stablyai/orca · error · Error

Access denied: unknown repository or worktree path

Error message

Access denied: unknown repository or worktree path

What it means

Thrown by `resolveRegisteredWorktreePath` after all resolution attempts fail: the resolved target is neither in the `registeredWorktreeRoots` set, a repo root, nor normalizes (via `normalizeExistingPath`) to a registered root. Linked worktrees are trusted only when they appear in `git worktree list` registration, not by directory containment, so an unregistered path is rejected even if it looks like a worktree.

Source

Thrown at src/main/ipc/filesystem-auth.ts:434

  if (registeredWorktreeRoots.has(resolvedTarget) || isRepoRoot(store.getRepos(), resolvedTarget)) {
    return resolvedTarget
  }

  if (registeredWorktreeRootsDirty) {
    await ensureAuthorizedRootsCache(store)
  }

  if (registeredWorktreeRoots.has(resolvedTarget)) {
    return resolvedTarget
  }

  // Resolve symlinks only after the cheap registered-root check: on macOS realpath() can trigger TCC prompts.
  const normalizedTarget = await normalizeExistingPath(resolvedTarget)
  if (registeredWorktreeRoots.has(normalizedTarget)) {
    return normalizedTarget
  }

  throw new Error('Access denied: unknown repository or worktree path')
}

function refreshRegisteredWorktreeRoots(): void {
  registeredWorktreeRoots.clear()
  for (const roots of registeredWorktreeRootsByRepo.values()) {
    for (const root of roots) {
      registeredWorktreeRoots.add(root)
    }
  }
}

function allLocalRepoRootsRegistered(localRepoIds: Set<string>): boolean {
  for (const repoId of localRepoIds) {
    if (!registeredWorktreeRootRepoIds.has(repoId)) {
      return false
    }
  }
  return true

View on GitHub (pinned to 1136503c6a)

Solutions

1. Register the worktree with git from its owning repo (`git worktree add`) so it appears in `git worktree list`.
2. Call `invalidateAuthorizedRootsCache()` after worktree registration changes, then retry.
3. Pass the worktree root, not a subdirectory; resolve the root first if you hold a child path.

Example fix

// before
await resolveRegisteredWorktreePath(childPathInsideWorktree, store)

// after
const root = await resolveWorktreeRoot(childPathInsideWorktree)
invalidateAuthorizedRootsCache()
await resolveRegisteredWorktreePath(root, store)

// Confirm the path is a registered worktree root or repo root before resolving.
import { isRepoRoot } from '../repo-worktrees'
invalidateAuthorizedRootsCache() // pick up recent registrations
await ensureAuthorizedRootsCache(store)
if (!registeredWorktreeRoots.has(resolve(worktreePath)) && !isRepoRoot(store.getRepos(), resolve(worktreePath))) {
  // not registered; register via `git worktree add` or pick a registered root
  return null
}
await resolveRegisteredWorktreePath(worktreePath, store)

function isRegisteredRoot(p: string, set: Set<string>, repos: Repo[]): boolean {
  return set.has(p) || isRepoRoot(repos, p)
}

try {
  return await resolveRegisteredWorktreePath(worktreePath, store)
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Access denied: unknown repository or worktree path') {
    // path is not a git-registered worktree; register it or pass its root
    throw new UnregisteredWorktreeError(e.message)
  }
  throw e
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `resolveRegisteredWorktreePath(worktreePath, store)` with a path that is not the root of any repo and not a worktree registered via `git worktree list` for any known repo.

Common situations: Worktree was created outside Orca and never registered; worktree was deleted/moved and its registration removed between listing and resolution; path points at a subdirectory of a worktree rather than its root; cache is dirty and `ensureAuthorizedRootsCache` did not pick up the repo.

Understand the failure class

• Authentication and authorization failures — expired tokens, bad credentials, and missing scopes.

Related errors

• Access denied: git file path escapes the selected worktree
• Access denied: path resolves outside allowed directories. If
• Access denied: invalid worktree path
• Access denied: invalid git file path
• No worktrees on environment ${envName}

AI-assisted analysis of stablyai/orca@1136503c6a (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ec701e99a56cecb1. Report an issue: GitHub.