plandex-ai/plandex · error

error executing command: %v

Error message

error executing command: %v

What it means

Thrown by handleRunCommand when lib.ExecPlandexCommand fails to execute the constructed 'tell' or 'chat' command with the -f file argument. This wraps any error from launching/running the subcommand, including non-zero exits or exec failures.

Source

Thrown at app/cli/cmd/repl.go:1085

	filePath := args[0]

	// Check if file exists
	if _, err := os.Stat(filePath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
		return fmt.Errorf("file does not exist: %s", filePath)
	}

	// Build command based on current mode
	var cmdArgs []string
	if lib.CurrentReplState.Mode == lib.ReplModeTell {
		cmdArgs = []string{"tell", "-f", filePath}
	} else {
		cmdArgs = []string{"chat", "-f", filePath}
	}

	// Execute the command
	_, err := lib.ExecPlandexCommand(cmdArgs)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error executing command: %v", err)
	}

	return nil
}

func getPromptOpt(cmd string) string {
	asPrompt := cmd
	if len(asPrompt) > 20 {
		asPrompt = asPrompt[:20] + "..."
	}
	return fmt.Sprintf("Send '%s' as a prompt to the AI model", asPrompt)
}

type suggestCmdsResult struct {
	shouldReturn bool
	matchedCmd   string
}

View on GitHub (pinned to e2d772072e)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped error (%v) for the underlying cause
2. Verify the plandex binary is installed and on PATH
3. Re-authenticate if the subcommand failed on auth
4. Run the equivalent command directly (plandex tell -f <file>) to isolate the failure

Example fix

// before
_, err := lib.ExecPlandexCommand(cmdArgs)
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("error executing command: %v", err)
}
// after
_, err := lib.ExecPlandexCommand(cmdArgs)
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("error executing command %v: %w", cmdArgs, err)
}

if !fileExists(filePath) { return fmt.Errorf("file does not exist") }
if _, err := exec.LookPath(os.Args[0]); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("plandex executable not found on PATH")
}

_, err := lib.ExecPlandexCommand(cmdArgs)
if err != nil {
    var exitErr *exec.ExitError
    if errors.As(err, &exitErr) {
        return fmt.Errorf("subcommand failed with exit %d", exitErr.ExitCode())
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: ExecPlandexCommand(cmdArgs) returns an error — the executable is not on PATH, the subcommand itself fails (e.g. auth, network), or args are malformed.

Common situations: Running the REPL from a partially installed binary, underlying 'tell'/'chat' failing due to auth or network issues, permission denied on the executable.

Related errors

• run command requires exactly one file path argument
• file does not exist: %s
• error selecting account: account not found
• error signing in: %v
• error selecting or signing in to account: %v

AI-assisted analysis of plandex-ai/plandex@e2d772072e (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/896a89e6c7c9711e. Report an issue: GitHub.