xai-org/grok-build · error

{LOCAL_WORKSPACE_HOME_DENIED}

Error message

{LOCAL_WORKSPACE_HOME_DENIED}

What it means

As a safety rail, `validate_local_workspace_cwd` refuses to use the filesystem root `/` or the user's home directory as the local workspace, bailing with `LOCAL_WORKSPACE_HOME_DENIED` (session_startup.rs:517 and 522). This prevents the agent from operating on the whole home tree by accident. The check is skipped when GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ALLOW_HOME is truthy.

Source

Thrown at crates/codegen/xai-grok-pager/src/app/session_startup.rs:522

            abs.display()
        )
    })?;
    if !canon.is_dir() {
        anyhow::bail!(
            "local workspace cwd must be an existing directory: {}",
            canon.display()
        );
    }
    if env_truthy(GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ALLOW_HOME_ENV) {
        return Ok(canon);
    }
    if canon == std::path::Path::new("/") {
        anyhow::bail!("{LOCAL_WORKSPACE_HOME_DENIED}");
    }
    if let Some(home_path) = xai_dirs::home_dir() {
        let home_canon = home_path.canonicalize().unwrap_or(home_path);
        if canon == home_canon {
            anyhow::bail!("{LOCAL_WORKSPACE_HOME_DENIED}");
        }
    }
    Ok(canon)
}
/// Banner and first-run confirm for the local-workspace own and attach modes.
///
/// Skip confirm only with `GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ACK=1` or a prior ack file.
/// Non-TTY without ACK refuses (fail closed).
#[cfg(feature = "local-workspace")]
pub fn emit_local_workspace_startup_ux(cfg: &LocalWorkspaceConfig) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
    use std::io::IsTerminal;
    emit_local_workspace_startup_ux_with(cfg, std::io::stdin().is_terminal())
}
/// Testable UX gate: `stdin_is_terminal` is injected.
#[cfg(feature = "local-workspace")]
pub fn emit_local_workspace_startup_ux_with(
    cfg: &LocalWorkspaceConfig,
    stdin_is_terminal: bool,

View on GitHub (pinned to bc7f02eddd)

Solutions

1. Choose a dedicated project subdirectory instead of $HOME or `/`
2. Set GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ALLOW_HOME=1 only if you truly intend home/root scope
3. cd into a project directory before launching so the default cwd is not home
4. Check for symlinks that canonicalize to $HOME

Example fix

// before
cd ~
grok-pager --chat --local-workspace
// after
cd ~/projects/my-app
grok-pager --chat --local-workspace

fn is_denied_workspace(p: &std::path::Path) -> bool {
    let canon = p.canonicalize().unwrap_or_else(|_| p.to_path_buf());
    canon == std::path::Path::new("/")
        || std::env::var("HOME").ok().map(|h| std::path::PathBuf::from(h).canonicalize().unwrap_or(std::path::PathBuf::from(h))) == Some(canon.clone())
        || canon.parent().is_none()
}

match validate_local_workspace_cwd(&cwd) {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("HOME_DENIED") || e.to_string().contains("denied") => {
        eprintln!("pick a project subdirectory (or set GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_ALLOW_HOME=1 deliberately): {e}")
    }
    other => other?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting the workspace cwd (CLI or env) to `/`, to `$HOME` exactly, or to any path that canonicalizes to home (e.g. `/home/user`, symlinked home, `~` alone) without the allow-home env override.

Common situations: Leaving GROK_CHAT_LOCAL_WORKSPACE_CWD unset-but-enabled so it falls back to $HOME; launching from the home directory with cwd-only semantics; symlink alias resolving to home.

Related errors

• local workspace cwd must exist and be canonicalizable: {}: {
• local workspace cwd must be an existing directory: {}
• no .git file or directory found at {}
• Not a directory: {path}
• path '{}' is not within git repository '{}'

AI-assisted analysis of xai-org/grok-build@bc7f02eddd (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e733b5241af3b8f9. Report an issue: GitHub.