paperclipai/paperclip · critical · Error

Refusing to remove unverified install store ${paths.cliRoot}

Error message

Refusing to remove unverified install store ${paths.cliRoot}.

What it means

Thrown by assertManagedInstallStore() when attempting to lstatSync the marker file fails with ENOENT — the marker file (.managed-install) does not exist at all. Without a valid marker the library cannot confirm the store is Paperclip-managed, so it refuses to proceed with removal. The message is shared with two other checks (lines 132, 136) but this specific throw is the missing-file case.

Source

Thrown at cli/src/install-store.ts:127

      ) {
        throw writeError;
      }
    }
  }
}

export function assertManagedInstallStore(paths = resolveInstallStorePaths()): InstallManifest {
  const cliStat = fs.lstatSync(paths.cliRoot);
  if (!cliStat.isDirectory() || cliStat.isSymbolicLink()) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to remove unsafe install-store path ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
  }
  assertOwnedByCurrentUser(cliStat, paths.cliRoot);
  let markerStat: fs.Stats;
  try {
    markerStat = fs.lstatSync(paths.markerPath);
  } catch (error) {
    if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === "ENOENT") {
      throw new Error(`Refusing to remove unverified install store ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
    }
    throw error;
  }
  if (!markerStat.isFile() || markerStat.isSymbolicLink() || markerStat.nlink > 1) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to remove unverified install store ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
  }
  assertOwnedByCurrentUser(markerStat, paths.markerPath);
  if (fs.readFileSync(paths.markerPath, "utf8") !== MANAGED_STORE_MARKER) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to remove unverified install store ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
  }
  const manifest = readInstallManifest(paths);
  if (!manifest) throw new Error(`Refusing to remove install store without a manifest at ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
  const relativePayload = path.relative(paths.installsRoot, path.resolve(manifest.payloadPath));
  if (!relativePayload || relativePayload.startsWith("..") || path.isAbsolute(relativePayload)) {
    throw new Error(`Refusing to remove install store with an invalid manifest at ${paths.cliRoot}.`);
  }
  return manifest;
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 67001ec6eb)

Solutions

1. If the store is stale, remove the entire cliRoot manually ('rm -rf ~/.paperclip/cli') since the library cannot safely verify it.
2. If you want to keep the store, run initializeInstallStore() (or 'paperclipai install') to write a fresh marker — but only if you trust the directory contents.
3. Restore the marker from a known-good backup if available.
4. Do not fabricate a marker by hand unless you are certain the directory is a genuine Paperclip store.

Example fix

$ ls ~/.paperclip/cli/.managed-install
ls: .managed-install: No such file or directory
$ rm -rf ~/.paperclip/cli
$ paperclipai install   # recreates store + marker

import fs from "node:fs";
import { resolveInstallStorePaths } from "./install-store.js";

function markerExists(paths = resolveInstallStorePaths()): boolean {
  try { fs.lstatSync(paths.markerPath); return true; } catch { return false; }
}

import fs from "node:fs";

function markerPresent(markerPath: string): boolean {
  try { fs.lstatSync(markerPath); return true; } catch (e) {
    return (e as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== "ENOENT";
  }
}

try {
  assertManagedInstallStore(paths);
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof Error && err.message.includes("unverified install store")) {
    console.error("Marker missing. To reset: rm -rf ~/.paperclip/cli && paperclipai install");
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Called assertManagedInstallStore() where paths.markerPath does not exist on disk (the catch around lstatSync rethrows with ENOENT mapped to this refusal).

Common situations: 1) The store directory exists but the marker was manually deleted. 2) A partial uninstall removed the marker but left cliRoot. 3) The directory was hand-created without going through initializeInstallStore. 4) A sync tool excluded the dotfile marker.

Related errors

• Refusing to use unsafe install-store marker ${paths.markerPa
• Refusing to use unrecognized install store ${paths.cliRoot}.
• Refusing to remove unsafe install-store path ${paths.cliRoot
• Refusing to use non-directory install-store path ${directory
• Refusing to modify path not owned by the current user: ${tar

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@67001ec6eb (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/edce6e63082b08a0. Report an issue: GitHub.