zed-industries/zed · error

Cannot register URL scheme until app is installed

Error message

Cannot register URL scheme until app is installed

What it means

Guard in register_url_scheme: NSWorkspace.URLForApplicationWithBundleIdentifier returned nil — the bundle identifier exists but the application is not actually installed at a location Launch Services knows (common right after building but before copying to /Applications).

Source

Thrown at crates/gpui_macos/src/platform.rs:780

    fn register_url_scheme(&self, scheme: &str) -> Task<anyhow::Result<()>> {
        use objc2_foundation::{NSBundle, NSError, NSString};

        // API only available post Monterey
        // https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nsworkspace/3753004-setdefaultapplicationaturl
        let (done_tx, done_rx) = oneshot::channel();
        if Self::os_version() < Version::new(12, 0, 0) {
            return Task::ready(Err(anyhow!(
                "macOS 12.0 or later is required to register URL schemes"
            )));
        }

        let Some(bundle_id) = NSBundle::mainBundle().bundleIdentifier() else {
            return Task::ready(Err(anyhow!("Can only register URL scheme in bundled apps")));
        };

        let workspace = NSWorkspace::sharedWorkspace();
        let Some(app) = workspace.URLForApplicationWithBundleIdentifier(&bundle_id) else {
            return Task::ready(Err(anyhow!(
                "Cannot register URL scheme until app is installed"
            )));
        };

        let scheme = NSString::from_str(scheme);

        let done_tx = Cell::new(Some(done_tx));
        let handler = RcBlock::new(move |error: *mut NSError| {
            let result = if let Some(error) = unsafe { error.as_ref() } {
                Err(anyhow!(
                    "Failed to register: {}",
                    error.localizedDescription()
                ))
            } else {
                Ok(())
            };

            if let Some(done_tx) = done_tx.take() {

View on GitHub (pinned to 9d272b0363)

Solutions

1. Install/copy the app to /Applications (or register its location with Launch Services) before registering schemes
2. Re-register with lsregister if the app was moved and Launch Services state is stale
3. Retry registration after the app is confirmed present at its registered path

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at crates/gpui_macos/src/platform.rs:748 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of zed-industries/zed@9d272b0363 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/766fb8aec7f6584a. Report an issue: GitHub.