Deployment Fails with "Invalid start byte" error

[alfonso-mireles]

Deployment fails as so:
python .\raft.py service deploy
'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xa0 in position 69: invalid start byte

Using:
Python 3.9.5
azure-cli 2.27.1
Raft 4.1

I have deployed in Cloud Shell. But locally if fails without further info

[stishkin]

@alfonso-mireles

Can you share which operating system are you using ?

[mgreisen]

@alfonso-mireles for the cloudshell deployment failure, did you use the bash or powershell environment?

[mgreisen]

Also please be sure when editing the defaults.json file to save the file in plain ascii mode. We have seen some editors insert non-visible characters into the file.

[alfonso-mireles]

@stishkin Windows 10
@mgreisen Cloudshell deployment succeeded. It is local CLI that fails.
I have edited defaults.json with several editors. Vscode, Nano. Also tried in Both Powershell CLI and cmd

[stishkin]

@alfonso-mireles

Could you try the following

in your raft.py file

on line 118 add encoding parameter as follows

        with open(defaults_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as d:
            d.write(fresh_defaults)
        print(defaults_help)

Delete existing defatuls.json file and try to create a fresh deployment

[mgreisen]

Two questions for you.

1. Are you using a non-english language pack on your machine?
2. Would you be willing to show us a binary hex view of your defaults.json file?
   If you are willing, you can

• mask the subscription id
• Install the Hex Editor extension in VSCode
• Open the defaults.json file with the Hex Editor
• Share the results with us.

That may help us understand what's going on.

[alfonso-mireles]

Yes I am indeed using a non-english language pack
How exactly do you want me to share the results here?

[mgreisen]

Hmmm. When I tested using a different language pack I didn't run into the issue. Were you able to try Stas's solution?