Hmbown/CodeWhale · error

Secret storage {operation} failed: {failure}. Refusing to wr

Error message

Secret storage {operation} failed: {failure}. Refusing to write the API key in plaintext to {}. Fix the configured secret backend and retry; Codewhale did not change that file.

What it means

Error "Secret storage {operation} failed: {failure}. Refusing to write the API key in plaintext to {}. Fix the configured secret backend and retry; Codewhale did not change that file." thrown in Hmbown/CodeWhale.

Source

Thrown at crates/tui/src/config.rs:10380

            Err(error) => {
                return Err(plaintext_credential_fallback_refused(
                    "snapshot", &path, &error,
                ));
            }
        }
    }

    let path = save_api_key_to_config_file(trimmed)?;
    codewhale_config::scrub_plaintext_api_keys_from_config_backup(&path)?;
    Ok(SavedCredential::ConfigFile(path))
}

fn plaintext_credential_fallback_refused(
    operation: &str,
    config_path: &Path,
    failure: &dyn std::fmt::Display,
) -> anyhow::Error {
    anyhow::anyhow!(
        "Secret storage {operation} failed: {failure}. Refusing to write the API key in plaintext to {}. Fix the configured secret backend and retry; Codewhale did not change that file.",
        codewhale_config::quote_os_path(config_path)
    )
}

/// The durable secret store for credential saves and logout-time deletes.
///
/// Under `cfg(test)` the store is only exposed when the test set both an
/// isolated `CODEWHALE_HOME` and an explicit backend, so unit tests can never
/// touch the developer's real credential store.
#[cfg(not(test))]
fn credential_secret_store() -> Option<codewhale_secrets::Secrets> {
    Some(codewhale_secrets::Secrets::auto_detect())
}

#[cfg(test)]
fn credential_secret_store() -> Option<codewhale_secrets::Secrets> {
    let isolated_home = codewhale_paths::codewhale_home_is_explicit();

View on GitHub (pinned to 8880682c63)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at crates/tui/src/config.rs:10380 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of Hmbown/CodeWhale@8880682c63 (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e504b94962b1497f. Report an issue: GitHub.