jdx/mise · error

refusing to remove non-directory path: {}

Error message

refusing to remove non-directory path: {}

What it means

For a managed directory with state = "absent", remove_directory() refuses when the path exists but is not a directory (e.g. a regular file or symlink). The declared resource type and the on-disk type disagree, so removal is rejected; recursive only distinguishes remove_dir_all vs remove_dir for real directories.

Source

Thrown at src/system/managed_files.rs:1434

        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())
        }
        Ok(_) => {
            fs::remove_file(path)?;
            fs::create_dir(path)?;
        }
    }
    set_metadata(path, owner, group, mode)
}

fn remove_directory(path: &Path, recursive: bool) -> 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 non-directory path: {}", path.display())
        }
        Ok(_) if recursive => fs::remove_dir_all(path).map_err(Into::into),
        Ok(_) => fs::remove_dir(path).map_err(Into::into),
    }
}

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use super::*;

    fn file(path: &str, state: ManagedState) -> ManagedFileRequest {
        ManagedFileRequest {
            path: PathBuf::from(path),
            content: (state == ManagedState::Present).then(|| "content".to_string()),
            owner: None,
            group: None,
            mode: 0o644,
            state,

View on GitHub (pinned to 9dcfcaa0dc)

Solutions

1. Declare it under [bootstrap.files] with state = "absent" instead, matching the actual type
2. Or remove the file manually and re-run

Example fix

# before: /opt/app/cache is actually a regular file
[bootstrap.directories]
"/opt/app/cache" = { state = "absent" }

# after
[bootstrap.files]
"/opt/app/cache" = { state = "absent" }

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 not a directory; declare it under [bootstrap.files]"));
        }
    }
}

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

When it happens

Trigger: A [bootstrap.directories] entry with state = "absent" whose path is actually a regular file or symlink on disk.

Common situations: A path repurposed from directory to file between config revisions; stale directory-removal declarations.

Related errors

• refusing to remove directory as a file: {}
• 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/fefaea9852898401. Report an issue: GitHub.