Refusing to write service definition through unsafe…

Error message

Refusing to write service definition through unsafe directory ${directoryPath}.

What it means

writeIfChanged checks the directory that will hold the service definition and found it (after mkdir) is not a plain directory, e.g. resolves through a symlink; writing there is refused as unsafe.

Solutions

Use a safe, non-symlink directory for the service definition: ${directoryPath}.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/services/service-manager.ts:142 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/59c7b5b33949247b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/services/service-manager.ts:142

    <key>PAPERCLIP_INSTANCE_ID</key><string>${escapeXml(input.instanceId)}</string>
    <key>PAPERCLIP_HOME</key><string>${escapeXml(input.homeDir)}</string>
  </dict>
  <key>RunAtLoad</key><true/>
  <key>KeepAlive</key><true/>
  <key>ThrottleInterval</key><integer>5</integer>
  <key>ExitTimeOut</key><integer>300</integer>
  <key>StandardOutPath</key><string>${escapeXml(input.stdoutPath)}</string>
  <key>StandardErrorPath</key><string>${escapeXml(input.stderrPath)}</string>
</dict>
</plist>
`;
}

async function writeIfChanged(filePath: string, contents: string): Promise<boolean> {
  const directoryPath = path.dirname(filePath);
  await fs.mkdir(directoryPath, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
  const directoryStat = await fs.lstat(directoryPath);
  if (!directoryStat.isDirectory() || directoryStat.isSymbolicLink()) throw new Error(`Refusing to write service definition through unsafe directory ${directoryPath}.`);
  const currentUid = process.getuid?.();
  if (currentUid !== undefined && directoryStat.uid !== currentUid) throw new Error(`Refusing to write service definition in directory not owned by the current user: ${directoryPath}.`);
  try {
    const stat = await fs.lstat(filePath);
    if (!stat.isFile() || stat.isSymbolicLink() || stat.nlink > 1) throw new Error(`Refusing to replace unsafe service definition ${filePath}.`);
    if (currentUid !== undefined && stat.uid !== currentUid) throw new Error(`Refusing to replace service definition not owned by the current user: ${filePath}.`);
    if (await fs.readFile(filePath, "utf8") === contents) return false;
  } catch (error) {
    if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== "ENOENT") throw error;
  }
  const temporaryPath = path.join(directoryPath, `.${path.basename(filePath)}.tmp-${process.pid}-${Date.now()}`);
  try {
    await fs.writeFile(temporaryPath, contents, { encoding: "utf8", mode: 0o644, flag: "wx" });
    await fs.rename(temporaryPath, filePath);
  } finally {
    await fs.rm(temporaryPath, { force: true });
  }
  return true;

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