jdx/mise · error

install_mise must name an executable file

Error message

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

What it means

The final component of `install_mise` must name a file that can be executed: it cannot be empty (trailing '/'), '.', or '~'. The last segment check in `validate_install_mise_path` catches values pointing at a directory or the home/root rather than the mise binary, and throws this error.

Solutions

1. Append the binary filename to the path (e.g. '/usr/local/bin/mise' not '/usr/local/bin/')
2. Remove trailing slashes or '.' from the configured value
3. If you meant a directory as install root, use the config option for the install directory instead of install_mise

Example fix

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

const last = p.split('/').pop();
if (!last || last === '.' || last === '~') throw new Error('must name an executable file');

const namesExecutableFile = (s: unknown): s is string => {
  if (typeof s !== 'string') return false;
  const last = s.split('/').pop() ?? '';
  return last !== '' && last !== '.' && last !== '~';
};

try { validate_install_mise_path(p)?; } catch (e) {
  // append the binary filename and retry
}

When it happens

Trigger: install_mise ends with '/', '.', or equals something like '~/'; or the whole string is a directory such as '/usr/local/bin/'.

Common situations: Pointing install_mise at a bin directory intending mise to be placed inside it; copy-paste dropping the filename; templates that leave the filename empty.

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

• install_mise must be an absolute path or start with ~/
• install_mise must not contain a newline
• managed system path must be absolute
• oci mount_point must be an absolute path
• settings. must resolve to an absolute path

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@533346cc37 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6a8ee6590c74469e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/system/remote.rs:2228

    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 533346cc37)