pulumi/pulumi · error

internal error: %w

Error message

internal error: %w

What it means

When setting a path not under `imports`, the CLI must locate the `values` mapping in the document, creating it via YAMLSyntax.Set if missing. Failure of that internal Set (which should be impossible on a freshly created empty mapping node) is reported as 'internal error'. It signals an unexpected state in the YAML document tree manipulation code.

Source

Thrown at pkg/cmd/esc/cli/env_set.go:192

				return fmt.Errorf("unmarshaling environment definition: %w", err)
			}
			if docNode.Kind != yaml.DocumentNode {
				docNode = yaml.Node{
					Kind:    yaml.DocumentNode,
					Content: []*yaml.Node{{}},
				}
			}

			if path[0] == "imports" {
				_, err = encoding.YAMLSyntax{Node: &docNode}.Set(nil, path, yamlValue)
			} else {
				valuesNode, ok := encoding.YAMLSyntax{Node: &docNode}.Get(resource.PropertyPath{"values"})
				if !ok {
					valuesNode, err = encoding.YAMLSyntax{Node: &docNode}.Set(nil, resource.PropertyPath{"values"}, yaml.Node{
						Kind: yaml.MappingNode,
					})
					if err != nil {
						return fmt.Errorf("internal error: %w", err)
					}
				}
				_, err = encoding.YAMLSyntax{Node: valuesNode}.Set(nil, path, yamlValue)
			}
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}

			newYAML, err := yaml.Marshal(docNode.Content[0])
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("marshaling definition: %w", err)
			}

			diags, err := env.esc.updateEnvironment(ctx, ref, draft, newYAML, tag, "")
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}

View on GitHub (pinned to 793f7b2e16)

Solutions

1. Ensure the environment definition's top level is a YAML mapping (`values:` / `imports:` keys), not a bare scalar or list
2. Rewrite the definition with `esc env edit <env>` so the root is `{}` or contains `values: {}`
3. Set paths under `values` explicitly (e.g. `esc env set <env> values.mykey v`) after fixing the root
4. If the document is already a valid mapping, this indicates a CLI bug — file an issue with the definition

Example fix

// before (root is a scalar)
just-a-string
// after
esc env edit my-env
values: {}

var doc map[string]any
if err := yaml.Unmarshal(defBytes, &doc); err != nil || doc == nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("definition root must be a mapping")
}

func isMappingRoot(def []byte) bool {
    var n yaml.Node
    if yaml.Unmarshal(def, &n) != nil { return false }
    return len(n.Content) > 0 && n.Content[0].Kind == yaml.MappingNode
}

When it happens

Trigger: `esc env set` on a document lacking a `values` key where `encoding.YAMLSyntax.Set(nil, ["values"], ...)` returns an error — e.g. the document root resolved to a node type that cannot host a mapping (a scalar or sequence at the document root).

Common situations: An environment definition whose top level is a plain scalar or list (e.g. the file just contains `foo`) rather than a mapping, so `values` cannot be inserted as expected.

Related errors

• internal error: rendering: %w
• internal error: creating renderer: %w
• reading environment definition: %w
• marshaling environment definition: %w
• marshaling definition: %w

AI-assisted analysis of pulumi/pulumi@793f7b2e16 (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b8b0708be80f2be8. Report an issue: GitHub.