deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness · error · Error

${binName}: config ${absoluteConfigPath} must be a top-level

Error message

${binName}: config ${absoluteConfigPath} must be a top-level YAML array of entries

What it means

Error "${binName}: config ${absoluteConfigPath} must be a top-level YAML array of entries" thrown in deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.

Source

Thrown at packages/boot/app-boot/src/index.ts:398

  binName: string,
  absoluteConfigPath: string,
  layers: ConfigDumpLayer[],
  warn: (line: string) => void = line => void process.stderr.write(`${line}\n`),
): string {
  let content: string
  try {
    content = readFileSync(absoluteConfigPath, 'utf8')
  } catch (error) {
    throw new Error(`${binName}: failed to read config ${absoluteConfigPath}: ${String(error)}`)
  }
  let parsed: unknown
  try {
    parsed = yaml.load(content, { schema: entryListSchema })
  } catch (error) {
    throw new Error(`${binName}: failed to parse config ${absoluteConfigPath}: ${String(error)}`)
  }
  if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) {
    throw new Error(`${binName}: config ${absoluteConfigPath} must be a top-level YAML array of entries`)
  }
  const baseLabel = basename(absoluteConfigPath)
  // YAML parsing yields untyped rows; the include validates each entry
  // at mount, and the dump prints whatever the file holds, so `EntryOptions`
  // here is structural trust in the same file `boot()` would include.
  const base = parsed as Parameters<typeof applyEntryPatches>[0]
  // snapshot_k = ONE application of layers 1..k flattened, using the exact
  // arguments boot passes for that prefix. snapshot_N is the mounted composition.
  // The patches are cloned per call: applyEntryPatches detaches the entry
  // list but pushes `insert` rows by reference from the patch list, so
  // sharing patch objects across snapshot calls would leak a later
  // snapshot's mutations into an earlier one's result.
  const snapshot = (count: number, warnings: string[]): ReturnType<typeof applyEntryPatches> => {
    const flattened = structuredClone(layers.slice(0, count).flatMap(layer => layer.patches))
    return applyEntryPatches(base, flattened, (message: string, ...args: unknown[]) => {
      // The include logs through cordis's printf-style logger (`%C` = code); a
      // dump has no logger, so substitute inline for a plain line.
      let index = 0

View on GitHub (pinned to b150a551b8)

Solutions

Make the config a top-level YAML array of entries.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/boot/app-boot/src/index.ts:398 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness@b150a551b8 (2026-08-24). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5bc8c2023fb22899. Report an issue: GitHub.