overwrite-refused

All codes

• Type: error
• Kind: state (the call isn’t valid in the object’s current state)

What happened

The output file already exists, or the command was asked to change its input in place with --in-place, and --force wasn’t given.

Why

The CLI never replaces a file without being told to, so a mistyped -o can’t destroy a document. It never prompts either, because scripts and agents can’t answer a prompt. Exit code 4 tells a script the command needs --force.

How to fix

Pass --force to replace the file, or write to a new file with -o. The CLI writes to a temporary file and renames it, so a replaced file is never left half written.

Example

$ laminapdf pages rotate scan.pdf 90:z --in-place
error[overwrite-refused]: refusing to replace a file without --force
  = hint: pass --force, or write to a new file with -o
$ echo $?
4

Data fields

• output: the file that would have been replaced (untrusted: caller text, never in the message).