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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug] Context compaction preserves invalid file read offsets [1 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#61981•Fetched 2026-04-08 03:10:31
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chinazllchinazll
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Error Message

  1. Error: Offset {old_offset} is beyond end of file ({new_line_count} lines total)

Root Cause

Root cause is in OpenClaw's context management:

  1. Context compaction preserves file read positions
  2. The read tool does NOT validate offset against actual file size
  3. When file content changes (e.g., after code update), the preserved offset becomes invalid

Fix Action

Fix / Workaround

  • This does not affect plugin functionality
  • The workaround is to simply read from offset 0
  • This is a minor UX issue but worth fixing for robustness

Code Example

Offset 1705 is beyond end of file (1684 lines total)
raw_params={"path":"...","offset":1705,"limit":40}
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug Description | Bug 描述

When the OpenClaw context is compacted (compressed), file read positions with invalid offsets are preserved, causing subsequent read operations to fail.

Steps to Reproduce | 复现步骤

  1. Use the read tool with a specific offset parameter to read a file
  2. Context compaction occurs (triggered automatically after many turns)
  3. The file is modified (e.g., code updated, reducing line count)
  4. Attempt to read the file again using the preserved context
  5. Error: Offset {old_offset} is beyond end of file ({new_line_count} lines total)

Expected Behavior | 期望行为

During context compaction, file read positions should either:

  • Be discarded and reset to start of file
  • Have their offsets validated against actual file size before use
  • Be capped to valid range automatically

Actual Behavior | 实际行为

Offset 1705 is beyond end of file (1684 lines total)
raw_params={"path":"...","offset":1705,"limit":40}

The read tool attempts to use the preserved offset (1705) which exceeds the current file size (1684 lines).

Environment | 环境

  • OpenClaw Version: 2026.4.5
  • Node Version: v24.14.1
  • OS: Windows_NT 10.0.22631

Analysis | 分析

This is NOT a plugin issue. This is NOT a user configuration issue.

Root cause is in OpenClaw's context management:

  1. Context compaction preserves file read positions
  2. The read tool does NOT validate offset against actual file size
  3. When file content changes (e.g., after code update), the preserved offset becomes invalid

Additional Context | 补充说明

  • This does not affect plugin functionality
  • The workaround is to simply read from offset 0
  • This is a minor UX issue but worth fixing for robustness

extent analysis

TL;DR

Validate file read positions against the actual file size after context compaction to prevent offset errors.

Guidance

  • During context compaction, reset or validate file read positions to ensure they are within the valid range of the file size.
  • Modify the read tool to check if the provided offset is within the bounds of the current file size before attempting to read.
  • Consider implementing a mechanism to automatically cap offsets to the valid range or discard them if they become invalid after file modifications.
  • Review the context management logic in OpenClaw to handle file read positions more robustly, especially after compaction and file changes.

Example

// Pseudo-code example for validating offset
if (offset > getFileSize()) {
  // Either reset offset to 0, cap it to the valid range, or discard it
  offset = 0;
}

Notes

The provided analysis suggests that this issue is specific to how OpenClaw manages context and file read positions. The solution should focus on enhancing this aspect without affecting plugin functionality.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by modifying the read tool to validate offsets against the actual file size before use, as this is a minor UX issue but worth fixing for robustness.

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