nodejs/node · error

argument --rm / -j or --keep / -k already set\n

Error message

argument --rm / -j or --keep / -k already set\n

What it means

`-j`/`--rm` (delete the source after success) and `-k`/`--keep` (keep the source) share a single keep/rm toggle and are mutually exclusive. Setting either a second time, or both, is rejected.

Source

Thrown at deps/brotli/c/tools/brotli.c:375

            fprintf(stderr, "command already set when parsing -d\n");
            return COMMAND_INVALID;
          }
          command_set = BROTLI_TRUE;
          command = COMMAND_DECOMPRESS;
          continue;
        } else if (c == 'f') {
          if (params->force_overwrite) {
            fprintf(stderr, "force output overwrite already set\n");
            return COMMAND_INVALID;
          }
          params->force_overwrite = BROTLI_TRUE;
          continue;
        } else if (c == 'h') {
          /* Don't parse further. */
          return COMMAND_HELP;
        } else if (c == 'j' || c == 'k') {
          if (keep_set) {
            fprintf(stderr, "argument --rm / -j or --keep / -k already set\n");
            return COMMAND_INVALID;
          }
          keep_set = BROTLI_TRUE;
          params->junk_source = TO_BROTLI_BOOL(c == 'j');
          continue;
        } else if (c == 'n') {
          if (!params->copy_stat) {
            fprintf(stderr, "argument --no-copy-stat / -n already set\n");
            return COMMAND_INVALID;
          }
          params->copy_stat = BROTLI_FALSE;
          continue;
        } else if (c == 's') {
          if (squash_set) {
            fprintf(stderr, "argument --squash / -s already set\n");
            return COMMAND_INVALID;
          }
          squash_set = BROTLI_TRUE;

View on GitHub (pinned to 1b2de5e052)

Solutions

1. Choose one: keep the source (`-k`) or remove it (`-j`).
2. Remove the contradictory flag from your alias/script.

Example fix

// before
brotli -j -k file.br   # contradictory
// after
brotli -j file.br      # remove source after decompress

jk=[a for a in argv if a in ('-j','--rm','-k','--keep') or (a.startswith('-') and not a.startswith('--') and ('j' in a or 'k' in a))]
assert len(jk) <= 1, '--rm/-j and --keep/-k are mutually exclusive'

When it happens

Trigger: `brotli -j -k file`, `brotli -k -k file`, `brotli -j -j file`, or coalesced `brotli -jk file`.

Common situations: Wanting contradictory behavior (keep AND remove); an alias that sets `-k` plus a user `-j`; wrapper concatenation.

Related errors

• too many options passed
• quality already set
• write to standard output already set
• command already set when parsing -d
• force output overwrite already set\n

AI-assisted analysis of nodejs/node@1b2de5e052 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/294e981adb366ffa. Report an issue: GitHub.