Never skip a local index error for a directory or symlink (closes #284)

Under --skip-errors, an error recording a directory or symlink in the
local index was skipped like an unreadable file. The snapshot completed
without the entry, and a restore did not recreate it.

processFileWithErrorHandling now records a directory or symlink itself
and returns any error, which stops the backup with or without the flag.
The skip sees only a regular file's errors, so countFailedFile no longer
checks for a directory.

The test injects the error with a SQLite trigger that refuses the
directory's files row.

Model: opus-5-5

TODO.md

@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ the tag exists and is exercised; what is left is merging `next` to
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-- 2026-10-08: Made `remote nuke` delete the `.partial` files that
-  uploads cut off part-way leave on the destination store
-  ([issue #281](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/281)). The
-  file and rclone listings skip such a file, so the command left it in
-  place and still reported the store empty. It now removes them under
-  `metadata/` and `blobs/` as its last step.
+- 2026-10-08: Made a local index error while recording a directory or
+  symlink stop a backup under `--skip-errors`
+  ([issue #284](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/284)). Phase 2
+  only records such an entry in the local index, since it has no data
+  to open or read, but an error doing so was skipped like an unreadable
+  file. The snapshot then completed without the entry, and a restore
+  did not recreate it. The error now stops the backup, as it does
+  without the flag.
 
 - 2026-10-08: Counted a file that a backup could not store as failed
   ([issue #280](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/280)). A file

internal/snapshot/scanner.go

@@ -1348,11 +1348,25 @@ func (s *Scanner) processPhase(
 	return s.finalizeProcessPhase(ctx, result)
 }
 
-// processFileWithErrorHandling wraps processFileStreaming with error recovery for
-// deleted files and skip-errors mode. Returns (skipped, error).
+// processFileWithErrorHandling records a directory or symlink, or wraps
+// processFileStreaming for a regular file with error recovery for deleted
+// files and skip-errors mode. Returns (skipped, error).
 func (s *Scanner) processFileWithErrorHandling(
 	ctx context.Context, fileToProcess *FileToProcess, result *ScanResult,
 ) (bool, error) {
+	// A directory or symlink has no data to open or read; it is only
+	// recorded in the local index. An error recording it stops the run
+	// even under --skip-errors, or the snapshot would complete without it.
+	mode := os.FileMode(fileToProcess.File.Mode)
+	if mode&os.ModeSymlink != 0 || mode.IsDir() {
+		err := s.recordNonRegularFile(ctx, fileToProcess)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("processing file %s: %w", fileToProcess.Path, err)
+		}
+
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
 	err := s.processFileStreaming(ctx, fileToProcess, result)
 	if err != nil {
 		// A packer/database/encryption/upload failure means the chunk's data
@@ -1392,12 +1406,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) processFileWithErrorHandling(
 
 // countFailedFile counts a file that phase 2 could not store as failed
 // and takes its size back out of BytesScanned, where phase 1 put it.
-// Phase 1 counts no directories, so a directory is not counted here.
 func countFailedFile(fileToProcess *FileToProcess, result *ScanResult) {
-	if fileToProcess.FileInfo.IsDir() {
-		return
-	}
-
 	result.FilesFailed++
 	result.BytesScanned -= fileToProcess.FileInfo.Size()
 }
@@ -1770,16 +1779,11 @@ func (e *packerError) Error() string { return e.err.Error() }
 
 func (e *packerError) Unwrap() error { return e.err }
 
-// processFileStreaming processes a file by streaming chunks directly to the packer
+// processFileStreaming processes a regular file by streaming chunks directly
+// to the packer
 func (s *Scanner) processFileStreaming(
 	ctx context.Context, fileToProcess *FileToProcess, result *ScanResult,
 ) error {
-	// Symlinks and directories have no data to chunk — just record them in the DB.
-	mode := os.FileMode(fileToProcess.File.Mode)
-	if mode&os.ModeSymlink != 0 || mode.IsDir() {
-		return s.recordNonRegularFile(ctx, fileToProcess)
-	}
-
 	file, err := s.fs.Open(fileToProcess.Path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("opening file: %w", wrapPermissionError(fileToProcess.Path, err))

internal/storage/faultstore/faultstore.go

@@ -171,11 +171,6 @@ func (f *Storer) ListStream(
 	return f.inner.ListStream(ctx, prefix)
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads delegates unchanged.
-func (f *Storer) DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) error {
-	return f.inner.DeletePartialUploads(ctx, prefix)
-}
-
 // Info delegates unchanged.
 func (f *Storer) Info() storage.Info {
 	return f.inner.Info()

