Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for Schaltwerk

This guide covers common issues you might encounter and how to resolve them.

Tip: Examples use bun commands. Replace them with the npm equivalents (npm run …, npm install, etc.) if needed.

Installation Issues

Schaltwerk won't open on first launch

Symptom: macOS blocks the app with “can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”

Solution:

1. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Scroll down to find: “Schaltwerk was blocked”
3. Click Open Anyway
4. Launch Schaltwerk again and click Open

Only needed once - macOS will remember your choice.

App is damaged and can't be opened

Symptom: Error message about damaged application

Solution: Remove the quarantine attribute:

xattr -cr /Applications/Schaltwerk.app

Then try launching again.

Homebrew installation fails

Symptom: brew install --cask 2mawi2/tap/schaltwerk fails

Solution:

1. Update Homebrew:
   brew update
   

2. Try installation again:
   brew install --cask 2mawi2/tap/schaltwerk
   

3. If still failing, manually add tap first:
   brew tap 2mawi2/tap
   brew install --cask schaltwerk
   

Session Issues

Can't create new session

Symptom: Error when trying to start a spec or create session

Possible Causes & Solutions:

1. Not in a Git repository:

git status
# If error: "not a git repository"
git init

2. Working directory not clean:

git status
# Commit or stash changes
git stash

3. Worktree directory exists:

ls .schaltwerk/worktrees/
# If session directory exists, cancel old session first

4. Permission issues:

# Check permissions
ls -la .schaltwerk/
# Fix if needed
chmod -R u+w .schaltwerk/

Session stuck in 'Creating' state

Symptom: Session shows “Creating…” but never completes

Solution:

1. Check Schaltwerk logs:
   tail -f ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/logs/schaltwerk-*.log
   

2. Look for errors in the log
3. Common causes:
   • Git worktree creation failed
   • Disk space full
   • Permission denied
4. Try canceling and recreating the session

Terminal won't start

Symptom: Session created but terminals are blank or frozen

Solution:

1. Check terminal permissions:
   • System Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Tools
   • Add Terminal.app
2. Restart Schaltwerk
3. Try selecting the session again
4. Check logs for PTY errors:
   tail -f ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/logs/schaltwerk-*.log | grep PTY
   

Can't switch between sessions

Symptom: Keyboard shortcuts don’t work or sessions don’t switch

Solution:

1. Check if another app is intercepting shortcuts:
   • System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts
   • Look for conflicts with ⌘1-9
2. Try clicking session in sidebar instead
3. Restart Schaltwerk

Agent Issues

Agent won't start

Symptom: Top terminal shows error or nothing happens

Possible Causes & Solutions:

1. Agent binary not found:

• Open Settings
• Go to Agent Configuration
• Verify binary path is correct
• Try: which claude, which codex, or which droid in terminal

2. Agent binary not executable:

chmod +x /path/to/agent/binary

3. Environment variables missing:

• Check Settings → Agent Configuration → Environment Variables
• Add required keys (e.g., ANTHROPIC_API_KEY)

4. Setup script failed:

• Check Settings → Run & Environment → Worktree Setup Script
• Look for errors in top terminal output
• Try running script manually in worktree

Agent crashes immediately

Symptom: Agent starts but exits right away

Solution:

1. Check agent terminal output for errors
2. Common issues:
   • Invalid API key
   • Network connectivity
   • Incompatible CLI arguments
3. Try running agent manually:
   cd .schaltwerk/worktrees/session-name/
   claude  # or your agent command
   

4. Check agent-specific logs

Agent fails with 'ReadableStream is not defined' or similar errors

Symptom: Error like “ReferenceError: ReadableStream is not defined” when starting agent

Solution: This occurs when using Node version managers (fnm, nvm, n) that set paths via shell config files. Schaltwerk spawns agents without loading .zshrc/.bashrc, so falls back to system Node, which may be outdated.

Install Node via Homebrew to set a global default:

brew install node

Verify system Node version (what Schaltwerk uses):

fnm use system && node --version  # For fnm users
nvm use system && node --version  # For nvm users
# Should show v18+

Agent hangs or becomes unresponsive

Symptom: Agent stops responding, no output

Solution:

1. Check agent terminal - might be waiting for input
2. Press Ctrl+C to interrupt
3. Click Restart in session toolbar
4. If persists, cancel session and create new one

Git Issues

Merge conflicts when merging to main

Symptom: Can’t merge session back to main due to conflicts

Solution:

1. Option 1: Merge main into session first

   cd .schaltwerk/worktrees/session-name/
   git fetch origin main
   git merge origin/main
   # Resolve conflicts
   git add .
   git commit
   

2. Option 2: Cherry-pick specific commits

   git checkout main
   git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
   

3. Option 3: Manual merge

   • Copy changes you want
   • Apply manually to main branch
   • Cancel session when done

