Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · anyhow::Error

Failed to update setting: invalid mode '{value}'. Expected:

Error message

Failed to update setting: invalid mode '{value}'. Expected: act (agent), plan, or operate.

What it means

Settings update validation for the default-mode key: the value (with aliases like agent→act, ops→operate normalized) still matched no supported mode. Modes map to the engine's authority posture, so an unknown mode cannot be stored.

Source

Thrown at crates/tui/src/settings.rs:1422

                let normalized = normalize_synchronized_output(value);
                if !["auto", "on", "off"].contains(&normalized) {
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "Failed to update setting: invalid synchronized_output '{value}'. Expected: auto, on, off."
                    );
                }
                self.synchronized_output = normalized.to_string();
            }
            "workspace_follow_symlinks" | "follow_symlinks" => {
                self.workspace_follow_symlinks = parse_bool(value)?;
            }
            "default_mode" | "mode" => {
                // Act (wire: agent), Plan, and Operate are valid startup modes.
                // yolo remains a permission-migration alias, not a mode write.
                self.default_mode = match value.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
                    "agent" | "normal" | "act" | "work" | "edit" => "agent".to_string(),
                    "plan" => "plan".to_string(),
                    "operate" | "operation" | "ops" => "operate".to_string(),
                    _ => anyhow::bail!(
                        "Failed to update setting: invalid mode '{value}'. Expected: act (agent), plan, or operate."
                    ),
                };
            }
            "context_panel" | "context" | "session_panel" => {
                self.context_panel = parse_bool(value)?;
            }
            "sessions_rail" | "sessions_panel" | "session_rail" => {
                self.sessions_rail = parse_bool(value)?;
            }
            "session_auto_resume" | "auto_resume" => {
                self.session_auto_resume = parse_bool(value)?;
            }
            "cost_currency" | "currency" => {
                let Some(currency) = crate::pricing::CostCurrency::from_setting(value) else {
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "Failed to update setting: invalid cost currency '{value}'. Expected: usd, cny, rmb, yuan."
                    );

View on GitHub (pinned to 0c42157ee5)

Solutions

1. Set the mode to act, plan, or operate

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at crates/tui/src/settings.rs:1422 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@0c42157ee5 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c09d9a554f71397f. Report an issue: GitHub.