---
title: "MGS3036: a project's configuration held whole"
description: Fires when a job is forked with a write path that names a project's magusfile or magus.yaml whole, with no glob and no claim, in a checkout that can place its declarations. The fork is refused; claim the keys and declarations the job changes.
tags: [MGS3036, jobs, leases, write paths, fork, agents, claims, magusfile, magus.yaml]
---

# MGS3036: a project's configuration held whole

`magus job fork`, `magus job apply`, the `client` tool (`magus\job.put`) and a
magusfile's `magus\job.put` refused a job because one of its write paths names a
project's magusfile or `magus.yaml` whole:

```text
[MGS3036] job: wave/slots holds a project's configuration whole: "magusfile.buzz",
  such as `magusfile.buzz#project.name`, `magusfile.buzz#project.targets.test`,
  `magusfile.buzz#build`. Every job that changes the workspace's configuration
  writes that file, so a whole-file hold blocks them all for one line; claim the
  declarations and keys the job changes instead
```

Nothing was written to the job store. A put that adds such a path to a job that
already exists is refused the same way and leaves the job as it was.

## Why

A target's slots, a source glob and a job setting are each one line of a
magusfile or a `magus.yaml`, and every job that changes the workspace's
configuration writes those files. A job that holds one whole serializes all of
them behind its own line. Claims split the file: a magusfile's functions by name,
its `magus\project({...})` table by key path, and `magus.yaml` by key path.

## Key claims

Inside the top-level `magus\project({...})` call of a magusfile:

- `magusfile.buzz#project.<key>` holds one top-level key, such as `project.sources`.
- `magusfile.buzz#project.<key>.<entry>` holds one entry of a key whose value is a
  map: `magusfile.buzz#project.targets.test` holds the `test` entry of `targets` and
  nothing else.

In `magus.yaml`, `magus.yaml#<key>` holds a top-level key and
`magus.yaml#<key>.<sub>` one key under it, such as `magus.yaml#jobs.stale_after`.

A claim on a key whose children are placed (`project.targets`, `jobs`) names every
child, so fork refuses it as ambiguous with [MGS3031](MGS3031.md). A key that does
not exist yet is accepted, since the job may be about to add it.

## What is refused

- A literal path to a magusfile or `magus.yaml` a project loads, at the root or in
  any project, including a file under a `magusfiles/` directory.

## What is not refused

- **A claim** (`magusfile.buzz#project.targets.test`) or **a glob** (`**/*.buzz`). A
  job holding one of these files through a glob narrows on its first write to it:
  its row gains a claim on each declaration or key the write changes, and the rest
  of the file is recorded as released, with its digest. From then on the glob no
  longer holds that file for the job.
- A checkout that cannot place the file's lines, because `.gitattributes` has no
  `*.buzz diff=buzz` or `*.yaml diff=yaml` line or its version control places
  none. Nothing smaller than the file could be claimed there. Neither is a file
  that declares nothing yet.
- **A spell source** a magusfile imports.

## The release request

When another live job holds the file, the refusal also opens one attention request
(outcome `waiting`) naming the holder and the file, with the claims the refused
fork wanted as its files. A second refusal over the same holder and file lands on
the same request, and a dry run (`magus job apply --dry-run`) opens none. The
holder narrows its write paths, or exits, and the holder or the root closes the
request:

```sh
magus session attention
magus session dispose <request>
```

## What to do

Claim what the job changes:

```sh
magus job fork wave/slots --write-paths 'magusfile.buzz#project.targets.test'
```

## See also

- [Leases](../../../guides/integrations/agents/leases.md): write paths, claims, and what the guard enforces.
- [MGS3031](MGS3031.md): a declaration claim nothing can grade.
- [MGS3032](MGS3032.md): an unordered share of one claimable file.