apache/answer · error

update config failed: %w

Error message

update config failed: %w

What it means

Returned by updateRolePinAndHideFeatures when xorm Update() of an existing config row (rank.question.show / rank.question.hide) fails. The row was found via Get(), but persisting the new value errored. The underlying driver error is wrapped with %w.

Source

Thrown at internal/migrations/v11.go:50

	defaultConfigTable := []*entity.Config{
		{ID: 119, Key: "question.pin", Value: `0`},
		{ID: 120, Key: "question.unpin", Value: `0`},
		{ID: 121, Key: "question.show", Value: `0`},
		{ID: 122, Key: "question.hide", Value: `0`},
		{ID: 123, Key: "rank.question.pin", Value: `-1`},
		{ID: 124, Key: "rank.question.unpin", Value: `-1`},
		{ID: 125, Key: "rank.question.show", Value: `-1`},
		{ID: 126, Key: "rank.question.hide", Value: `-1`},
	}
	for _, c := range defaultConfigTable {
		exist, err := x.Context(ctx).Get(&entity.Config{ID: c.ID})
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("get config failed: %w", err)
		}
		if exist {
			if _, err = x.Context(ctx).Update(c, &entity.Config{ID: c.ID}); err != nil {
				log.Errorf("update %+v config failed: %s", c, err)
				return fmt.Errorf("update config failed: %w", err)
			}
			continue
		}
		if _, err = x.Context(ctx).Insert(&entity.Config{ID: c.ID, Key: c.Key, Value: c.Value}); err != nil {
			log.Errorf("insert %+v config failed: %s", c, err)
			return fmt.Errorf("add config failed: %w", err)
		}
	}

	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 3b9f137061)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped driver error to identify the exact SQL failure
2. Verify the DB user has UPDATE privilege on the config table
3. Check for schema mismatches between entity.Config and the actual table
4. Re-run the migration after fixing the DB issue; it is safe to retry

Example fix

// before
if _, err = x.Context(ctx).Update(c, &entity.Config{ID: c.ID}); err != nil {
	log.Errorf("update %+v config failed: %s", c, err)
	return fmt.Errorf("update config failed: %w", err)
}
// after (log the SQL/args for diagnosis)
if _, err = x.Context(ctx).Update(c, &entity.Config{ID: c.ID}); err != nil {
	log.Errorf("update config id=%d key=%s failed: %s", c.ID, c.Key, err)
	return fmt.Errorf("update config id=%d failed: %w", c.ID, err)
}

// verify write access beforehand
if _, err := db.Exec("UPDATE config SET value = value WHERE id = -1"); err != nil {
	return fmt.Errorf("no UPDATE privilege on config: %w", err)
}

if err := runMigrations(); err != nil {
	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "update config failed") {
		log.Fatalf("config write failed, cause: %v", errors.Unwrap(err))
	}
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: x.Context(ctx).Update(c, &entity.Config{ID: c.ID}) returns non-nil err for a config row that already exists (exist == true) in the v11 migration.

Common situations: Write permission denied for the DB user; constraint violation on the config table; connection lost between the Get and the Update; DB in read-only mode during maintenance.

Related errors

• update config failed: %w
• %s failed: %s
• sync version failed: %v
• get config failed: %w
• add config failed: %w

AI-assisted analysis of apache/answer@3b9f137061 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/750e6b78bae5acf9. Report an issue: GitHub.