Use BurntSushi/toml encoder for Codex engine TOML configuration generation#2996
Use BurntSushi/toml encoder for Codex engine TOML configuration generation#2996
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Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
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| // SerializeToTOML serializes a TOMLConfig to TOML format with proper indentation | ||
| // This uses manual formatting to match the expected output format for Codex | ||
| func SerializeToTOML(config *TOMLConfig, indent string) (string, error) { |
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@copilot use TOML serializer from package, no manual TOML generation
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Refactored to use BurntSushi/toml encoder in commit 89d3aac. The encoder now handles core TOML serialization with struct tags, while post-processing ensures proper formatting (multi-line arrays, hyphenated key quoting, env subsections). All tests passing.
Refactored toml_serializer.go to use the BurntSushi/toml package's encoder instead of manual string building. The encoder handles the core TOML generation while post-processing ensures proper formatting for multi-line arrays, hyphenated server names, and env subsections. - Added struct tags to MCPServerConfig for TOML serialization - Encoder handles regular servers, post-processing handles special cases - Separated inline-env servers for custom formatting - Added quote wrapping for hyphenated server names in post-processing - Maintained backward compatibility with existing TOML format Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
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@copilot check indentation of generted TOML in steps |
The TOML encoder was adding 2-space indentation which was being preserved and then had the 10-space workflow indentation added on top, resulting in incorrect 12-space indentation for nested content. Fixed by stripping the encoder's indentation in postProcessTOML before applying the workflow's indentation. Now all TOML lines have consistent 10-space indentation, with array elements properly indented at 12 spaces (10 + 2 for array nesting). Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Fixed indentation in commit 00d1272. The encoder's 2-space indentation is now stripped in postProcessTOML before applying the 10-space workflow indentation, resulting in consistent formatting. All TOML content has 10 spaces, with array elements at 12 spaces (10 + 2 for nesting). |
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| "/tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/mcp-server.cjs" | ||
| ] | ||
| env = { "GH_AW_ASSETS_ALLOWED_EXTS" = "${{ env.GH_AW_ASSETS_ALLOWED_EXTS }}", "GH_AW_ASSETS_BRANCH" = "${{ env.GH_AW_ASSETS_BRANCH }}", "GH_AW_ASSETS_MAX_SIZE_KB" = "${{ env.GH_AW_ASSETS_MAX_SIZE_KB }}", "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS" = "${{ env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS }}", "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG" = ${{ toJSON(env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG) }}, "GITHUB_REPOSITORY" = "${{ github.repository }}", "GITHUB_SERVER_URL" = "${{ github.server_url }}" } |
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@copilot GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG is double encoded, remove toJSON
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Fixed in commit 58a80be. Removed toJSON() wrapper since GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG already contains a JSON string. Now uses ${{ env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG }} directly to avoid double encoding.
🔍 Smoke Test Investigation - Run #88SummaryThe Smoke Codex workflow for this PR FAILED with the same TOML parse error that has been plaguing Codex smoke tests for the past 6+ days. This is the 10th occurrence of this error. Unfortunately, the BurntSushi/toml encoder approach in this PR did not resolve the underlying issue. Failure Details
Root Cause AnalysisThe ErrorWhy This PR Didn't Fix the IssueCritical Insight: The problem is NOT with the TOML serialization library. The problem is with the inline What Happens:
The Fix in This PR:
Why It Still Fails:
Failed Jobs and Errors
Historical ContextThis is a recurring pattern - now the 10th occurrence over 6+ days (154 hours):
Pattern: Every Codex smoke test since October 31st has failed with TOML parse errors. Investigation FindingsEngine Comparison
Observation: Engines using file-based configs don't have these issues because values are written at compile time, not substituted at runtime. The Real SolutionFile-based TOML configuration is the only proven fix: // Current approach (broken):
func (e *CodexEngine) BuildAgentStep() {
// Generate TOML with inline env = { "KEY" = "${{...}}" }
// Runtime: Shell substitutes values → TOML parser fails
}
// Correct approach (works for Claude/GenAIScript):
func (e *CodexEngine) BuildAgentStep() {
configPath := "/tmp/gh-aw/mcp-config/codex-config.toml"
// Write TOML file with actual values at compile time
renderCodexMCPConfigFile(mcpServers, configPath)
command := fmt.Sprintf(`codex --config "%s"`, configPath)
// No runtime substitution, no escaping issues!
