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Troubleshooting

docs/users/support/troubleshooting.md

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Troubleshooting

This guide provides solutions to common issues and debugging tips, including topics on:

  • Authentication or login errors
  • Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
  • Debugging tips
  • Existing GitHub Issues similar to yours or creating new Issues

Authentication or login errors

  • Error: Qwen OAuth free tier was discontinued on 2026-04-15

    • Cause: Qwen OAuth is no longer available as of April 15, 2026.
    • Solution: Switch to a different authentication method. Run qwen → /auth and choose one of:
      • API Key: Use an API key from Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Beijing / intl). See the API setup guide (Beijing / intl).
      • Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan: Subscribe for a fixed monthly fee with higher quotas. See the Coding Plan guide (Beijing / intl).

  • Error: UNABLE_TO_GET_ISSUER_CERT_LOCALLY, UNABLE_TO_VERIFY_LEAF_SIGNATURE, or unable to get local issuer certificate

    • Cause: You may be on a corporate network with a firewall that intercepts and inspects SSL/TLS traffic. This often requires a custom root CA certificate to be trusted by Node.js.
    • Solution: Set the NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS environment variable to the absolute path of your corporate root CA certificate file.
      • Example: export NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=/path/to/your/corporate-ca.crt

  • Error: Device authorization flow failed: fetch failed

    • Cause: Node.js could not reach Qwen OAuth endpoints (often a proxy or SSL/TLS trust issue). When available, Qwen Code will also print the underlying error cause (for example: UNABLE_TO_VERIFY_LEAF_SIGNATURE). Note: this error is specific to the legacy Qwen OAuth flow.
    • Solution:
      • If you are still using Qwen OAuth, switch to API Key or Coding Plan via /auth.
      • If you are behind a proxy, set it via qwen --proxy <url> (or the proxy setting in settings.json).
      • If your network uses a corporate TLS inspection CA, set NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS as described above.

  • Issue: Unable to display UI after authentication failure

    • Cause: If authentication fails after selecting an authentication type, the security.auth.selectedType setting may be persisted in settings.json. On restart, the CLI may get stuck trying to authenticate with the failed auth type and fail to display the UI.
    • Solution: Clear the security.auth.selectedType configuration item in your settings.json file:
      • Open ~/.qwen/settings.json (or ./.qwen/settings.json for project-specific settings)
      • Remove the security.auth.selectedType field
      • Restart the CLI to allow it to prompt for authentication again

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  • Q: How do I update Qwen Code to the latest version?

    • A: If you installed it globally via npm, update it using the command npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest. If you compiled it from source, pull the latest changes from the repository, and then rebuild using the command npm run build.

  • Q: Where are the Qwen Code configuration or settings files stored?

    • A: The Qwen Code configuration is stored in two settings.json files:

      1. In your home directory: ~/.qwen/settings.json.
      2. In your project's root directory: ./.qwen/settings.json.

      Refer to Qwen Code Configuration for more details.

  • Q: Why don't I see cached token counts in my stats output?

    • A: Cached token information is only displayed when cached tokens are being used. This feature is available for API key users (e.g., Alibaba Cloud Model Studio API key or Google Cloud Vertex AI). You can still view your total token usage using the /stats command.

Common error messages and solutions

  • Error: EADDRINUSE (Address already in use) when starting an MCP server.

    • Cause: Another process is already using the port that the MCP server is trying to bind to.
    • Solution: Either stop the other process that is using the port or configure the MCP server to use a different port.

  • Error: Command not found (when attempting to run Qwen Code with qwen).

    • Cause: The CLI is not correctly installed or it is not in your system's PATH.
    • Solution: The update depends on how you installed Qwen Code:
      • If you installed qwen globally, check that your npm global binary directory is in your PATH. You can update using the command npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest.
      • If you are running qwen from source, ensure you are using the correct command to invoke it (e.g. node packages/cli/dist/index.js ...). To update, pull the latest changes from the repository, and then rebuild using the command npm run build.

