paperclipai/paperclip · error · Error

Managed git install metadata is incomplete.

Error message

Managed git install metadata is incomplete.

What it means

Thrown by updateCommand during a rollback on a managed git install: the install manifest (readInstallStorePaths manifest) lacks the expected previous-version entries, so there is no known version to roll back to. It indicates the managed install's metadata file is absent, truncated, or missing its previous-version history — not that the rollback itself failed.

Solutions

1. Reinstall from the git repo/ref to regenerate complete install metadata.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/commands/update.ts:185 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@01ad858492 (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e45798b2de97249d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/commands/update.ts:186

  const paths = overrides.paths ?? resolveInstallStorePaths();
  const executablePath = overrides.executablePath ?? process.argv[1] ?? "";
  const runCommand = overrides.runCommand ?? execFileAsync;
  const mode = detectInstallMode(executablePath, paths);
  const manifest = readInstallManifest(paths);
  if (options.rollback) {
    if (mode !== "managed") throw new Error("--rollback is only available for managed installs.");
    if (options.dryRun) { emit(options, { mode, action: "rollback", dryRun: true, target: manifest?.previous[0]?.version ?? null }, `Would roll back to ${manifest?.previous[0]?.version ?? "the previous payload"}.`); return; }
    const next = await withInstallStoreLock(async () => rollbackManagedInstall(paths), paths);
    const restarted = await (overrides.restartActiveService ?? restartActiveManagedService)(next.version);
    emit(options, { mode, action: "rollback", version: next.version, restarted }, pc.green(`Rolled back to paperclipai ${next.version}${restarted ? " and restarted the active service" : ""}. Database migrations are not reversed; restore the pre-update backup if needed.`));
    return;
  }
  if (mode === "npx") { emit(options, { mode, action: "install" }, "This is an ephemeral npx install. Run `paperclipai install`, then use `paperclipai update` from the managed shim."); return; }
  if (mode === "source" || mode === "unknown") { emit(options, { mode, action: "manual" }, "This appears to be a source checkout. Update it with `git pull` followed by `pnpm install`; Paperclip will not mutate the repository."); return; }
  if (!options.check && !options.dryRun) assertSupportedNodeVersion();
  const request = resolveUpdateRequest(mode === "managed" ? manifest : null, options);
  if (mode === "managed" && manifest?.source === "git") {
    if (!manifest.repo || !manifest.ref || !manifest.sha) throw new Error("Managed git install metadata is incomplete.");
    if (/^[0-9a-f]{7,40}$/i.test(manifest.ref)) { emit(options, { mode, source: "git", pinned: true, sha: manifest.sha }, `Git install is pinned at ${manifest.sha.slice(0, 12)}.`); return; }
    const targetSha = await resolveGitHubRef(manifest.repo, manifest.ref, runCommand);
    if (targetSha === manifest.sha) { emit(options, { mode, source: "git", changed: false, sha: targetSha, ref: manifest.ref }, `${manifest.repo}@${manifest.ref} is already at ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}.`); return; }
    if (options.check || options.dryRun) { emit(options, { mode, source: "git", changed: true, currentSha: manifest.sha, targetSha, ref: manifest.ref, dryRun: Boolean(options.dryRun) }, `Git update available: ${manifest.sha.slice(0, 12)} → ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}.`); if (options.check) process.exitCode = 10; return; }
    if (options.yes !== true) {
      const confirmed = await (overrides.confirm ?? defaultConfirm)(`Update from ${manifest.repo}@${manifest.ref} and execute build scripts from commit ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}?`);
      if (!confirmed) throw new Error("Git update cancelled. Re-run with --yes to confirm executing build scripts from the updated commit.");
    }
    if (options.backup !== false) await runPreUpdateBackup(options, overrides.backup ?? (() => dbBackupCommand({})), overrides.hasInstanceData);
    const installed = await withInstallStoreLock(async () => {
      assertManagedShimWritable(paths);
      const payload = await installGitPayload(manifest.repo!, targetSha, runCommand, paths);
      writeManagedShim(paths);
      const record: InstallRecord = { source: "git", version: payload.version, channel: "pinned", repo: manifest.repo, ref: manifest.ref, sha: targetSha, payloadPath: payload.payloadPath, installedAt: (overrides.now?.() ?? new Date()).toISOString() };
      const next = buildNextManifest(record, manifest); const oldTarget = fs.readlinkSync(paths.currentPath); flipCurrentAtomic(payload.payloadPath, paths);
      try { writeInstallManifestAtomic(next, paths); } catch (error) { flipCurrentAtomic(path.resolve(paths.cliRoot, oldTarget), paths); throw error; }
      pruneInstallPayloads(next, paths); return payload;
    }, paths);

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