siyuan-note/siyuan · error

errors.New(msg) with Conf.Language(5) template: move failure

Error message

errors.New(msg) with Conf.Language(5) template: move failure message shown to user

What it means

Box.Move renames a path inside a notebook via filelock.Rename (called from moveDoc). On failure it formats the localized template Conf.Language(5) with box name, source path and OS error, and returns errors.New(msg).

Source

Thrown at kernel/model/box.go:520

	IncSync()
	return nil
}

func (box *Box) Move(oldPath, newPath string) error {
	if _, err := box.validateBoxPath(oldPath); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if _, err := box.validateBoxPath(newPath); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	boxLocalPath := filepath.Join(util.DataDir, box.ID)
	fromPath := filepath.Join(boxLocalPath, oldPath)
	toPath := filepath.Join(boxLocalPath, newPath)

	if err := filelock.Rename(fromPath, toPath); err != nil {
		msg := fmt.Sprintf(Conf.Language(5), box.Name, fromPath, err)
		logging.LogErrorf("move [path=%s] in box [%s] failed: %s", fromPath, box.Name, err)
		return errors.New(msg)
	}

	if oldDir := path.Dir(oldPath); ast.IsNodeIDPattern(path.Base(oldDir)) {
		fromDir := filepath.Join(boxLocalPath, oldDir)
		if util.IsEmptyDir(fromDir) {
			filelock.Remove(fromDir)
		}
	}
	IncSync()
	return nil
}

func (box *Box) Remove(path string) error {
	if _, err := box.validateBoxPath(path); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	boxLocalPath := filepath.Join(util.DataDir, box.ID)
	filePath := filepath.Join(boxLocalPath, path)

View on GitHub (pinned to 8641553a1f)

Solutions

1. Read the OS error inside the message (e.g. 'no such file', 'file exists')
2. Pick a destination name/path that does not already exist
3. Retry after concurrent edits/syncs settle; ensure the source document still exists
4. Avoid moving across mount points; keep the whole workspace on one filesystem

if _, err := os.Stat(fromPath); err != nil { return errors.New("source document missing") }; if _, err := os.Stat(toPath); err == nil { return errors.New("destination already exists") }

if err := box.Move(oldPath, newPath); err != nil { showErrorToUser(err.Error()) }

When it happens

Trigger: Renaming/moving a document when the source is missing, the destination already exists, or the filesystem cannot perform the rename (cross-device link, permission denied, path traversal already excluded by validation).

Common situations: Two clients moving the same doc concurrently; destination name already taken (duplicate title); data dir on a network mount where rename semantics differ; doc deleted externally before the move.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• install marketplace package failed: %w; rollback failed: %s
• errors.New(msg) with Conf.Language(6) template: mkdir all fa
• msg = fmt.Sprintf(Conf.Language(5), fromBox.Name, fromPath,
• rename path failed
• rollback [%s] to [%s] failed: %w

AI-assisted analysis of siyuan-note/siyuan@8641553a1f (2026-09-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b8965ed1bbecac52. Report an issue: GitHub.