paperclipai/paperclip · error · Error

Refusing to modify path not owned by the current user

Error message

Refusing to modify path not owned by the current user: ${targetPath}.

What it means

assertOwnedByCurrentUser compared the filesystem owner uid of a store path with the process uid and they differ; the guard refuses to modify paths not owned by the current user.

Solutions

1. Change ownership of ${targetPath} to the current user (e.g. `sudo chown $USER ${targetPath}`).
2. Choose an install path owned by the current user.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/install-store.ts:53 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@01ad858492 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/753e532c60288fc9. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/install-store.ts:53

  markerPath: string;
  lockPath: string;
  currentPath: string;
  shimPath: string;
};

function ensurePrivateDirectory(directoryPath: string): void {
  fs.mkdirSync(directoryPath, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
  const stat = fs.lstatSync(directoryPath);
  if (!stat.isDirectory() || stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to use non-directory install-store path ${directoryPath}.`);
  }
  fs.chmodSync(directoryPath, 0o700);
}

function assertOwnedByCurrentUser(stat: fs.Stats, targetPath: string): void {
  const getuid = process.getuid;
  if (typeof getuid === "function" && stat.uid !== getuid()) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to modify path not owned by the current user: ${targetPath}.`);
  }
}

function writeFileAtomic(filePath: string, contents: string, mode: number): void {
  const temporaryPath = path.join(
    path.dirname(filePath),
    `.${path.basename(filePath)}.tmp-${process.pid}-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2)}`,
  );
  try {
    fs.writeFileSync(temporaryPath, contents, { mode, flag: "wx" });
    fs.renameSync(temporaryPath, filePath);
  } finally {
    fs.rmSync(temporaryPath, { force: true });
  }
}

export function resolveInstallStorePaths(options: {
  paperclipHome?: string;

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