plandex-ai/plandex · error

failed to remove %s: %w

Error message

failed to remove %s: %w

What it means

During rewind apply, os.Remove fails on a file that must be deleted (its target content is empty) and the file does exist (IsNotExist is tolerated). Real removal failures are permissions, directories-as-files, or file locks.

Source

Thrown at app/cli/lib/rewind.go:277

	if len(requiredChanges) == 0 {
		return nil
	}

	// Track directories that might need cleanup
	dirsToCheck := make(map[string]bool)
	var mu sync.Mutex

	errCh := make(chan error, len(requiredChanges))

	for path, content := range requiredChanges {
		go func(path, content string) {
			dstPath := filepath.Join(fs.ProjectRoot, path)

			if content == "" {
				// Remove the file
				err := os.Remove(dstPath)
				if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
					errCh <- fmt.Errorf("failed to remove %s: %w", path, err)
					return
				}
				// Mark parent directory for cleanup
				parentDir := filepath.Dir(dstPath)
				mu.Lock()
				dirsToCheck[parentDir] = true
				mu.Unlock()
				errCh <- nil
				return
			}

			// Ensure directory exists
			if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(dstPath), 0755); err != nil {
				errCh <- fmt.Errorf("failed to create directory for %s: %w", path, err)
				return
			}

			// Write the file

View on GitHub (pinned to e2d772072e)

Solutions

1. Check the wrapped error for permission or EBUSY conditions
2. Manually remove the file if it is locked by another process
3. Re-run the rewind; already-removed files are skipped via IsNotExist tolerance

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at app/cli/lib/rewind.go:277 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of plandex-ai/plandex@e2d772072e (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/471cbc4002de60d8. Report an issue: GitHub.