jdx/mise · error

{target_raw}: tracked in place; pass `--mode copy` after `mi

Error message

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

What it means

If the target already has a FileMode::Track requirement in the managed dotfile set, adding it as copy/symlink would conflict with the existing in-place tracking. run_inner detects the overlap and bails, telling the user to untrack the file first and then add it with `--mode copy` so a source copy can be seeded from the currently tracked file.

Source

Thrown at src/cli/dotfiles/add.rs:165

            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 bootstrap dotfiles 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,

View on GitHub (pinned to afd2eddd3a)

Solutions

1. Run `mise bootstrap dotfiles untrack <target>` first, then add with `--mode copy` to seed a source.
2. Keep tracking the file and drop the add attempt if in-place tracking is what you want.
3. Check existing entries with the dotfiles list/show command to confirm the current mode.

Example fix

# before
mise bootstrap dotfiles add ~/.zshrc --mode copy
# after
mise bootstrap dotfiles untrack ~/.zshrc
mise bootstrap dotfiles add ~/.zshrc --mode copy

// check current mode before switching
const list = execSync(`mise bootstrap dotfiles ls --json`).toString();
const managed = JSON.parse(list);
if (managed.some(d => d.target === target && d.mode === 'track')) {
  execSync(`mise bootstrap dotfiles untrack ${target}`);
}

try {
  execSync(`mise bootstrap dotfiles add ${target} --mode copy`);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.stderr).includes('tracked in place')) {
    execSync(`mise bootstrap dotfiles untrack ${target}`);
    execSync(`mise bootstrap dotfiles add ${target} --mode copy`);
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `mise bootstrap dotfiles add <target>` (default or --mode copy/symlink) on a file that is already tracked via a previous `dotfiles track` or a [dotfiles] track entry. Also fired when the --source-only rename flow hits an already-tracked target.

Common situations: Migrating a file from track-based to copy-based management; re-running setup scripts that mix `track` and `add`; forgetting an earlier tracking entry exists in config.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid state transition" errors: "status must be X, actually Y", "already rejected/charging/uninstalled", "cannot ... while running" — what they mean when a library rejects your call — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• {target_raw}: target is already managed by [dotfiles] edits;
• cannot connect a setup repository: {reason}
• cannot apply: {reason}
• --changed does not accept target arguments
• at least one target or --changed is required

AI-assisted analysis of jdx/mise@afd2eddd3a (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6004b93d73fdc385. Report an issue: GitHub.