Hmbown/CodeWhale · error · ServerError

remote_error

remote_error

Error message

${r.error?.message ?? "remote agent failed"}

What it means

When a tool is dispatched to a remote agent over the persistent channel (ssh --serve etc.), a reply with ok:false is converted into a ServerError. The code defaults to remote_error but the agent's own error code and message are forwarded verbatim, so this error is a passthrough of a failure that happened on the remote side.

Solutions

1. Read the forwarded r.error.message in the thrown error — it names the actual remote failure
2. Upgrade the remote agent if the tool/code is unsupported (old agent without --serve features)
3. Re-establish the remote session/channel and retry if the agent reported a transient failure
4. Reproduce the failing precondition locally to confirm the remote environment state

Example fix

// before
const r = await remoteCall(...); // returns { ok: false, error: { message: "no window" } }
// after — ensure the target window/app exists remotely, then retry
await getAppState({}); // verify remote state before re-issuing the action

// no local check can predict remote failures; verify remote state before acting:
const st = await getAppState({ computer }); // confirm the target exists remotely first

const isStructuredError = (r) => r && r.ok === false && typeof r.error?.message === "string";

try { await remoteAction(...) } catch (e) { if (e.code === "remote_error") { log(e.message); if (isTransient(e.message)) await reconnectAndRetry(); } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Any remote tool call where the remote agent returns { ok: false } — remote-side precondition failures, unknown tools on the agent, backend errors, or timeouts surfaced by the agent as a structured error reply.

Common situations: Old agent versions not supporting a requested tool; remote machine state changed (window closed, app quit); remote backend permission or environment problems; network-induced agent failures reported as structured errors.

Related errors

• app_denied
• computer_observation_required
• consent_required
• control_stopped
• foreground_denied

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@73e0f67d83 (2026-09-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/87689bb91360f846. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/tui/plugins/computer-use/mcp/server.mjs:964

      };
      const resolve = async (req) => {
        const rep = await remoteCall({ tool: "resolve_element", args: req }, { timeoutMs: 30_000 });
        if (!rep?.ok) return { found: false, element: null, reason: rep?.error?.code ?? "remote_error" };
        return rep.data;
      };
      const wireArgs = await prepareArgs(computer, name, args, resolve, sink);
      throwIfAborted();
      await assertCurrentRoute(computer, binding);
      // Re-check the kill switch: a stop that arrived while the executor was
      // being resolved still blocks this dispatch.
      if (controlStopped && !READ_ONLY_TOOLS.has(name)) throw new ServerError("control_stopped", "stop_computer_control is active; no further actions are permitted this session");
      inFlight++;
      try {
        dispatched = true;
        const timeoutMs = backendMethod.startsWith("recording") || backendMethod === "get_app_state" ? 60_000 : 30_000;
        const invoke = async (tool, a) => {
          const r = await remoteCall({ tool, args: a }, { timeoutMs });
          if (!r.ok) throw new ServerError(r.error?.code ?? "remote_error", r.error?.message ?? "remote agent failed");
          return r.data;
        };
        data = name === "type" ? await invokeType(invoke, wireArgs) : await invoke(backendMethod, wireArgs);
      } finally {
        inFlight--;
      }
      await assertCurrentRoute(computer, binding, true);
      if (Array.isArray(data)) data = { items: data };
      if ((backendMethod === "screenshot" || backendMethod === "zoom") && data?.file) {
        if (ex.filesLocal) bindRaster(computer, data);
        else {
          // Raster lives on the remote machine; bind geometry for coordinate mapping.
          bindRaster(computer, { ...data, file: null });
          data.note = "file lives on the remote computer; pull it with scp if you need the bytes locally";
        }
      }
      if (backendMethod === "zoom") bindZoomRaster(computer, zoomParent, args.region, ex.filesLocal ? data?.file ?? data?.path : null);
      if (name === "get_app_state") {

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