different-ai/openwork · error

app.error_connect_first

app.error_connect_first

Error message

t("app.error_connect_first")

What it means

After preconditions pass, the handler calls reloadWorkspaceEngineFromUi(); a falsy return means the workspace engine could not be reloaded, typically because the app is not connected to the OpenWork/opencode server. The UI then throws this localized 'connect first' error rather than proceeding silently disconnected.

Source

Thrown at apps/app/src/react-app/shell/session-route.tsx:654

      pid: openworkServerHostInfoState?.pid ?? null,
      port: openworkServerHostInfoState?.port ?? null,
    }),
    [client?.baseUrl, openworkServerHostInfoState?.pid, openworkServerHostInfoState?.port],
  );

  const handleApplyEnvironmentChanges = useCallback(async () => {
    if (!isDesktopRuntime()) {
      throw new Error(t("settings.environment.apply_unavailable"));
    }
    if (activeReloadBlockingSessions.length > 0) {
      throw new Error(t("settings.environment.apply_blocked_active_tasks"));
    }
    if (!selectedWorkspaceRoot) {
      throw new Error(t("settings.environment.apply_no_local_workspace"));
    }
    const reloaded = await reloadWorkspaceEngineFromUi();
    if (!reloaded) {
      throw new Error(t("app.error_connect_first"));
    }
  }, [activeReloadBlockingSessions.length, reloadWorkspaceEngineFromUi, selectedWorkspaceRoot]);

  const shareWorkspaceState = useShareWorkspaceState({
    workspaces,
    openworkServerHostInfo: openworkServerHostInfoState,
    openworkServerSettings,
    engineInfo: routeEngineInfo,
    exportWorkspaceBusy: false,
    openLink: (url) => platform.openLink(url),
    workspaceLabel,
  });


  const remoteWorkspaceConnectionEditor = useRemoteWorkspaceConnectionEditor({
    workspaces,
    client,
    onSaved: handleRemoteWorkspaceConnectionSaved,

View on GitHub (pinned to 2b7df46e8a)

Solutions

1. Reconnect the server (Account/Settings → reconnect, or restart the desktop app)
2. Check that the local openwork-server process is running and the port matches the saved config
3. Retry the environment apply after the connection indicator shows connected

const connected = await checkServerConnection();
if (!connected) {
  notify("Reconnect the OpenWork server before applying changes.");
  return;
}
await handleApplyEnvironmentChanges();

try {
  await handleApplyEnvironmentChanges();
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes("error_connect_first")) {
    await reconnectServer();
    await handleApplyEnvironmentChanges();
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Clicking 'Apply' in Environment settings while reloadWorkspaceEngineFromUi() resolves false — the server/engine client is disconnected, crashed, or not yet started.

Common situations: The local openwork-server process exited; user restarted the app offline; connection was lost mid-session (server crashed or port changed); applying env vars right after startup before the engine connects.

Related errors

• OpenWork server unavailable.
• settings.environment.apply_blocked_active_tasks
• settings.environment.apply_no_local_workspace
• OpenWork server is unavailable. Reconnect the server before
• Workspace runtime is not connected.

AI-assisted analysis of different-ai/openwork@2b7df46e8a (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c13fda82cf8567ac. Report an issue: GitHub.