ipfs/kubo · error

failure to encode config: %w

Error message

failure to encode config: %w

What it means

Config.Clone serializes the Config through JSON to deep-copy it, and the encode step failed. JSON encoding of the config only fails if a field holds a value that cannot marshal (unsupported type or a value triggering a Marshaler error); a normal on-disk config never triggers this. %w is the underlying json.Encoder error.

Source

Thrown at config/config.go:218

		}
		return result

	default:
		// For basic types (int, string, etc.), just return the value
		if v.CanInterface() {
			return v.Interface()
		}
		return nil
	}
}

// Clone copies the config. Use when updating.
func (c *Config) Clone() (*Config, error) {
	var newConfig Config
	var buf bytes.Buffer

	if err := json.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(c); err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failure to encode config: %w", err)
	}

	if err := json.NewDecoder(&buf).Decode(&newConfig); err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failure to decode config: %w", err)
	}

	return &newConfig, nil
}

// Check if the provided key is present in the structure.
func CheckKey(key string) error {
	conf := Config{}

	// Convert an empty config to a map without JSON.
	cursor := ReflectToMap(&conf)

	// Parse the key and verify it's presence in the map.
	var ok bool

View on GitHub (pinned to 329838acdf)

Solutions

1. Inspect the wrapped error to find which field fails to marshal
2. Restore or re-create a valid config file and retry the operation that clones it

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at config/config.go:218 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/8432e80760403fec. Report an issue: GitHub.