render_template(&config, entry, &secrets)
        .unwrap_or_else(|e| eprintln!("{target}: {e}"));
}

match dotfiles_apply() {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().starts_with("files: entries with errors:") => {
        for line in e.to_string().lines().skip(1) { eprintln!("fix: {line}"); }
    }
    other => other?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running dotfile apply/status where one or more `mode = "template"` entries fail render_template — undefined variables, bad template syntax, missing secrets referenced in the template.

Common situations: A template references a secret that is not set; Tera/Jinja syntax error after editing; variable renamed in a newer config; template depends on machine-specific context absent on a new host.

Related errors

• dotfile cannot declare both source and content
• dotfile : inline content does not support mode, exclude, or…
• dotfile target must be absolute or start with ~/
• failed to list Git-tracked files in
• failed to locate Git repository for

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@533346cc37 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e2db085d68d30b07. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/system/files.rs:1721

}

/// Render every configured dotfile template before a full bootstrap can
/// mutate anything. Secret values are cached, but templates are rendered again
/// when applied so hooks can update dynamic inputs such as files or commands.
pub(crate) fn preflight_templates(
    config: &Config,
    requests: &[FileRequest],
    secrets: &SecretValues,
) -> Result<()> {
    validate_composed_file_footprints(requests)?;
    let broken = requests
        .iter()
        .filter(|req| req.mode == FileMode::Template)
        .filter_map(|req| render_template(config, req, secrets).err())
        .map(|err| format!("  {err}"))
        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
    if !broken.is_empty() {
        bail!("files: entries with errors:\n{}", broken.join("\n"));
    }
    Ok(())
}

/// directories a symlink-each entry needs: the target itself plus every
/// intermediate directory for nested source files
fn needed_dirs(req: &FileRequest) -> Result<Vec<PathBuf>> {
    let mut out = indexmap::IndexSet::new();
    out.insert(req.target.clone());
    for (_, target) in walk_source_files(req)? {
        let mut dir = target.parent();
        while let Some(d) = dir {
            if d == req.target {
                break;
            }
            out.insert(d.to_path_buf());
            dir = d.parent();
        }

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