Mattermost-server: A channel with that name already exists

[Usernot]

Steps to reproduce:

1. Create channel "test"
2. Delete channel "test"
3. Try to create channel "test"
4. "A channel with that name already exists"

[it33]

Thanks @Usernot,

A fix is queued for this by changing the error message to "A channel with that name was previously created". There's a new set of functionality coming up that will not delete channels, but instead archive them, allowing histories to be restored. As part of this, once the name for a channel is taken, a new one cannot be created.

The workaround is to rename the original channel.

@rgarmsen2295 this is ticket MM-1416 internally,

[coreyhulen]

fixed with https://github.com/mattermost/platform/pull/143

[tomtruitt]

"There's a new set of functionality coming up that will not delete channels, but instead archive them, allowing histories to be restored."

@it33 is this still being planned? channel deletion is a hot issue in the feature request forum

[jasonblais]

Thanks @tomtruitt for the feedback, we have a Jira ticket where you can track progress of this feature.

[PakG1]

@jasonblais I've upvoted that Jira ticket and am watching it. Definitely hoping for this to be included in the next release. :) Here's my story if it helps.

Tried importing data from Slack into a fairly fresh instance of Mattermost. If a channel already existed with the same name in Mattermost, the Slack data was not imported into that channel. Sort of makes sense; importer's in beta, I'm sure there are lots of kinks to work out.

To rectify my issue, tried deleting all channels in Mattermost and tried importing same Slack data again. This time, all imports failed. Again, figured this was just an importer-in-beta bug.

That's when I decided just start using Mattermost by recreating the channels and using them with a blank slate. But couldn't recreate the channels because the names were already taken. That's when I realized that's why the data import failed for channels that already existed too.

Properly labeling the menu option as "Archive" instead of "Delete" would be a first step. Are there other issues/tickets already logged for unarchiving channels, as well as more gracefully dealing with channel imports when pre-existing channels have the same name as channels to be imported? I'll totally upvote those too. :)

[thearabbit]

I have the same problem

But when I tried to search channel name, it don't have

[xaionaro]

The issue is closed 3 years ago, but the problem is still there :(

[thearabbit]

Haha

[jasonblais]

Thanks for the feedback all!

@xaionaro We're tracking the feature with this epic, which adds channel archives https://mattermost.atlassian.net/browse/MM-354

@thearabbit The UI screen you shared seem different from Mattermost. Is that from Slack by any chance?

[thearabbit]

Sorry, This is on Slack

[MikeLund]

@thearabbit it's not related to this repo (but is's the first Google result for that Slack error), so if you never got an answer, you need to change the filter to "Archived Channels" to see Archived channels in search:

Sorry for the noise!

[thearabbit]

Sorry

[santiagomoneta]

I'm still seeing this issue today (Oct 2018)... I was asked to create a channel. Slack says that the name is taken but there is no channel (not even archived) group or username with that name. I'm also a Workspace Owner.

[jasonblais]

Thanks @santiagomoneta - this particular project is for Mattermost, an open-source messaging and collaboration platform (https://mattermost.com).

For Slack questions, would you be open to visiting their help forums?

[LoganOneal]

Still no fix four years later?

[niks3089]

Any further updates on this? Is there a script which can be used as a workaround to delete the channels from DB?

[jasonblais]

Thanks @niks3089 for the follow-up!

Our command line tool supports the following two use cases:

1. deleting a channel -- note that this would also delete all messages within that channel
2. restore the channel, then rename the channel and archive it.

Some of these, if not all, are also be available through the API.

For this particular feature proposal, would everyone be open to contribute this in the feature idea forum so it can be discussed, upvoted and considered for a help wanted?

Please include a link back to this GitHub Issue. If you're interested in implementing, please say so and we'll prioritize the review.

You get 10 votes in the feature idea forum, and each one influences the future of the project.

[iithost]

Still the same issue 5 years later