When publishing files using org-babel-tangle-publish, if the :tangle header argument is given to a source block, and if org-babel-tangle-publish is called from a directory other than the directory in which the source file (that is, the file being tangled) exists, then org-babel-tangle-publish fails in the copy-file step. This happens because org-babel-tangle returns the file name (that is, the basename only) mentioned in the :tangle header argument, and org-babel-tangle-publish tries to copy that unqualified basename instead of the absolute path to the file. My emacs configuration follows. I used the minimal configuration given in the Feedback section of the org mode manual. The backtrace for the error is also attached. Thanks, Arun Isaac. Emacs : GNU Emacs 24.5.1 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.16.2) of 2015-04-20 on bitzer.hoetzel.info Package: Org-mode version 8.3.1 (release_8.3.1-241-gea7ac0 @ /home/arunisaac/.emacs.d/org-mode/lisp/) current state: ============== (setq org-tab-first-hook '(org-hide-block-toggle-maybe org-babel-hide-result-toggle-maybe org-babel-header-arg-expand) org-speed-command-hook '(org-speed-command-default-hook org-babel-speed-command-hook) org-occur-hook '(org-first-headline-recenter) org-metaup-hook '(org-babel-load-in-session-maybe) org-html-format-drawer-function '(lambda (name contents) contents) org-latex-format-inlinetask-function 'org-latex-format-inlinetask-default-function org-confirm-shell-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-ascii-format-inlinetask-function 'org-ascii-format-inlinetask-default org-latex-format-headline-function 'org-latex-format-headline-default-function org-after-todo-state-change-hook '(org-clock-out-if-current) org-latex-format-drawer-function '(lambda (name contents) contents) org-src-mode-hook '(org-src-babel-configure-edit-buffer org-src-mode-configure-edit-buffer) org-agenda-before-write-hook '(org-agenda-add-entry-text) org-babel-pre-tangle-hook '(save-buffer) org-mode-hook '(#[nil "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [org-add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-show-block-all append local] 5] #[nil "\300\301\302\303\304$\207" [org-add-hook change-major-mode-hook org-babel-show-result-all append local] 5] org-babel-result-hide-spec org-babel-hide-all-hashes) org-archive-hook '(org-attach-archive-delete-maybe) org-ascii-format-drawer-function '(lambda (name contents width) contents) org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c-hook '(org-babel-hash-at-point org-babel-execute-safely-maybe) org-cycle-hook '(org-cycle-hide-archived-subtrees org-cycle-hide-drawers org-cycle-show-empty-lines org-optimize-window-after-visibility-change) org-confirm-elisp-link-function 'yes-or-no-p org-metadown-hook '(org-babel-pop-to-session-maybe) org-html-format-headline-function 'org-html-format-headline-default-function org-html-format-inlinetask-function 'org-html-format-inlinetask-default-function org-clock-out-hook '(org-clock-remove-empty-clock-drawer) org-publish-project-alist '(("basic" :base-directory "~/.emacs.d/org-tangle-bug/base" :base-extension "org" :publishing-directory "~/.emacs.d/org-tangle-bug/pub" :publishing-function org-babel-tangle-publish) ) )