jdx/mise · error

install_mise must name an executable file: {path:?}

Error message

install_mise must name an executable file: {path:?}

What it means

Beyond prefix checks, mise requires the install_mise path to name an actual file: the final path component (after the last '/') must not be empty, '.', or '~'. This catches values that designate a directory or home alias rather than the mise executable.

Source

Thrown at src/system/remote.rs:2226

    Ok(path.to_string())
}

fn validate_install_mise_path(path: &str) -> Result<()> {
    validate_value("mise install path", path)?;
    if path.contains(['\n', '\r']) {
        bail!("install_mise must not contain a newline: {path:?}");
    }
    if !path.starts_with('/') && !path.starts_with("~/") {
        bail!("install_mise must be an absolute path or start with ~/: {path:?}");
    }
    if path.split('/').any(|component| component == "..") {
        bail!("install_mise must not contain '..': {path:?}");
    }
    if matches!(
        path.rsplit('/').next(),
        None | Some("") | Some(".") | Some("~")
    ) {
        bail!("install_mise must name an executable file: {path:?}");
    }
    Ok(())
}

fn validate_remote_executable(command: &str) -> Result<()> {
    validate_value("mise command", command)?;
    let is_path = command.contains('/');
    if command.starts_with('-')
        || command.contains(['\n', '\r'])
        || (!is_path && command.chars().any(char::is_whitespace))
    {
        bail!("remote mise command must be an executable name or path: {command:?}");
    }
    Ok(())
}

fn shell_quote(value: &str) -> String {
    shell_words::join([value])

View on GitHub (pinned to afd2eddd3a)

Solutions

1. Point the value at the mise binary file itself, e.g. /usr/local/bin/mise
2. Remove trailing slashes or '.' components from the configured path
3. Verify with `ls -l <path>` on the remote host that it is an executable file

Example fix

// before
install_mise = "/usr/local/bin/"
// after
install_mise = "/usr/local/bin/mise"

const namesFile = (p) => { const last = p.split('/').pop(); return last !== '' && last !== '.' && last !== '~'; };

const lastComponentIsFile = (s) => { if (typeof s !== 'string') return false; const last = s.split('/').pop(); return last !== '' && last !== '.' && last !== '~'; };

try { setInstallMisePath(p); } catch (e) { console.error('install_mise must point to the mise binary file'); }

When it happens

Trigger: Configuring install_mise as "/usr/local/bin/" (trailing slash), "~/", "/opt/.", or just "~" — i.e. any value whose last component is empty, '.', or '~'.

Common situations: Copy-paste of a directory path instead of the binary path; editing configs and leaving a trailing slash; assuming mise resolves directories automatically.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid value" and "allowed values are" config errors: what your library rejected and how to fix it — this error's family across 41 libraries.

Related errors

• dotfile target must be absolute or start with ~/: {target}
• install_mise must not contain a newline: {path:?}
• install_mise must be an absolute path or start with ~/: {pat
• install_mise must not contain '..': {path:?}
• repo path `{path_raw}` cannot start with `~`; use `~/` for a

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@afd2eddd3a (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6a8ee6590c74469e. Report an issue: GitHub.