# Discourse Import Failed

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 24, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348 "2019-01-24T00:16:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![tisawyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/tisawyer/32/127435_2.png) [@tisawyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tisawyer)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/1 "2019-01-24T00:16:04Z")

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An import to discourse failed with the message below. I’ve been successfully importing a two mbox files for weeks now. This was the first import attempt since updating to 2.2.0.beta9.

```
root@discourse-import:/var/www/discourse# import_mbox.sh 
The mbox import is starting...

Traceback (most recent call last):
	17: from script/import_scripts/mbox.rb:7:in `<main>'
	16: from script/import_scripts/mbox.rb:8:in `<module:ImportScripts>'
	15: from script/import_scripts/mbox.rb:13:in `<module:Mbox>'
	14: from script/import_scripts/mbox.rb:13:in `require_relative'
	13: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb:1:in `<top (required)>'
	12: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb:1:in `require_relative'
	11: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:14:in `<top (required)>'
	10: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:14:in `require_relative'
	 9: from /var/www/discourse/config/environment.rb:2:in `<top (required)>'
	 8: from /var/www/discourse/config/environment.rb:2:in `require'
	 7: from /var/www/discourse/config/application.rb:40:in `<top (required)>'
	 6: from /var/www/discourse/config/application.rb:41:in `<module:Discourse>'
	 5: from /var/www/discourse/config/application.rb:245:in `<class:Application>'
	 4: from lib/discourse.rb:162:in `activate_plugins!'
	 3: from lib/discourse.rb:162:in `each'
	 2: from lib/discourse.rb:165:in `block in activate_plugins!'
	 1: from /var/www/discourse/lib/plugin/instance.rb:505:in `activate!'
lib/discourse.rb:29:in `execute_command': /var/www/discourse/lib/plugin/instance.rb:505:in `activate!': ln: failed to create symbolic link '/var/www/discourse/public/plugins/discourse-narrative-bot/public': File exists (RuntimeError)

```

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### Author: ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 8:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/2 "2019-01-24T08:18:02Z")

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@gerhard might have advice

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### Author: ![gerhard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/gerhard/32/119479_2.png) [@gerhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gerhard)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 9:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/3 "2019-01-24T09:52:57Z")

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> [@tisawyer](#):
>
> `var/www/discourse/lib/plugin/instance.rb:505:in 'activate!': ln: failed to create symbolic link '/var/www/discourse/public/plugins/discourse-narrative-bot/public': File exists (RuntimeError)`

That’s strange. It fails to initialize the narrative-bot plugin, because the symlink `/var/www/discourse/public/plugins/discourse-narrative-bot` already exists. But it shouldn’t exist at that point. Also, the line numbers are a little bit off…

> <https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/1f8ff85ff90f5447e05336be935c7c0ac653001a/lib/plugin/instance.rb#L517-L518>

Can you rebuild the container and try again?

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### Author: ![tisawyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/tisawyer/32/127435_2.png) [@tisawyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tisawyer)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2019, 4:51am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/4 "2019-01-25T04:51:56Z")

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That error occurred while running import\_mbox.sh inside the import container. The app container is stopped before the import container is started and entered. Not sure if that was clear. Would that explain the line numbers being off?

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### Author: ![gerhard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/gerhard/32/119479_2.png) [@gerhard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gerhard)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/5 "2019-01-25T15:16:58Z")

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No, it doesn’t. I suggest you rebuild both containers just to be safe before you retry the import.

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### Author: ![tisawyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/tisawyer/32/127435_2.png) [@tisawyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tisawyer)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/6 "2019-01-25T16:19:13Z")

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That fixed it. Thank you!

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-import-failed/107348/7 "2019-02-24T16:19:14Z")

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