lfnovo/open-notebook · error · HTTPException

Failed to start rebuild operation: {str(e)}

Error message

Failed to start rebuild operation: {str(e)}

What it means

Catch-all 500 from the rebuild-start endpoint (POST /api/embeddings/rebuild or similar in embedding_rebuild.py). Starting a vector rebuild submits a long-running command; any unexpected failure in setup (job submission, DB access, config resolution) aborts with this error, with the cause appended.

Source

Thrown at api/routers/embedding_rebuild.py:123

            },
        )

        logger.info(f"Submitted rebuild command: {command_id}")

        return RebuildResponse(
            command_id=command_id,
            total_items=total_estimate,
            message=f"Rebuild operation started. Estimated {total_estimate} items to process.",
        )

    except HTTPException:
        raise
    except OpenNotebookError:
        raise
    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Failed to start rebuild: {e}")
        logger.exception(e)
        raise HTTPException(
            status_code=500, detail=f"Failed to start rebuild operation: {str(e)}"
        )


@router.get("/rebuild/{command_id}/status", response_model=RebuildStatusResponse)
async def get_rebuild_status(command_id: str):
    """
    Get the status of a rebuild operation.

    Returns:
    - **status**: queued, running, completed, failed
    - **progress**: processed count, total count, percentage
    - **stats**: breakdown by type (sources, notes, insights, failed)
    - **timestamps**: started_at, completed_at
    """
    try:
        # Get command status from surreal_commands
        status = await get_command_status(command_id)

View on GitHub (pinned to a7de90d38a)

Solutions

1. Check API logs for the 'Failed to start rebuild: ...' line plus full traceback
2. Ensure the whole stack is up in order: make database, make api, make worker-start
3. Confirm a default embedding model is configured before rebuilding
4. Retry the rebuild start once healthy; check rebuild status via GET /rebuild/{command_id}/status for the accepted job

// pre-flight before rebuild: stack up + embedding model set
const models = await api.listModels();
if (!models.some(m => m.isDefault && m.type === 'embedding')) throw new Error('Set a default embedding model before rebuild');
// server-side: make database && make api && make worker-start all healthy

try {
  const { command_id } = await api.startRebuild();
  await poll(`/rebuild/${command_id}/status`);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.status === 500) showError('Could not start rebuild — is the worker running?');
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Triggering a full embedding rebuild when command submission to the job queue fails or the DB is unreachable — e.g. worker tier or SurrealDB down, or an embedding model resolution error before the job starts.

Common situations: Running 'rebuild embeddings' before starting the worker (make worker-start), no default embedding model configured, or DB restart mid-submission. The endpoint logs the full traceback (logger.exception) alongside the error line.

Related errors

• Failed to queue embedding: {str(e)}
• Failed to submit note embedding job
• Error embedding content: {str(e)}
• Error fetching chat sessions: {str(e)}
• Error creating chat session: {str(e)}

AI-assisted analysis of lfnovo/open-notebook@a7de90d38a (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6c11b6c7d2d79d9f. Report an issue: GitHub.