stablyai/orca · error · Error

Invalid process CPU time: ${value}

Error message

Invalid process CPU time: ${value}

What it means

parseCpuTimeSeconds parses the `time` column from ps output (format: [D-]HH:MM:SS or MM:SS). It splits on '-' for days, then on ':' for hours:minutes:seconds. If any component fails Number.isFinite after conversion, the format is unrecognized.

Source

Thrown at config/scripts/macos-computer-helper-owner-loss-metrics.mjs:26

}

export function median(values) {
  const sorted = [...values].sort((left, right) => left - right)
  const middle = Math.floor(sorted.length / 2)
  return sorted.length % 2 === 0 ? (sorted[middle - 1] + sorted[middle]) / 2 : sorted[middle]
}

export function percentile(values, fraction) {
  const sorted = [...values].sort((left, right) => left - right)
  return sorted[Math.max(0, Math.ceil(sorted.length * fraction) - 1)]
}

function parseCpuTimeSeconds(value) {
  const [dayOrTime, clock] = value.includes('-') ? value.split('-', 2) : [null, value]
  const days = dayOrTime === null ? 0 : Number(dayOrTime)
  const parts = clock.split(':').map(Number)
  if (!Number.isFinite(days) || parts.some((part) => !Number.isFinite(part))) {
    throw new Error(`Invalid process CPU time: ${value}`)
  }
  const seconds = parts.pop() ?? 0
  const minutes = parts.pop() ?? 0
  const hours = parts.pop() ?? 0
  return days * 86_400 + hours * 3_600 + minutes * 60 + seconds
}

export function processSnapshot(pid) {
  const raw = execFileSync(
    'ps',
    ['-o', 'rss=', '-o', 'time=', '-o', 'command=', '-p', String(pid)],
    { encoding: 'utf8' }
  ).trim()
  const match = raw.match(/^(\d+)\s+(\S+)\s+(.+)$/)
  if (!match) {
    throw new Error(`Could not inspect process ${pid}: ${raw}`)
  }
  return {

View on GitHub (pinned to 1136503c6a)

Solutions

1. Pin LC_ALL=C when calling ps to ensure consistent POSIX formatting
2. Log the raw ps `time=` value to inspect the actual format before parsing
3. Handle the parse failure with a fallback (return 0 or skip the sample)

Example fix

// before: ps inherits shell locale, may produce non-POSIX time format
const raw = execFileSync('ps', ['-o', 'time=', '-p', String(pid)], { encoding: 'utf8' })

// after: pin locale to C for deterministic parsing
const raw = execFileSync('ps', ['-o', 'time=', '-p', String(pid)], {
  encoding: 'utf8',
  env: { ...process.env, LC_ALL: 'C' }
})

// Pin locale for deterministic ps output before calling processSnapshot
process.env.LC_ALL = 'C'
process.env.LC_NUMERIC = 'C'

try {
  const seconds = parseCpuTimeSeconds(rawTime)
} catch (error) {
  if (error.message.includes('Invalid process CPU time')) {
    // ps time format is unexpected — log raw value and use a fallback
    console.warn('Unparseable CPU time:', rawTime, '— defaulting to 0')
    return 0
  }
  throw error
}

When it happens

Trigger: The ps `time=` value for a PID does not match the expected D-HH:MM:SS or HH:MM:SS format. Causes: non-C locale changing number separators; a process with zero CPU time showing an unusual format; ps output truncation at column width.

Common situations: LC_ALL/LC_NUMERIC locale changes the decimal separator or time format; macOS version differences in ps time formatting; extremely long-running processes with day counts exceeding expected digits; zombie processes with no accumulated time.

Related errors

• Could not inspect process ${pid}: ${raw}
• Could not parse process identity for ${pid}
• Could not read watchdog child RSS for PID ${pid}
• Could not read CPU time for PID ${pid}
• Benchmark process group recovery failed before validation

AI-assisted analysis of stablyai/orca@1136503c6a (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bc0da89ce66bb987. Report an issue: GitHub.