(could not read your per-user prefs — showing install config

Error message

(could not read your per-user prefs — showing install config only)

What it means

readUserPrefsBestEffort prints this notice to stderr when reading the CLI user's AI preferences from the database fails. It is an intentional best-effort fallback: the command continues with install-level config only, and the notice prevents the user from mistaking the listing for 'you have no per-user overrides'.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/commands/ai.ts:459

    getLog().error({ err: err as Error, tier, scope: resolvedScope }, 'cli.ai_tier_unset_failed');
    console.error(`✗ ${(err as Error).message}`);
    return 1;
  }
}

/**
 * Best-effort read of the CLI user's prefs for listings — `{}` when no CLI
 * identity resolves or the DB read fails (solo installs just see config).
 */
async function readUserPrefsBestEffort(): Promise<UserAiPrefs> {
  const cliId = resolveCliUserId();
  if (!cliId) return {};
  try {
    const user = await userDb.findOrCreateUserByPlatformIdentity('cli', cliId, cliId);
    return await getUserAiPrefs(user.id);
  } catch (err) {
    getLog().warn({ err: err as Error }, 'cli.ai_user_prefs_read_failed');
    // Visible notice so the listing isn't mistaken for "you have no overrides".
    console.error('(could not read your per-user prefs — showing install config only)');
    return {};
  }
}

/** `archon ai tier list [--json]` — show install + per-user scopes and the effective value. */
export async function aiTierListCommand(json?: boolean): Promise<number> {
  try {
    const config = await loadConfig();
    const configured = config.tiers ?? {};
    const userPrefs = await readUserPrefsBestEffort();
    const userTiers = userPrefs.tiers ?? {};
    const effectiveAssistant = userPrefs.defaultProvider ?? config.assistant;
    // No options → just the built-in tier-defaults for the default provider.
    // Degrade like the route's `tierDefaultsFor` (buildAiProfile ~never throws
    // with no aliases, but a defaults lookup must not fail the whole listing).
    let defaults: Record<string, RawAliasEntry> = {};
    try {

View on GitHub (pinned to 0773b97458)

Solutions

Check the logged warn event 'cli.ai_user_prefs_read_failed' for the underlying error (DB connection, missing table, identity failure)
Verify the CLI is configured and can reach the server (`archon` setup / connection settings)
Run any pending server migrations so user/prefs tables exist and match the binary
Re-run the command once the DB is reachable; per-user prefs will be included again

Defensive patterns

Strategy: fallback

Validate before calling

// best-effort read with explicit notice
let prefs = {};
try { prefs = await readUserPrefsBestEffort(cliId); }
catch { console.error('(could not read your per-user prefs — showing install config only)'); }

Try / catch

try {
  prefs = await getUserAiPrefs(user.id);
} catch (err) {
  getLog().warn({ err }, 'cli.ai_user_prefs_read_failed');
  prefs = {}; // install config only
}

Prevention

Ensure CLI identity is configured before running `archon ai` commands
Keep server and CLI versions in sync so prefs tables exist
Monitor the 'cli.ai_user_prefs_read_failed' warn event
Treat empty prefs output as suspect when the DB is known to be flaky

When it happens

Trigger: Running an `archon ai` command (e.g. `archon ai tier list`) while getUserAiPrefs or findOrCreateUserByPlatformIdentity('cli', cliId, cliId) throws — no CLI identity configured, DB unavailable/corrupt, or schema/migration mismatch.

Common situations: Fresh install with no `archon` CLI identity yet; server DB unreachable; developer pointing the CLI at a different environment than the server.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of coleam00/Archon@0773b97458 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a26c21a0b34e5e68. Report an issue: GitHub.