zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw · error · anyhow::Error

cli-skills-multiple-locations-bundle

cli-skills-multiple-locations-bundle

Error message

skill '{$name}' exists in multiple locations ({$locations}); pass --bundle to choose one

What it means

`skills remove <name>` without --bundle found the same skill name in more than one location — several bundles and/or the global dir. Removal would be ambiguous, so the CLI lists the locations (labels like bundle:<alias> and global) in the error and requires --bundle to pick one. Nothing is deleted when this fires.

Source

Thrown at src/skills/mod.rs:462

                            anyhow::bail!("Skill path escapes skills directory: {name}");
                        }
                        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir)?;
                        println!(
                            "{}",
                            get_required_cli_string_with_args(
                                "cli-skills-removed-global",
                                &[("status", &status), ("name", &name)],
                            )
                        );
                    }
                }
                many => {
                    let locs = many
                        .iter()
                        .map(|(l, _)| l.clone())
                        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
                        .join(", ");
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "{}",
                        get_required_cli_string_with_args(
                            "cli-skills-multiple-locations-bundle",
                            &[("name", &name), ("locations", &locs)],
                        )
                    );
                }
            }
            Ok(())
        }
        crate::SkillCommands::Add {
            name,
            bundle,
            description,
            license,
            author,
            version,
            category,

View on GitHub (pinned to 88bb9c8533)

Solutions

Pick the location to delete from the labels printed in the error and re-run with --bundle <alias>
Repeat per location until the copies you want gone are removed
Alternatively scope with --agent to restrict the search to that agent's assigned bundles

Example fix

# before
zeroclaw skills remove foo        # error: bundle:work, global

# after
zeroclaw skills remove foo --bundle work

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// In automation, always disambiguate explicitly so this branch cannot fire:
// zeroclaw skills remove foo --bundle <alias>
// Determine candidate locations first via `zeroclaw skills list` (labels per bundle/global).

Try / catch

if let Err(e) = cmd().await {
    if e.to_string().contains("multiple locations") {
        // parse the locations list from the message and re-run once with --bundle
    }
}

Prevention

Pass --bundle (or --agent) on every scripted remove
Avoid installing the same skill name globally and into bundles simultaneously
During global→bundle migration, remove the global copy before adding the bundle one

When it happens

Trigger: A skill installed globally and later also into a bundle; the same catalog skill installed for two agents with different bundles; duplicates left behind after a bundle rename.

Common situations: Phased migration from global skills to bundle-managed skills; teams reusing a skill name across bundles; testing a bundle copy while keeping the global original.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw@88bb9c8533 (2026-08-23). Data as JSON: /api/errors/be67335242e5768f. Report an issue: GitHub.