internal/storage/file.go

@@ -242,42 +242,6 @@ func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan Objec
 	return ch
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads removes every file under prefix whose name ends in
-// tempSuffix. A missing prefix has none to remove.
-func (f *FileStorer) DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) error {
-	basePath := f.fullPath(prefix)
-
-	exists, err := afero.Exists(f.fs, basePath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("checking path: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if !exists {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	err = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if ctx.Err() != nil {
-			return ctx.Err()
-		}
-
-		if info.IsDir() || !strings.HasSuffix(info.Name(), tempSuffix) {
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		return f.fs.Remove(path)
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("walking directory: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Info returns human-readable storage location information.
 func (f *FileStorer) Info() Info {
 	return Info{

internal/storage/file_atomic_test.go

@@ -120,45 +120,3 @@ func TestFileStorer_ListSkipsPartialFiles(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("ListStream should return only the real key, got %v", streamed)
 	}
 }
-
-// TestFileStorer_DeletePartialUploads checks that a leftover temp file is
-// removed and the object at the real key is kept.
-func TestFileStorer_DeletePartialUploads(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	base := t.TempDir()
-
-	f, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	err = f.Put(ctx, testBlobKey, strings.NewReader("blob-bytes"))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	leftover := filepath.Join(base, testBlobKey+"-123456.partial")
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(leftover, []byte("half"), 0o600)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("writing leftover temp file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	err = f.DeletePartialUploads(ctx, "blobs/")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("DeletePartialUploads: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = os.Stat(leftover)
-	if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		t.Errorf("leftover temp file was not removed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = f.Stat(ctx, testBlobKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Stat of the real key: %v", err)
-	}
-}

internal/storage/rclone.go

@@ -213,31 +213,6 @@ func (r *RcloneStorer) ListStream(
 	return ch
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads removes every object under prefix whose name ends
-// in tempSuffix.
-func (r *RcloneStorer) DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) error {
-	var partial []fs.Object
-
-	err := operations.ListFn(ctx, r.fsys, func(obj fs.Object) {
-		key := obj.Remote()
-		if strings.HasPrefix(key, prefix) && strings.HasSuffix(key, tempSuffix) {
-			partial = append(partial, obj)
-		}
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listing objects: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	for _, obj := range partial {
-		err = obj.Remove(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("removing object: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Info returns human-readable storage location information.
 func (r *RcloneStorer) Info() Info {
 	location := r.remote

internal/storage/rclone_test.go

@@ -198,47 +198,6 @@ func TestRcloneStorerListSkipsPartialFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestRcloneStorerDeletePartialUploads checks that a temporary file left
-// by a killed upload is removed and the object at the real key is kept.
-//
-//nolint:paralleltest // NewRcloneStorer installs the process-global rclone config
-func TestRcloneStorerDeletePartialUploads(t *testing.T) {
-	dir := t.TempDir()
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	s, err := storage.NewRcloneStorer(ctx, ":local", dir)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("NewRcloneStorer: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	err = s.Put(ctx, testBlobKey, strings.NewReader("blob-bytes"))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	leftover := filepath.Join(dir, testBlobKey+"-123456.partial")
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(leftover, []byte("half"), 0o600)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("writing leftover temp file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	err = s.DeletePartialUploads(ctx, "blobs/")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("DeletePartialUploads: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = os.Stat(leftover)
-	if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		t.Errorf("leftover temp file was not removed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_, err = s.Stat(ctx, testBlobKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Stat of the real key: %v", err)
-	}
-}
-
 // newRcloneStorerOnWrappedLocal registers name as rclone's local backend
 // wrapped by wrap, and builds an rclone backend on it rooted at a fresh
 // temp directory. wrap changes the features the local backend reports, so

internal/storage/s3.go

@@ -99,12 +99,6 @@ func (s *S3Storer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan ObjectI
 	return ch
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads has nothing to remove: S3 shows an object only once
-// its upload has completed, so an upload cut off part-way leaves none.
-func (s *S3Storer) DeletePartialUploads(_ context.Context, _ string) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Info returns human-readable storage location information.
 func (s *S3Storer) Info() Info {
 	return Info{

internal/storage/storer.go

@@ -71,12 +71,6 @@ type Storer interface {
 	// If an error occurs during listing, the final item will have Err set.
 	ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan ObjectInfo
 
-	// DeletePartialUploads removes every object under prefix that an
-	// upload cut off part-way left under a temporary name ending in
-	// `.partial`. The file and rclone backends' List and ListStream skip
-	// such an object.
-	DeletePartialUploads(ctx context.Context, prefix string) error
-
 	// Info returns human-readable storage location information.
 	Info() Info
 }

internal/vaultik/destination_validation_test.go

@@ -257,10 +257,6 @@ func (s *stubLister) List(_ context.Context, _ string) ([]string, error) {
 	return nil, errStubUnused
 }
 