  • Error: MODULE_NOT_FOUND or import errors.

    • Cause: Dependencies are not installed correctly, or the project hasn't been built.
    • Solution:
      1. Run npm install to ensure all dependencies are present.
      2. Run npm run build to compile the project.
      3. Verify that the build completed successfully with npm run start.

  • Error: "Operation not permitted", "Permission denied", or similar.

    • Cause: When sandboxing is enabled, Qwen Code may attempt operations that are restricted by your sandbox configuration, such as writing outside the project directory or system temp directory.
    • Solution: Refer to the Configuration: Sandboxing documentation for more information, including how to customize your sandbox configuration.

  • Qwen Code is not running in interactive mode in "CI" environments

    • Issue: Qwen Code does not enter interactive mode (no prompt appears) if an environment variable starting with CI_ (e.g. CI_TOKEN) is set. This is because the is-in-ci package, used by the underlying UI framework, detects these variables and assumes a non-interactive CI environment.
    • Cause: The is-in-ci package checks for the presence of CI, CONTINUOUS_INTEGRATION, or any environment variable with a CI_ prefix. When any of these are found, it signals that the environment is non-interactive, which prevents the CLI from starting in its interactive mode.
    • Solution: If the CI_ prefixed variable is not needed for the CLI to function, you can temporarily unset it for the command. e.g. env -u CI_TOKEN qwen

  • DEBUG mode not working from project .env file

    • Issue: Setting DEBUG=true in a project's .env file doesn't enable debug mode for the CLI.
    • Cause: The DEBUG and DEBUG_MODE variables are automatically excluded from project .env files to prevent interference with the CLI behavior.
    • Solution: Use a .qwen/.env file instead, or configure the advanced.excludedEnvVars setting in your settings.json to exclude fewer variables.

IDE Companion not connecting

  • Ensure VS Code has a single workspace folder open.
  • Restart the integrated terminal after installing the extension so it inherits:
    • QWEN_CODE_IDE_WORKSPACE_PATH
    • QWEN_CODE_IDE_SERVER_PORT
  • If running in a container, verify host.docker.internal resolves. Otherwise, map the host appropriately.
  • Reinstall the companion with /ide install and use “Qwen Code: Run” in the Command Palette to verify it launches.

Exit Codes

The Qwen Code uses specific exit codes to indicate the reason for termination. This is especially useful for scripting and automation.

Exit CodeError TypeDescription
41FatalAuthenticationErrorAn error occurred during the authentication process.
42FatalInputErrorInvalid or missing input was provided to the CLI. (non-interactive mode only)
44FatalSandboxErrorAn error occurred with the sandboxing environment (e.g. Docker, Podman, or Seatbelt).
52FatalConfigErrorA configuration file (settings.json) is invalid or contains errors.
53FatalTurnLimitedErrorThe maximum number of conversational turns for the session was reached. (non-interactive mode only)

Debugging Tips

  • CLI debugging:

    • Use the --verbose flag (if available) with CLI commands for more detailed output.
    • Check the CLI logs, often found in a user-specific configuration or cache directory.

  • Core debugging:

    • Check the server console output for error messages or stack traces.
    • Increase log verbosity if configurable.
    • Use Node.js debugging tools (e.g. node --inspect) if you need to step through server-side code.

  • Tool issues:

    • If a specific tool is failing, try to isolate the issue by running the simplest possible version of the command or operation the tool performs.
    • For run_shell_command, check that the command works directly in your shell first.
    • For file system tools, verify that paths are correct and check the permissions.

  • Pre-flight checks:

    • Always run npm run preflight before committing code. This can catch many common issues related to formatting, linting, and type errors.

Existing GitHub Issues similar to yours or creating new Issues

If you encounter an issue that was not covered here in this Troubleshooting guide, consider searching the Qwen Code Issue tracker on GitHub. If you can't find an issue similar to yours, consider creating a new GitHub Issue with a detailed description. Pull requests are also welcome!