gitbutlerapp/gitbutler · error · anyhow::Error

Invalid section for global key: {key}

Error message

Invalid section for global key: {key}

What it means

git_set_global_config and git_remove_global_config validate their key through validate_gitbutler_global_key (crates/but-api/src/legacy/git.rs:113-118): only keys starting with 'gitbutler.' are accepted, so the app cannot clobber arbitrary global git config. git_get_global_config does not enforce this and reads any key.

Source

Thrown at crates/but-api/src/legacy/git.rs:115

        Ok(())
    })?;
    Ok(())
}

#[but_api]
#[instrument(err(Debug))]
pub fn git_get_global_config(key: String) -> Result<Option<String>> {
    let config = open_global_config_for_reading()?;
    Ok(get_config_string(&config, &key))
}

fn get_config_string(config: &gix::config::File, key: &str) -> Option<String> {
    config.string(key).map(|s| s.to_string())
}

fn validate_gitbutler_global_key(key: &str) -> Result<()> {
    if !key.starts_with("gitbutler.") {
        bail!("Invalid section for global key: {key}")
    }
    Ok(())
}

View on GitHub (pinned to caf1f223d3)

Solutions

1. Prefix the key with 'gitbutler.' (e.g. 'gitbutler.aiReview')
2. For real git config such as user.name or core.editor, write it with git itself (`git config --global ...`) outside this API
3. Reads accept any key: use gitGetGlobalConfig to verify the value after writing

Example fix

// before: non-namespaced key
await client.gitSetGlobalConfig('aiReview', 'true');
// error: Invalid section for global key: aiReview

// after: gitbutler namespace
await client.gitSetGlobalConfig('gitbutler.aiReview', 'true');
await client.gitGetGlobalConfig('gitbutler.aiReview'); // 'true'

function isGitButlerConfigKey(key: string): boolean {
  return key.startsWith('gitbutler.');
}

// usage
if (!isGitButlerConfigKey(key)) {
  throw new RangeError(`key must be namespaced under 'gitbutler.': ${key}`);
}
await client.gitSetGlobalConfig(key, value);

try {
  await client.gitSetGlobalConfig(key, value);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e).startsWith('Invalid section for global key')) {
    await client.gitSetGlobalConfig(`gitbutler.${key}`, value); // retry namespaced
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling gitSetGlobalConfig('user.name', ...) or gitRemoveGlobalConfig('core.editor') with any non-'gitbutler.' key; passing an unprefixed app setting such as 'aiReview' instead of 'gitbutler.aiReview'.

Common situations: Integrations assuming this wraps `git config --global`; settings code that stores the config key without its namespace prefix; typos like 'gitbutler' (missing dot).

Related errors

• Invalid message format
• HTTP Error ${response.statusText}: ${text}
• Invalid parents to disconnect: SelectorSet::None is not allo
• Invalid parent delimitation: requested parent is not a direc
• Invalid parent delimitation: requested child is not a direct

AI-assisted analysis of gitbutlerapp/gitbutler@caf1f223d3 (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f19cf6638321953e. Report an issue: GitHub.