Worktree directory already exists

Symptom: Error: “worktree already exists” when creating session

Solution:

1. Check if worktree is actually in use:
   git worktree list
   

2. If session was cancelled but worktree remains:
   git worktree remove .schaltwerk/worktrees/session-name
   

3. If worktree is locked:
   git worktree remove --force .schaltwerk/worktrees/session-name
   

4. Retry session creation

Can't delete branch after canceling session

Symptom: Session cancelled but branch still exists

Solution: Cancelled sessions delete their local worktree and branch automatically. If a branch remains, it likely wasn’t canceled cleanly. Remove it manually:

git branch -D schaltwerk/session-name

To delete from remote (if pushed):

git push origin --delete schaltwerk/session-name

Performance Issues

Schaltwerk is slow or laggy

Symptom: UI is unresponsive, switching sessions is slow

Possible Causes & Solutions:

1. Too many sessions running:

• Each session uses 3 OS processes
• Close unused sessions
• Don’t run more than 5-10 sessions simultaneously

2. Large worktrees:

• Big repositories take longer to create worktrees
• Use .gitignore to exclude unnecessary files
• Clean up node_modules in worktrees

3. System resources:

# Check CPU/memory usage
top -o cpu
# Look for Schaltwerk processes

4. Database size:

# Check database size
du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/
# If very large, consider cleaning old projects

Diff view is slow to load

Symptom: File diffs take long time to appear

Solution:

1. Large files slow down diff rendering
2. Exclude large binary files from worktrees
3. Use .gitattributes to mark files as binary
4. Consider breaking up large files

MCP Server Issues

Claude Code can't find MCP server

Symptom: MCP tools not available in Claude Code

Solution:

1. Verify MCP server is built:
   ls mcp-server/build/schaltwerk-mcp-server.js
   

2. Check configuration:
   cat .claude.json
   # or
   claude mcp list
   

3. Ensure path is absolute, not relative
4. Restart orchestrator in Schaltwerk Settings

MCP operations fail

Symptom: schaltwerk_create or other MCP tools error

Solution:

1. Check Schaltwerk is running
2. Verify project is loaded in Schaltwerk
3. Check database exists:
   ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/*/database.db
   

4. Look for errors in MCP server logs
5. Try rebuilding MCP server:
   cd mcp-server && bun run build
   

Database Issues

Database locked or corrupted

Symptom: Errors about database being locked or unable to open

Solution:

1. Close Schaltwerk completely
2. Check for zombie processes:
   ps aux | grep Schaltwerk
   # Kill any remaining processes
   kill -9 <PID>
   

3. Backup database:
   cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/project-name/database.db \
      ~/Desktop/schaltwerk-backup.db
   

4. Try SQLite repair:
   sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/project-name/database.db
   # In SQLite prompt:
   PRAGMA integrity_check;
   .exit
   

5. Last resort - delete and recreate:
   rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/schaltwerk/project-name/database.db
   # Restart Schaltwerk - will create fresh database
   

Network Issues

MCP REST API not accessible

Symptom: Can’t connect to localhost:8547

Solution:

1. Check if Schaltwerk is running
2. Verify project is loaded
3. Check if port is available:
   lsof -i :8547
   # or for project-specific port
   lsof -i :854X  # X depends on project hash
   

4. Try restarting Schaltwerk
5. Check firewall settings

Agent can't access internet

Symptom: Agent errors related to network/API calls

Solution:

1. Check system internet connection
2. Verify API keys are correct
3. Check for proxy settings
4. Try agent manually in terminal
5. Look for firewall blocking the agent

Logs and Debugging

Where to Find Logs

Application Logs

~/Library/Application Support/schaltwerk/logs/schaltwerk-*.log

Debug Mode

Run Schaltwerk with debug logging:

RUST_LOG=schaltwerk=debug bun run tauri:dev

Or for maximum verbosity:

RUST_LOG=trace bun run tauri:dev

Getting Help

If you can’t resolve an issue:

1. Check logs

   Look at Schaltwerk logs for error messages

2. Search existing issues

   Check GitHub Issues

3. Create an issue

   If not found, open a new issue with:

   • Steps to reproduce
   • Expected behavior
   • Actual behavior
   • Relevant log excerpts
   • macOS version
   • Schaltwerk version
4. Workaround

   While waiting for fix:

   • Try manual git operations
   • Use terminal directly
   • Restart Schaltwerk
   • Close and reopen project

Preventive Measures

Regular Cleanup

• Cancel merged sessions
• Remove old worktrees
• Clean up database periodically

Keep Updated

brew upgrade --cask schaltwerk

Updates include bug fixes

Backup Important Work

• Commit work in sessions regularly
• Push branches to remote
• Don’t rely on local-only sessions

Monitor Resources

• Don’t run too many sessions
• Close unused sessions
• Watch system resource usage