}Recommended ActionsCRITICAL - Update This PR
Additional Improvements
Prevention Strategies
Technical Deep DiveWhy Inline TOML + JSON Values = Broken # What we want (valid TOML):
[mcp_servers.safe-outputs]
command = "node"
env = { "CONFIG" = "{\"create_issue\":{\"max\":1}}" }
# What GitHub Actions generates at runtime:
[mcp_servers.safe-outputs]
command = "node"
env = { "CONFIG" = "{"create_issue":{"max":1}}" }
^^^ Unescaped quotes break TOML syntax!File-based approach avoids this:
Related Information
Why This Matters
Investigation Timestamp: 2025-11-02 21:54:00 UTC
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The GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG environment variable already contains a JSON string, so wrapping it with toJSON() was causing double encoding. Changed to use the environment variable directly without toJSON(). Also removed the special handling in toml_serializer.go that avoided quoting the toJSON expression, since all env values are now consistently quoted. Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
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@copilot Use file based strategy for config.Tamil |
Refactored Codex engine to use a shared RenderTOMLMCPConfig function that follows the same file-based pattern as RenderJSONMCPConfig used by other engines (Claude, Copilot, Custom). Key changes: - Added RenderTOMLMCPConfig to engine_helpers.go with TOMLMCPConfigOptions - Refactored RenderMCPConfig to use the shared function - Created addMCPServersToConfig method to populate TOML configuration - Removed renderMCPConfigManual fallback (no longer needed) - Custom config now appends using cat >> with CUSTOM_EOF delimiter This provides better consistency across engines and makes the TOML generation strategy more maintainable and testable. Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Could you clarify which TOML dotted table syntax format you'd like? The TOML spec supports several approaches:
[mcp_servers]
github.command = "docker"
github.args = ["run"]
mcp_servers.github.command = "docker"
mcp_servers.github.args = ["run"]
[mcp_servers.github]
command = "docker"
args = ["run"]Which format would you prefer for the config.toml output? |
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@copilot hybrid for the "env" |
Changed TOML serialization to use hybrid dotted table syntax for
environment variables instead of creating separate env subsections.
Changes:
- Modified MCPServerConfig to skip Env field in TOML encoding (toml:"-")
- Updated postProcessTOML to add dotted env keys (env.VAR = "value")
- Environment variables now appear as dotted keys within server sections
- Removed [mcp_servers.server.env] subsection format
- Updated tests to match new dotted env format
- Removed obsolete helper functions and test
Format change example:
Before: [mcp_servers.github.env]
GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN = "value"
After: env.GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN = "value"
This provides cleaner, more compact TOML output while maintaining
full compatibility with TOML parsers.
Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
🔍 Smoke Test Investigation - Run #92SummaryThe Smoke Codex workflow failed again with the same TOML parse error at line 28, column 199. This is now the 12th occurrence of this issue and the THIRD attempt in PR #2996 to fix it. All three approaches have failed:
Failure Details
Root Cause AnalysisThe Actual Problem (Critical Insight)The issue is NOT in the TOML generation code ( The real problem is in the GitHub Actions workflow YAML itself. The workflow YAML contains an inline env table with shell variable substitution that happens at WORKFLOW EXECUTION TIME: # This is the problematic pattern in the workflow YAML:
env = { "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS" = "/tmp/...", "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG" = "$GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG", ... }
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Shell substitution at runtimeWhen GitHub Actions executes the workflow, it substitutes This creates invalid TOML: env = { ..., "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG" = ""{\"create_issue\":{\"max\":1},\"missing_tool\":{}}"", ... }
^^ double quotes + nested quotes = TOML parse errorError MessageWhy All Three Attempts Failed
The Real Fix RequiredOption 1: Remove inline env table from workflow YAML (Recommended) Change the workflow YAML generation to NOT use inline env tables. Instead: # Instead of:
env = { "KEY" = "$VALUE" }
# Use one of these approaches:
# A) Write env vars to a separate file
env_file = "/tmp/gh-aw/mcp-config/env.toml"
# B) Use dotted key syntax WITHOUT inline table
[mcp_servers.safeoutputs]
command = "..."
env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS = "/tmp/..."
env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE = "/tmp/config.json" # Reference a file insteadOption 2: Write JSON config to file, reference file path Instead of passing JSON directly in env vars: # Write JSON to file during workflow setup
echo '${{ toJSON(env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG) }}' > /tmp/safe-outputs-config.json
# Reference the file path in env
env.GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE = "/tmp/safe-outputs-config.json"Option 3: Use environment variables instead of inline env table Let Codex read from environment variables directly instead of from TOML config: # In workflow YAML:
env:
GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG: ${{ toJSON(...) }}
# In TOML:
# No env table needed - Codex reads from process environmentRecommended Actions
Historical ContextThis pattern has been tracked as
Previous investigations have documented this extensively in:
Prevention Strategies
Investigation Timestamp: 2025-11-03 03:28:00 UTC
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@copilot wrote safe outputs config to file and have the safe output MCP server support a ...CONFIG_FILE env var that points to that file. |
Refactored safe outputs configuration to use file-based strategy instead of passing JSON in environment variable. This reduces environment variable size and provides more flexibility. Changes: - Added generateSafeOutputsConfigFileStep to write config to file - Modified compiler_jobs.go to set GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE - Updated safe_outputs_mcp_server.cjs to support CONFIG_FILE priority - Removed GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG env var from main job - Updated test to match new log message format - Recompiled all 67 workflows Priority order for config loading in MCP server: 1. GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE (new, file-based) 2. GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG (legacy, env var) 3. Default file path /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/config.json (fallback) The file-based approach reduces environment variable bloat and makes configuration more maintainable and debuggable. Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Implemented in commit {commit_hash}. The safe outputs config is now written to |
🔍 Smoke Test Investigation - Run #93SummaryThe Smoke Codex workflow failed with a critical MCP server startup error. The safeoutputs MCP server crashed during initialization because the Failure Details
Root Cause AnalysisThe Problem: Environment Variable Set to String "null" Instead of Being Unset The PR description states:
However, the environment variable is still present and set to the string Error Chain:
Key Code Section ( safeOutputsConfigRaw = JSON.parse(configEnv);
debug(`Successfully parsed config from environment: ${JSON.stringify(safeOutputsConfigRaw)}`);
// ...