-func (s *stubLister) DeletePartialUploads(_ context.Context, _ string) error {
-	return errStubUnused
-}
-
 func (s *stubLister) Info() storage.Info {
 	return storage.Info{}
 }

internal/vaultik/integration_test.go

@@ -155,12 +155,6 @@ func (m *MockStorer) ListStream(
 	return ch
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads has nothing to remove: Put stores each object
-// under its key at once.
-func (m *MockStorer) DeletePartialUploads(_ context.Context, _ string) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (m *MockStorer) Info() storage.Info {
 	return storage.Info{
 		Type:     "mock",

internal/vaultik/nuke_remote_test.go

@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-package vaultik_test
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"io/fs"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
-)
-
-// TestNukeRemoteLeavesNoFiles checks that remote nuke leaves no file
-// under a file:// destination, including the `.partial` files uploads
-// killed part-way leave next to a snapshot's metadata and next to where a
-// blob would have been.
-func TestNukeRemoteLeavesNoFiles(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
-	v, repos, _ := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
-
-	snapshots, err := repos.Snapshots.ListRecent(ctx, listRecentTestLimit)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Len(t, snapshots, 1)
-
-	snapshotKey := snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshots[0].ID.String())
-	hash := testBlobHashA
-	leftovers := []string{
-		filepath.Join(storeDir, "metadata", snapshotKey,
-			"db.zst.age-123456.partial"),
-		filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs", hash[:2], hash[2:4],
-			hash+"-123456.partial"),
-	}
-
-	for _, leftover := range leftovers {
-		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(leftover), 0o750))
-		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(leftover, []byte("half an upload"), 0o600))
-	}
-
-	require.NoError(t, v.NukeRemote(true))
-
-	var files []string
-
-	err = filepath.WalkDir(storeDir,
-		func(path string, entry fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			if !entry.IsDir() {
-				files = append(files, path)
-			}
-
-			return nil
-		})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Empty(t, files)
-}

internal/vaultik/prune.go

@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ var errNukeRequiresForce = errors.New(
 const metadataDirName = "metadata"
 
 // NukeRemote deletes every snapshot's metadata and every blob from remote
-// storage, along with any object an upload cut off part-way left under a
-// temporary `.partial` name. After this returns successfully the bucket
-// prefix is empty and the next backup starts from scratch.
+// storage. After this returns successfully the bucket prefix is empty and
+// the next backup starts from scratch.
 //
 // Refuses to run unless force is true. The caller is responsible for
 // confirming with the user.
@@ -49,15 +48,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) NukeRemote(force bool) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("pruning blobs: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// The file and rclone listings skip `.partial` objects, so the two
-	// steps above never delete them.
-	for _, prefix := range []string{"metadata/", "blobs/"} {
-		err = v.Storage.DeletePartialUploads(v.ctx, prefix)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("deleting partial uploads: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	v.UI.Completef("Backup destination store is now empty.")
 
 	return nil

internal/vaultik/remove_snapshot_test.go

@@ -125,12 +125,6 @@ func (s *testStorer) ListStream(
 	return ch
 }
 
-// DeletePartialUploads has nothing to remove: Put stores each object
-// under its key at once.
-func (s *testStorer) DeletePartialUploads(_ context.Context, _ string) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (s *testStorer) Info() storage.Info {
 	return storage.Info{
 		Type:     testLabel,

internal/vaultik/snapshot_skip_errors_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// --skip-errors skips only a file that cannot be opened or read. A local
+// index error while a directory is recorded stops the backup, and the
+// snapshot is not recorded as complete. See
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/284.
+func TestSkipErrorsBackupStopsOnIndexErrorRecordingDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	// The scan walks the source path with symlinks resolved, so dirPath
+	// must be spelled the same way to match the row the scan inserts.
+	tempDir, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	srcDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
+	dirPath := filepath.Join(srcDir, "dir")
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(dirPath, 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs,
+		filepath.Join(dirPath, "file.txt"), []byte("file content"), 0o644))
+
+	cfg := faultTestConfig()
+	cfg.IndexPath = filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
+	cfg.Snapshots = map[string]config.SnapshotConfig{
+		"tree": {Paths: []string{srcDir}},
+	}
+
+	store, err := storage.NewFileStorer(filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, cfg.IndexPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = db.Close() })
+
+	// The local index refuses the directory's files row.
+	_, err = db.Conn().ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
+		CREATE TRIGGER refuse_directory BEFORE INSERT ON files
+		WHEN NEW.path = '%s'
+		BEGIN SELECT RAISE(ABORT, 'simulated index error'); END`, dirPath))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	repos := database.NewRepositories(db)
+	v := newBackupVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, repos, db, fs)
+
+	err = v.CreateSnapshot(&vaultik.SnapshotCreateOptions{
+		SkipErrors: true,
+		Snapshots:  []string{"tree"},
+	})
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "simulated index error")
+
+	snapshots, err := repos.Snapshots.ListRecent(ctx, listRecentTestLimit)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, snapshots, 1)
+	assert.Nil(t, snapshots[0].CompletedAt)
+}