device-login export: refused a symlink or a non-regular auth

Error message

device-login export: refused a symlink or a non-regular auth.json

What it means

Error "device-login export: refused a symlink or a non-regular auth.json" thrown in paperclipai/paperclip.

Source

Thrown at packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/device-login-export.ts:189

    }
    await chmod(dir, PRIVATE_DIR_MODE);
    return;
  }
  await mkdir(dir, { mode: PRIVATE_DIR_MODE });
  await chmod(dir, PRIVATE_DIR_MODE);
}

/**
 * Rejects an existing `auth.json` that is a symlink or a non-regular file. An
 * absent file is the normal first-install case.
 */
async function assertAuthPathIsRegularOrAbsent(authPath: string): Promise<void> {
  const existing = await lstat(authPath).catch((error: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
    if (error.code === "ENOENT") return null;
    throw error;
  });
  if (existing && (existing.isSymbolicLink() || !existing.isFile())) {
    throw new Error("device-login export: refused a symlink or a non-regular auth.json");
  }
}

export interface InstallDeviceLoginCredentialInput {
  /** The sandbox `auth.json` bytes read back from the login sandbox. */
  sandboxAuthBytes: Buffer;
  /** The run-scoped proof home from {@link deriveProofHome}. */
  proofHome: string;
  /** A non-leaking progress sink. It receives only fixed status lines. */
  log: (line: string) => void | Promise<void>;
  env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
  companyId?: string;
}

/**
 * Installs the sandbox credential into the run-scoped proof home. Seeds an empty
 * home. Applies a strictly-newer, same-identity update to a non-empty home.
 * Keeps the home otherwise. Enforces Control 2 before any write: the target

View on GitHub (pinned to 120ae5428f)

Solutions

Ensure auth.json is a regular file (not a symlink) and retry the export.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/device-login-export.ts:189 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@120ae5428f (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d83988c93ab4614e. Report an issue: GitHub.