jdx/mise · error

rename_exe: cannot rename

Error message

rename_exe: cannot rename '{}' to '{}': target already exists. Check for duplicate or overlapping rename_exe mappings.

What it means

During a rename_exe operation, mise refuses to overwrite an existing target file. finish_rename checks target_path.exists() before renaming, so overlapping renames cannot silently clobber binaries. The error points at duplicate or conflicting rename_exe mappings in the tool config.

Solutions

  1. Review rename_exe mappings for duplicates and make each target unique
  2. Delete the stale target file from the install directory and retry the install
  3. If the target is a legitimately shipped binary, remove the redundant rename entry

Example fix

# before
[[bin]]
rename_exe = "tool"
[[bin]]
rename_exe = "tool"   # duplicate target
# after
[[bin]]
rename_exe = "tool-a"
[[bin]]
rename_exe = "tool-b"
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import os
# preflight before rename/install
targets = [m['rename_exe'] for m in mappings]
assert len(targets) == len(set(targets)), 'duplicate rename_exe targets'
clashes = [t for t in targets if os.path.exists(os.path.join(install_dir, t))]
assert not clashes, f'targets already exist: {clashes}'

Try / catch

try:
    install()
except RuntimeError as e:
    if 'target already exists' in str(e):
        cleanup_stale_files(install_dir)
        install()
    else:
        raise

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: apply_rename_exe encounters a destination path that already exists on disk and is not the source itself — typically two rename_exe entries (or a rename plus a real file) mapping different sources to the same target name.

Common situations: Two tools in the same package shipping a binary with the same name; a leftover file from a previous install plus a new rename mapping; duplicated config entries.

Understand the failure class

Background: "already exists" / EEXIST / FileAlreadyExistsException: what the 'file already exists' error means and how to fix it — this error's family across 37 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@533346cc37 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b47fcfe030d67cd0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/backend/static_helpers.rs:1234

}

/// Renames `path` (named `file_name`) to `target` within `dir`, preserving any
/// required extension and ensuring the result is executable. A collision on the
/// target (two mappings pointing at the same name, or the archive already
/// containing that name) is unsatisfiable, so it fails the install loudly rather
/// than silently dropping a binary and reporting success.
fn finish_rename(dir: &Path, path: &Path, file_name: &str, target: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
    let target_path = keep_required_extensions(dir, file_name, target, dir.join(target));
    // Ensure the binary is executable whether or not we move it: ZIP archives drop
    // the exec bit, and the file may already carry the desired name.
    if !file::is_executable(path) {
        file::make_executable(path)?;
    }
    if path == target_path {
        return Ok(());
    }
    if target_path.exists() {
        bail!(
            "rename_exe: cannot rename '{}' to '{}': target already exists. \
             Check for duplicate or overlapping rename_exe mappings.",
            path.display(),
            target_path.display()
        );
    }
    file::rename(path, &target_path)?;
    debug!("Renamed {} to {}", path.display(), target_path.display());
    Ok(())
}

/// Helper function to rename executable inside a macOS .app bundle
fn rename_executable_in_app_bundle(
    macos_dir: &Path,
    target_path: &Path,
    tool_name: Option<&str>,
) -> eyre::Result<bool> {
    // Find the first executable in the Contents/MacOS directory

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