sipeed/picoclaw · error

failed to load config: %w

Error message

failed to load config: %w

What it means

This error comes from the WeChat (weixin) channel setup flow. saveWeixinConfig re-reads the picoclaw config file with config.LoadConfig before it patches channels.weixin and saves the token/baseURL/proxy you just entered. The load failed, so nothing was written. The underlying cause is chained with %w and is almost always a missing, unreadable, or syntactically broken config file.

Source

Thrown at cmd/picoclaw/internal/auth/weixin.go:95

	}

	fmt.Println("✓ Config updated. Start the gateway with:")
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("  picoclaw gateway")
	fmt.Println()
	fmt.Println("To restrict which WeChat users can send messages, add their user IDs")
	fmt.Println("to channels.weixin.allow_from in your config.")

	return nil
}

// saveWeixinConfig patches channels.weixin in the config and saves it.
func saveWeixinConfig(token, baseURL, proxy string) error {
	cfgPath := internal.GetConfigPath()

	cfg, err := config.LoadConfig(cfgPath)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config: %w", err)
	}

	bc := cfg.Channels.GetByType(config.ChannelWeixin)
	if bc == nil {
		bc = &config.Channel{Type: config.ChannelWeixin}
		cfg.Channels[config.ChannelWeixin] = bc
	}
	bc.Enabled = true

	if decoded, err := bc.GetDecoded(); err == nil && decoded != nil {
		if weixinCfg, ok := decoded.(*config.WeixinSettings); ok {
			weixinCfg.Token = *config.NewSecureString(token)
			const defaultBase = "https://ilinkai.weixin.qq.com/"
			if baseURL != "" && baseURL != defaultBase {
				weixinCfg.BaseURL = baseURL
			}
			if proxy != "" {
				weixinCfg.Proxy = proxy

View on GitHub (pinned to 49183d7e8d)

Solutions

1. Run `picoclaw config path` and open that file; fix the syntax error reported by the wrapped error
2. Fix read/write permissions on the config file and its directory for the current user
3. If the file is unrecoverable, move it aside and let picoclaw regenerate defaults, then re-enter secrets
4. Re-run the weixin setup flow once the config loads cleanly

Example fix

# before: config.yaml has broken syntax
channels:
  weixin { token: abc
# after
channels:
  weixin:
    token: abc

bash -c 'picoclaw config path && picoclaw config validate' # run before `picoclaw auth weixin`; only proceed when both succeed

if err := saveWeixinConfig(token, baseURL, proxy); err != nil {
    var pe *fs.PathError
    switch {
    case errors.As(err, &pe):
        // unreadable/missing config: fix path or permissions, then retry the flow
    default:
        // parse error: surface wrapped cause, point user at `picoclaw config path`
    }
    return fmt.Errorf("weixin setup: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `picoclaw auth weixin` (or any flow that calls saveWeixinConfig) when the file at internal.GetConfigPath() cannot be parsed (invalid YAML/JSON), cannot be read (permissions), or does not exist. The error appears right after the token prompts, before any write is attempted.

Common situations: Hand-edited config left with broken syntax; config directory owned by root or another user; PICOCLOW_HOME redirected to a missing path; a partially written config after a crashed process.

Related errors

• failed to load config: %w
• failed to save config: %w
• failed to load config: %w
• failed to save config: %w
• failed to create api client: %w

AI-assisted analysis of sipeed/picoclaw@49183d7e8d (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7aef58c44976bd09. Report an issue: GitHub.