Error - fatal: destination path '/var/sites/s/staging/public_html/releases/xxxxxx' already exists and is not an empty directory.

[ekho]

Error - fatal: destination path '/var/sites/s/staging/public_html/releases/xxxxxx' already exists and is not an empty directory.

[henscu]

I found a comment about this on StackOverflow:

http://stackoverflow.com/a/24690474/3403466

It suggests this solution:

NOTE: you may have problem with the repo folder if you already tried with the default git strategy. >Simply go to the deploy directory on server and remove it and then run cap deploy again to fix.

When I have tried it I will report back...

[mischka]

I have tried this solution without any success.
Is there an other way?

[henscu]

Mischka, thanks for checking this out. I have not checked it yet as I got an alternative/simpler solution to work. I am using Capistrano Version: 3.2.1 (Rake Version: 10.3.2).

The alternative solution I found is to override the standard Capistrano Git task as described here (I'm not a Ruby or Git expert, just repeating what I read...):

http://www.developerblogger.com/73_22836153/

It uses the code described here:

https://gist.github.com/corny/7459729

The developerblogger link above suggests putting the code in lib/capistrano/tasks/git.cap, but in this comment Derek Tia (dtia) says just to add the code to deploy.rb as is:

https://gist.github.com/corny/7459729#comment-996217

So I just added the code to deploy.rb and it works for me.

Please let me know if it works for you as well and what version of Capistrano you are using.