ipfs/kubo · error

cannot change remote pinning services api info with `config

Error message

cannot change remote pinning services api info with `config replace`

What it means

'ipfs config replace' guard: for a service present in both configs, some API detail (endpoint or credentials) differs in the replacement. Changing pinning service API info via config replace is blocked so existing secrets are not silently overwritten or leaked.

Source

Thrown at core/commands/config.go:696

	newServices := newCfg.Pinning.RemoteServices
	oldServices, err := getRemotePinningServices(r)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load remote pinning services info (%v)", err)
	}

	// fail fast if service lists are obviously different
	if len(newServices) != len(oldServices) {
		return errors.New("cannot add or remove remote pinning services with 'config replace'")
	}

	// re-apply API details and confirm every modified service already existed
	for name, oldSvc := range oldServices {
		if newSvc, hadSvc := newServices[name]; hadSvc {
			// fail if input changes any of API details
			// (interop with config show: allow Endpoint as long it did not change)
			if len(newSvc.API.Key) != 0 || (len(newSvc.API.Endpoint) != 0 && newSvc.API.Endpoint != oldSvc.API.Endpoint) {
				return errors.New("cannot change remote pinning services api info with `config replace`")
			}
			// re-apply API details and store service in updated config
			newSvc.API = oldSvc.API
			newCfg.Pinning.RemoteServices[name] = newSvc
		} else {
			// error on service rm attempt
			return errors.New("cannot add or remove remote pinning services with 'config replace'")
		}
	}

	return r.SetConfig(&newCfg)
}

func getRemotePinningServices(r repo.Repo) (map[string]config.RemotePinningService, error) {
	var oldServices map[string]config.RemotePinningService
	if remoteServicesTag, err := getConfig(r, config.RemoteServicesPath); err == nil {
		// seems that golang cannot type assert map[string]interface{} to map[string]config.RemotePinningService
		// so we have to manually copy the data :-|

View on GitHub (pinned to 329838acdf)

Solutions

1. Keep the remote service API details unchanged in the replacement file
2. Use 'ipfs pin remote service' subcommands to update endpoint or credentials

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at core/commands/config.go:696 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of ipfs/kubo@329838acdf (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/920d71e2c453c519. Report an issue: GitHub.