lima-vm/lima · error

failed to rename raw digest file: %w

Error message

failed to rename raw digest file: %w

What it means

The final step publishes the raw digest by renaming raw.digest.tmp to raw.digest. If os.Rename fails (tmp file missing, target directory unwritable, cross-device), this error is returned and the conversion result is discarded. The tmp file is cleaned by a deferred os.Remove.

Source

Thrown at pkg/downloader/downloader.go:522

	if originalDigest != "" {
		algo = originalDigest.Algorithm()
	}
	rawDigest, err := calculateFileDigest(rawImgConvPath, algo)
	if err != nil {
		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to calculate digest of raw image: %w", err)
	}

	rawDigestPath := filepath.Join(imgConvPath, "raw.digest")
	rawDigestPathTmp := rawDigestPath + ".tmp"
	defer os.Remove(rawDigestPathTmp)
	if err := os.WriteFile(rawDigestPathTmp, []byte(rawDigest.String()), 0o644); err != nil {
		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to write raw digest file: %w", err)
	}
	if err := os.Remove(rawDigestPath); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to remove stale raw digest file %q: %w", rawDigestPath, err)
	}
	if err := os.Rename(rawDigestPathTmp, rawDigestPath); err != nil {
		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to rename raw digest file: %w", err)
	}

	return rawImgConvPath, rawDigest, nil
}

func calculateFileDigest(path string, algo digest.Algorithm) (digest.Digest, error) {
	f, err := os.Open(path)
	if err != nil {
		return "", err
	}
	defer f.Close()

	return algo.FromReader(f)
}

// Cached checks if the remote resource is in the cache.
//
// Download caches the remote resource if WithCache or WithCacheDir option is specified.

View on GitHub (pinned to dd909d0973)

Solutions

1. Retry the operation without concurrent limactl invocations on the same cache; the download lock usually prevents this, but Cached-vs-download mixes can race
2. Verify write permission on the imgconv directory (chmod/chown)
3. Clear the cache entry directory and re-download
4. Keep the cache on one local filesystem so rename stays atomic

if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to rename raw digest file") {
    time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
    err = downloadOnce() // transient race on the .tmp file resolves on retry
}

When it happens

Trigger: os.Rename(rawDigestPathTmp, rawDigestPath) returns ENOENT (tmp removed by a racing cleanup in another process), EACCES on the imgconv dir, or EXDEV in unusual mount setups.

Common situations: Two limactl processes converting the same image concurrently — one's deferred os.Remove(rawDigestPathTmp) deletes the other's tmp file; cache dir permission changes mid-run.

Related errors

• failed to replace original with raw image: %w
• failed to close raw tmp file %q: %w
• failed to remove stale raw image %q: %w
• failed to calculate digest of raw image: %w
• failed to write raw digest file: %w

AI-assisted analysis of lima-vm/lima@dd909d0973 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/94a33fd34692a418. Report an issue: GitHub.