Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · io::Error

project config exceeds the 1 MiB limit

Error message

project config {} exceeds the 1 MiB limit

What it means

The project config reader enforces a 1 MiB (MAX_PROJECT_CONFIG_BYTES) size ceiling. It reads at most limit+1 bytes and errors if the content is larger, so a pathological or accidentally bloated config cannot consume unbounded memory. The error is InvalidData and includes the offending path.

Solutions

1. Inspect and trim the config at the reported path (delete duplicated or generated sections) to get under 1 MiB.
2. Move bulky data out of the config into separate data files and reference them.
3. Regenerate the config from its source template if it was corrupted or auto-appended to.

Example fix

// before: 1.4 MiB config with embedded blob
cache_data = "AAAA...."
// after
cache_data_file = "./cache-data.bin"  # keep config under 1 MiB

let size = std::fs::metadata(path)?.len();
if size > 1024 * 1024 { eprintln!("{path:?} is {size} bytes; trim below 1 MiB"); }

match std::fs::read_to_string(path) {
    Ok(s) if s.len() > 1024*1024 => eprintln!("config too large"),
    Ok(s) => parse(s),
    Err(e) => eprintln!("read failed: {e}"),
}

When it happens

Trigger: Loading a project config whose byte length exceeds MAX_PROJECT_CONFIG_BYTES (1 MiB) after open_project_config_file succeeds.

Common situations: A config file accidentally filled by a log or binary blob; committing a large generated config; a script appending to the config each run until it grows past 1 MiB.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File too large" / "file size exceeds limit" errors: why libraries cap file sizes and how to fix them — this error's family across 46 libraries.

Related errors

• MCP config exceeds the 1 MiB limit
• project hooks file exceeds the 1 MiB limit
• bundle at is bytes; the limit is bytes
• config file exceeds the 1 MiB limit
• evidence metadata exceeds limit

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@73e0f67d83 (2026-09-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b3db88cc236cf6b0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/tui/src/lib.rs:11166

        Err(err) => return Err(err),
    };
    let file_type = metadata.file_type();
    if file_type.is_symlink() {
        return Err(io::Error::new(
            io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
            "project-scope config must not be a symlink",
        ));
    }
    if !file_type.is_file() {
        return Ok(None);
    }

    let file = open_project_config_file(path)?;
    let mut raw = String::new();
    file.take(MAX_PROJECT_CONFIG_BYTES + 1)
        .read_to_string(&mut raw)?;
    if raw.len() as u64 > MAX_PROJECT_CONFIG_BYTES {
        return Err(io::Error::new(
            io::ErrorKind::InvalidData,
            format!("project config {} exceeds the 1 MiB limit", path.display()),
        ));
    }
    Ok(Some(raw))
}

#[cfg(unix)]
fn open_project_config_file(path: &Path) -> io::Result<std::fs::File> {
    use std::os::unix::fs::OpenOptionsExt;

    std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
        .read(true)
        .custom_flags(libc::O_NOFOLLOW)
        .open(path)
}

#[cfg(not(unix))]

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