jdx/mise · error

: tracked in place; pass `--mode copy` after `mise dot…

Error message

{target_raw}: tracked in place; pass `--mode copy` after `mise dot untrack {target_raw}` to seed a source instead

What it means

`mise dot add` refuses to add a target path that is already managed as a tracked (symlink) dotfile entry. Tracking in place means mise already owns a symlink at the target, so adding it again would create conflicting management. The message tells the user how to convert it: untrack it, then re-add with `--mode copy` to seed a real source file.

Solutions

1. Untrack the target first: `mise dot untrack <target>`, then re-add with `mise dot add <target> --mode copy`
2. Edit the `[dotfiles]` section in your mise config and remove or rename the existing track entry before re-adding
3. Check current management with `mise dot list` (or inspect `[dotfiles]` in the config) before adding

Example fix

// before: fails, target already tracked
$ mise dot add ~/.gitconfig --mode copy
// after
$ mise dot untrack ~/.gitconfig
$ mise dot add ~/.gitconfig --mode copy

if managed.iter().any(|req| req.mode == FileMode::Track && req.target == target) {
    eprintln!("{target} already tracked; run `mise dot untrack {target}` first");
    return;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `mise dot add <path>` where `<path>` already appears in `[dotfiles]` config as a `FileMode::Track` entry with the same target; i.e. the target is already symlink-tracked by mise.

Common situations: User forgot they already tracked the file; re-running a scripted `mise dot add` invocation; converting a tracked entry to a copied one without first untracking.

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

• a glob is required
• `--all` needs `--to
• at least one target or --changed is required
• cannot apply
• cannot connect a setup repository

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@533346cc37 (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a08bbe1ae4a077e0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/cli/dotfiles/add.rs:170

            cwd: None,
            prefer_toml: true,
            prevent_home_local: true,
        })?;

        let mut planned = vec![];
        let managed_edits = system::edits::edits_from_config(&config)?;
        for target_raw in &self.targets {
            let target = system::files::resolve_target_arg(target_raw)
                .components()
                .collect::<PathBuf>();
            if target.is_relative() {
                bail!("{target_raw}: target must be absolute or start with ~/");
            }
            if managed
                .iter()
                .any(|req| req.mode == FileMode::Track && req.target == target)
            {
                bail!(
                    "{target_raw}: tracked in place; pass `--mode copy` after `mise dot untrack {target_raw}` to seed a source instead"
                );
            }
            if managed_edits.iter().any(|req| {
                system::files::matches_target(
                    &req.path,
                    &req.path_raw,
                    std::slice::from_ref(target_raw),
                )
            }) {
                bail!(
                    "{target_raw}: target is already managed by [dotfiles] edits; remove or rename those entries before adding a whole-file dotfile"
                );
            }
            let existing = managed.iter().find(|req| {
                system::files::matches_target(
                    &req.target,
                    &req.target_raw,

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