jdx/mise · error

refusing to remove directory as a file: {}

Error message

refusing to remove directory as a file: {}

What it means

For a managed file with state = "absent", remove_file() refuses when the path currently exists but is a directory. Removing it would require directory semantics (and possibly recursion) that the file entry does not declare, so the resource type and on-disk type must agree.

Source

Thrown at src/system/managed_files.rs:1401

                )
            })?
        }
        Ok(_) => fs::remove_file(path)?,
    }
    temporary
        .persist(path)
        .map_err(|error| error.error)
        .wrap_err_with(|| format!("failed to atomically replace {}", path.display()))?;
    fs::File::open(parent)?.sync_all()?;
    Ok(())
}

fn remove_file(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
    match fs::symlink_metadata(path) {
        Err(err) if err.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Ok(()),
        Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
        Ok(metadata) if metadata.file_type().is_dir() => {
            bail!("refusing to remove directory as a file: {}", path.display())
        }
        Ok(_) => fs::remove_file(path).map_err(Into::into),
    }
}

fn create_directory(
    path: &Path,
    owner: Option<&str>,
    group: Option<&str>,
    mode: u32,
    replace: bool,
) -> Result<()> {
    match fs::symlink_metadata(path) {
        Err(error) if error.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => fs::create_dir(path)?,
        Err(error) => return Err(error.into()),
        Ok(metadata) if metadata.file_type().is_dir() => {}
        Ok(_) if !replace => {
            bail!("refusing to replace non-directory path: {}", path.display())

View on GitHub (pinned to 9dcfcaa0dc)

Solutions

1. Declare the removal under [bootstrap.directories] with state = "absent" (and recursive = true if it may be non-empty)
2. Or remove the directory manually (rmdir / rm -r) and let the file entry find nothing to do

Example fix

# before: /opt/app/legacy.conf is actually a directory
[bootstrap.files]
"/opt/app/legacy.conf" = { state = "absent" }

# after
[bootstrap.directories]
"/opt/app/legacy.conf" = { state = "absent", recursive = true }

if state == ManagedState::Absent {
    if let Ok(m) = std::fs::symlink_metadata(path) {
        if m.file_type().is_dir() {
            return Err(eyre::eyre!("path is a directory; declare it under [bootstrap.directories]"));
        }
    }
}

fn removal_kind_matches(path: &std::path::Path, expect_dir: bool) -> bool {
    match std::fs::symlink_metadata(path) {
        Err(_) => true,
        Ok(m) => m.file_type().is_dir() == expect_dir,
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: A [bootstrap.files] entry with state = "absent" whose path is actually a directory on disk.

Common situations: A path changed roles over time (was a file, later became a directory); stale absent declarations after restructuring config.

Related errors

• refusing to remove non-directory path: {}
• refusing to replace non-directory path: {}
• managed file parent is not a directory: {}
• managed file parent does not exist: {}
• refusing to replace non-file path: {}

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@9dcfcaa0dc (2026-08-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1394bc36f31e5170. Report an issue: GitHub.