failed to parse model_catalog_json path `{}` as JSON: {err}

Error message

failed to parse model_catalog_json path `{}` as JSON: {err}

What it means

Error "failed to parse model_catalog_json path `{}` as JSON: {err}" thrown in openai/codex.

Source

Thrown at codex-rs/core/src/config/mod.rs:2015

    let _guard = AbsolutePathBufGuard::new(config_base_dir);
    root_value
        .try_into()
        .map_err(|e| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, e))
}

/// Validate user-visible feature settings against managed feature requirements.
pub fn validate_feature_requirements_for_config_toml(
    cfg: &ConfigToml,
    feature_requirements: Option<&Sourced<FeatureRequirementsToml>>,
) -> std::io::Result<()> {
    managed_features::validate_explicit_feature_settings_in_config_toml(cfg, feature_requirements)?;
    managed_features::validate_feature_requirements_in_config_toml(cfg, feature_requirements)
}

fn load_catalog_json(path: &AbsolutePathBuf) -> std::io::Result<ModelsResponse> {
    let file_contents = std::fs::read_to_string(path)?;
    let catalog = serde_json::from_str::<ModelsResponse>(&file_contents).map_err(|err| {
        std::io::Error::new(
            ErrorKind::InvalidData,
            format!(
                "failed to parse model_catalog_json path `{}` as JSON: {err}",
                path.display()
            ),
        )
    })?;
    if catalog.models.is_empty() {
        return Err(std::io::Error::new(
            ErrorKind::InvalidData,
            format!(
                "model_catalog_json path `{}` must contain at least one model",
                path.display()
            ),
        ));
    }
    Ok(catalog)
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 339751715c)

Solutions

Fix model_catalog_json so it parses as valid JSON.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at codex-rs/core/src/config/mod.rs:2015 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

Understand the failure class

Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

AI-assisted analysis of openai/codex@339751715c (2026-08-25). Data as JSON: /api/errors/056ac8ac3dd3255f. Report an issue: GitHub.