tauri-apps/tauri · error

failed to define permissions for `core:default

Error message

failed to define permissions for `core:default` : {e}

What it means

After writing the core default set, `define_default_permission_set` runs `tauri_utils::acl::build::define_permissions` over the core permissions directory with the `tauri:core` plugin name. Any validation/parse error in those files causes this panic. It indicates a malformed core permission definition or an ACL format mismatch.

Solutions

1. Inspect the wrapped `{e}` for the specific file/line and fix the offending core permission TOML.
2. If using a fork/vendored tauri, update your patched permission files to the current ACL schema.
3. Ensure tauri and tauri-utils crate versions are consistent (same workspace/lockfile); run `cargo update -p tauri-utils` if needed.
4. git restore the crates/tauri/permissions directory to undo accidental edits.

Example fix

// before: merged conflict markers left in a permission toml
<<<<<<< HEAD
identifier = "core:app:default"
=======
// after
git checkout -- crates/tauri/permissions/

# verify no conflict markers or edits remain in core permissions
grep -rE '^(<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>|=======)$' crates/tauri/permissions/ && echo 'resolve conflicts first'

When it happens

Trigger: `define_permissions` is invoked with the glob for `crates/tauri/permissions/**/ *.toml` and returns Err — invalid TOML, an invalid permission identifier, or a reference to a nonexistent permission — during core `tauri` crate compilation.

Common situations: Building a patched/modified copy of tauri with edited permission files; version mismatch where vendored tauri-utils differs from tauri; corrupted checkout after a bad merge.

Understand the failure class

Background: Schema validation failed / invalid input schema: payload rejected because its shape doesn't match the expected schema — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• failed to define permissions for
• unable to autogenerate core:default set
• invalid JSON schema for plugin
• Permission not found, expected one of
• unable to autogenerate

AI-assisted analysis of tauri-apps/tauri@460ec35447 (2026-09-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b5b8a09859bd299e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/tauri/build.rs:478

      .map(|(k, _)| format!("\"{k}:default\""))
      .collect::<Vec<_>>()
      .join(",")
  );

  write_if_changed(default_toml, toml_content)
    .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("unable to autogenerate core:default set"));

  tauri_utils::acl::build::define_permissions(
    &PathBuf::from(glob::Pattern::escape(
      &permissions_out_dir.to_string_lossy(),
    ))
    .join("*.toml")
    .to_string_lossy(),
    "tauri:core",
    out_dir,
    |_| true,
  )
  .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to define permissions for `core:default` : {e}"))
}

fn embed_manifest_for_tests() {
  static WINDOWS_MANIFEST_FILE: &str = "windows-app-manifest.xml";

  let manifest = std::env::current_dir()
    .unwrap()
    .join("../tauri-build/src")
    .join(WINDOWS_MANIFEST_FILE);

  println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", manifest.display());
  // Embed the Windows application manifest file.
  println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=/MANIFEST:EMBED");
  println!(
    "cargo:rustc-link-arg=/MANIFESTINPUT:{}",
    manifest.to_str().unwrap()
  );
  // Turn linker warnings into errors.

View on GitHub (pinned to 460ec35447)