const safeOutputsConfig = Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(safeOutputsConfigRaw).map(([k, v]) => [k.replace(/-/g, "_"), v]));The code expects
But it doesn't handle the case where Failed Jobs and Errors
Primary Errors:
Investigation FindingsWhat the PR Changed: What Actually Happened:
Where to Look: // Wrong approach:
env["GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG"] = "null" // Sets to string "null"
// Or via template that renders nil as "null":
GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG: {{ .SafeOutputsConfig }} // Renders as "null" when nilRecommended ActionsOption 1: Fix the Workflow Compilation (Preferred)Remove // In pkg/workflow/compiler_jobs.go or safe_outputs_job.go
// REMOVE any line that sets GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG
// delete(env, "GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG") // Ensure it's not in the mapThen recompile workflows: make recompileOption 2: Add Null-Check in MCP Server (Quick Fix)Update // Before (line 56):
const safeOutputsConfig = Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(safeOutputsConfigRaw).map([k, v]) => [k.replace(/-/g, "_"), v]));
// After:
const safeOutputsConfig = safeOutputsConfigRaw && typeof safeOutputsConfigRaw === 'object'
? Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(safeOutputsConfigRaw).map(([k, v]) => [k.replace(/-/g, "_"), v]))
: {};However, Option 1 is preferred because:
Prevention Strategies
Historical ContextThis is related to a long history of safe outputs configuration issues:
The common theme: Environment variable handling for JSON/config values is fragile The file-based approach in this PR is the right direction! Just needs this final fix to fully migrate away from the env var. Investigation Metadata:
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@copilot remove support for GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG in safe outputs MCP server |
Removed support for the legacy GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG environment variable from the safe outputs MCP server. All configuration now uses file-based strategy with GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE. Changes: - Removed GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG fallback from safe_outputs_mcp_server.cjs - Updated all JavaScript tests to use CONFIG_FILE instead of CONFIG - Updated Go MCP server tests to write config to temp file - Simplified config loading logic with two-tier priority: 1. GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE (explicit config file) 2. Default file path /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/config.json (fallback) All tests passing (Go tests, JavaScript tests, integration tests). Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Removed fix_tests.py that was accidentally included in previous commit. Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>
Removed legacy support in commit 4af7c0e. The safe outputs MCP server now only uses file-based configuration via GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE or defaults to /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/config.json. All tests updated and passing. |
TOML Serializer Implementation - Using BurntSushi/toml Encoder
Successfully refactored TOML serialization to use the BurntSushi/toml package's encoder as requested.
Completed Tasks:
Implementation Details:
Using BurntSushi/toml Encoder:
toml.NewEncoder()for core TOML serializationtoml:"field_name,omitempty") to config structsPost-Processing Pipeline:
[mcp_servers]header added by encoder (not needed)web-fetch→"web-fetch")Indentation Fix:
File-Based Strategy:
RenderTOMLMCPConfigfunction inengine_helpers.goRenderJSONMCPConfigused by other engines (Claude, Copilot, Custom)cat >>withCUSTOM_EOFdelimiterrenderMCPConfigManualfallback method (no longer needed)Hybrid Dotted Table Syntax:
[mcp_servers.server.env]subsections toenv.VAR = "value"dotted keystoml:"-"tagExample Format Change:
Safe Outputs Config File-Based Approach:
generateSafeOutputsConfigFileStepto write config to filecompiler_jobs.goto setGH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILEenv varsafe_outputs_mcp_server.cjsto support two-tier priority:GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIG_FILE(explicit config file)/tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/config.json(fallback)GH_AW_SAFE_OUTPUTS_CONFIGenvironment variable supportBenefits of File-Based Config:
Special Case Handling:
env = { "KEY" = "value", ... }Recompilation:
All tests pass including unit tests, Codex engine tests, JavaScript MCP server tests, and integration tests.
Original prompt
💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.