Cache not written

Statac couldn’t keep something in .statac/, the folder in the site’s folder where it keeps what saves the next build work: the copies of photographs it made, the sharing cards it drew, the spare copy of the built site, or where each post in a feed was published. The message names which, and gives the system’s reason, such as no permission to write there.

What you’ll see

warning  Cache not written: can't write `.statac/pictures`: permission denied
  More: https://statac.dev/e/cache-not-written/

In the terminal the message also names the file and line where there is one, and marks the exact text.

Why Statac warns

Making a photograph’s copies is the slowest part of a build, so Statac keeps each copy and makes it once. Where it can’t keep them the site is still built whole and published, with every copy in it; the next build makes them all again, and takes as long as this one did. Where it can’t keep the spare, .statac/spare, each build writes every file of the site again and removes the old ones, where it would have written only what changed. Where it can’t keep .statac/feeds, a post that moves before the next build is not offered the id: that keeps it the same post in feed readers. Statac says so once, however much it couldn’t keep.

How to fix it

Deal with the reason the message gives, such as giving yourself permission to write in the site’s folder, or freeing room on the disk.

Where the reason is that something is a link, .statac, the folder named in it, or a file there is a link to somewhere else. Statac never reads, writes or removes anything through a link there, since it may lead out of the site. Remove the link, and Statac makes a folder of its own.

Where the reason is that something else has its name, .statac/spare is a folder Statac didn’t build, or a folder stands where a file of Statac’s goes. Statac removes nothing it didn’t make, so move the folder away or delete it.

.statac/ holds nothing that can’t be made again, so deleting it is always safe.

Example

Give yourself permission to write in .statac/, and build again.

Its name

Name	cache-not-written
In the terminal	statac explain cache-not-written
To stop showing it	quiet: [cache-not-written] in statac.yaml, once you have understood it. Statac still counts it.