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This page covers the most common issues you might encounter when using DevDaily and how to resolve them.

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GitHub Copilot CLI Not Found

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Problem

DevDaily requires GitHub Copilot CLI for AI-powered text generation. You may see this error:
Copilot CLI not found

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Solution

DevDaily supports both the new standalone Copilot CLI and the legacy gh extension:Option 1: Install the new Copilot CLI (recommended)
brew install copilot-cli
Option 2: Install the legacy gh extension
gh extension install github/gh-copilot

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Verification

Check your installation:
# For new CLI
copilot --version

# For legacy extension
gh copilot --version
The new Copilot CLI is the preferred method. The gh extension is deprecated but still supported.

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Not a Git Repository

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Problem

DevDaily analyzes git history to generate summaries. If you’re not in a git repository:
fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

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Solution

Navigate to a git repository:
cd /path/to/your/project
devdaily standup
Initialize a new git repository:
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
DevDaily requires an existing git repository with commit history to function.

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No Commits Found

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Problem

DevDaily can’t find any commits matching your criteria:
No commits found in the last 1 day(s)

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Solutions

1. Increase the time range:
devdaily standup --days 3
devdaily standup --days 7
2. Check author filter:By default, DevDaily filters commits by the current git user. If commits were made by a different author:
# Check your git user
git config user.name
git config user.email

# See all commits without author filter
git log --all --since="1 day ago"
3. Verify commit history exists:
git log --oneline
4. Check for recent commits:
devdaily context --days 14

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Clipboard Issues

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Problem

DevDaily can’t copy output to your clipboard:
Failed to copy to clipboard

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Solutions

Linux: Install xclip or xsel
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install xclip

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install xclip

# Arch
sudo pacman -S xclip
macOS: Check permissionsEnsure your terminal has accessibility permissions:
  1. System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy
  2. Select “Accessibility” from the left sidebar
  3. Grant permission to your terminal app (Terminal, iTerm2, etc.)
Workaround: Disable auto-copy
devdaily standup --no-copy
Or set in configuration:
{
  "output": {
    "copyToClipboard": false
  }
}

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Webhook Failures

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Problem

Webhook notifications fail to send:
Slack webhook URL not configured
Failed to send Slack message: 401 Unauthorized
Discord API error: 404 Not Found

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Solutions

1. Configure webhooks:
devdaily init --notifications
This will prompt you to enter your webhook URLs.2. Test webhook configuration:
devdaily standup --test-webhook
3. Verify webhook URLs:Check your configuration file:
devdaily config --path
Webhook URLs should be stored in secrets file:
  • ~/.config/devdaily/secrets.json (global)
  • .devdaily.secrets.json (project, git-ignored)
4. Common webhook errors:
  • 401 Unauthorized: Webhook URL is invalid or expired. Regenerate the webhook in Slack/Discord settings.
  • 404 Not Found: Webhook has been deleted. Create a new webhook.
  • 400 Bad Request: Message format issue. Check if special characters need escaping.
5. Reconfigure webhooks:
devdaily init --notifications
Never commit webhook URLs to version control. DevDaily automatically adds .devdaily.secrets.json to .gitignore.

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GitHub CLI Authentication

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Problem

GitHub CLI is installed but not authenticated:
GitHub Auth: Not authenticated

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Solution

Authenticate with GitHub:
gh auth login
Follow the prompts to authenticate via browser or token.Verify authentication:
gh auth status
Automatic fix:
devdaily doctor --fix

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Node.js Version

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Problem

DevDaily requires Node.js 18 or higher:
Node.js: v16.20.0 (requires >= 18)

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Solution

Install Node.js 18+:
# Using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 18
nvm use 18

# Or download from nodejs.org
open https://nodejs.org
Verify version:
node --version

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Git Hooks Not Working

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Problem

Git hooks for auto-snapshots aren’t triggering.

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Solutions

1. Install git hooks:
devdaily init --git-hooks
2. Verify hooks are installed:
cat .git/hooks/post-commit
cat .git/hooks/post-checkout
You should see DevDaily commands in these files.3. Check hook permissions:
chmod +x .git/hooks/post-commit
chmod +x .git/hooks/post-checkout
4. Remove and reinstall:
devdaily init --remove-hooks
devdaily init --git-hooks
Git hooks are opt-in. DevDaily appends to existing hooks rather than overwriting them.

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PR Creation Failures

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Problem

PR creation fails with various errors:
failed to create pull request
no commits between base and head

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Solutions

1. Push your branch first:
git push -u origin your-branch-name
devdaily pr --create
2. Verify base branch:
# Check default branch
devdaily pr --base main
# or
devdaily pr --base develop
3. Ensure commits exist:
git log main..HEAD
4. Check GitHub CLI auth:
gh auth status
gh auth refresh

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Performance Issues

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Problem

Commands take too long or timeout.

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Solutions

1. Use light mode for snapshots:
devdaily snapshot --light
This skips PR and ticket fetching.2. Reduce time range:
devdaily standup --days 1
devdaily context --days 7
3. Disable auto-snapshots:In .devdaily.json:
{
  "journal": {
    "autoSnapshot": false
  }
}
4. Clean up old journal entries:
devdaily snapshot --prune 90
This removes entries older than 90 days.

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Configuration Issues

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Problem

Your configuration changes aren’t taking effect.

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Solutions

1. Check configuration file location:
devdaily config --path
2. Verify JSON syntax:Ensure your .devdaily.json is valid JSON:
# macOS/Linux
cat .devdaily.json | python -m json.tool

# Or use an online validator
3. Configuration precedence:Local project config (.devdaily.json) overrides global config (~/.config/devdaily/config.json).4. Reset to defaults:Remove your config file and let DevDaily recreate it:
rm .devdaily.json
devdaily init

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Still Having Issues?

If you’re still experiencing problems:
  1. Run diagnostics: 
    devdaily doctor
  2. Check debug output: 
    devdaily standup --debug
  3. Report an issue: Visit github.com/hempun10/devdaily/issues
Most issues can be automatically diagnosed and fixed with devdaily doctor --fix.