fix: publish parses gh JSON when color is forced

.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agent-observer",
-  "version": "1.2.0",
+  "version": "1.2.1",
   "description": "Measure agent work across Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode and Grok Build from native records, and compare behavior by model and AgentsMD version.",
   "author": {
     "name": "toolboxmd",

.codex-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agent-observer",
-  "version": "1.2.0",
+  "version": "1.2.1",
   "description": "Measure agent work across Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode and Grok Build from native records, and compare behavior by model and AgentsMD version.",
   "author": {
     "name": "toolboxmd",

.grok-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agent-observer",
-  "version": "1.2.0",
+  "version": "1.2.1",
   "description": "Measure agent work across Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode and Grok Build from native records, and compare behavior by model and AgentsMD version.",
   "author": {
     "name": "toolboxmd",

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.2.1] - 2026-10-14
+
+### Changed
+
+- publish reads plain JSON from gh when color is forced, and names the command and stderr when output is empty or not JSON (#88)
+
 ## [1.2.0] - 2026-10-14
 
 ### Added

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.2.0
+1.2.1

agent_observer/publish.py

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
+import os
 import re
+import shlex
 import subprocess
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
@@ -568,12 +570,28 @@ def render(summary: dict, target: str | None = None) -> str:
 
 
 def _gh(args: list, payload: dict | None = None) -> dict | list:
-    proc = subprocess.run(["gh", "api", *args] + (["--input", "-"] if payload else []),
-                          input=json.dumps(payload) if payload else None,
-                          capture_output=True, text=True, check=False)
+    """Run `gh api` and parse one JSON document.
+
+    CLICOLOR_FORCE makes gh colorize JSON even on a pipe and even when
+    NO_COLOR is set. That stdout is not JSON. This call turns the force
+    off. Empty or non-JSON stdout names the command and its stderr.
+    """
+    cmd = ["gh", "api", *args] + (["--input", "-"] if payload else [])
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    env["CLICOLOR_FORCE"] = "0"
+    proc = subprocess.run(cmd, input=json.dumps(payload) if payload else None,
+                          capture_output=True, text=True, check=False, env=env)
     if proc.returncode != 0:
         raise RuntimeError(proc.stderr.strip() or f"gh api failed: {args}")
-    return json.loads(proc.stdout) if proc.stdout.strip() else {}
+    stdout = proc.stdout or ""
+    stderr = (proc.stderr or "").strip() or "(no stderr)"
+    command = shlex.join(cmd)
+    if not stdout.strip():
+        raise RuntimeError(f"{command} returned empty output: {stderr}")
+    try:
+        return json.loads(stdout)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"{command} returned non-JSON output: {stderr}") from None
 
 
 def _authenticated_login() -> str:

tests/test_publish_gh.py

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+"""publish's gh call must return JSON, or name the command and its stderr.
+
+A delegated worker sets CLICOLOR_FORCE. gh then colorizes `gh api` JSON
+even on a pipe, and json.loads reports Expecting value. These tests use a
+fake gh on PATH and never touch GitHub or the ledger.
+"""
+
+import os
+import stat
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+from agent_observer import publish
+
+
+_FAKE = """#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import os, sys
+mode = os.environ.get("AO_GH_MODE", "")
+if mode == "empty":
+    sys.stderr.write("keyring locked\\n")
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+if mode == "text":
+    sys.stdout.write("not-json\\n")
+    sys.stderr.write("color forced\\n")
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+if mode == "color":
+    force = os.environ.get("CLICOLOR_FORCE", "")
+    if force and force != "0":
+        sys.stdout.write("\\x1b[1;37m{\\x1b[m\\n")
+    else:
+        sys.stdout.write('{"login":"octocat"}\\n')
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+sys.stderr.write("unknown mode\\n")
+raise SystemExit(2)
+"""
+
+
+class PublishGhTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.addCleanup(self.tmp.cleanup)
+        bin_dir = os.path.join(self.tmp.name, "bin")
+        os.makedirs(bin_dir)
+        path = os.path.join(bin_dir, "gh")
+        with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+            fh.write(_FAKE)
+        os.chmod(path, stat.S_IRWXU)
+        self._saved = {
+            key: os.environ.get(key)
+            for key in ("PATH", "CLICOLOR_FORCE", "AO_GH_MODE")}
+        os.environ["PATH"] = bin_dir + os.pathsep + os.environ.get("PATH", "")
+        os.environ["CLICOLOR_FORCE"] = "1"
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        for key, value in self._saved.items():
+            if value is None:
+                os.environ.pop(key, None)
+            else:
+                os.environ[key] = value
+
+    def _error(self, mode):
+        os.environ["AO_GH_MODE"] = mode
+        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError) as caught:
+            publish._gh(["user"])
+        message = str(caught.exception)
+        self.assertIn("gh api user", message)
+        self.assertNotIn("Expecting value", message)
+        return message
+
+    def test_colored_json_parses_when_color_is_forced(self):
+        os.environ["AO_GH_MODE"] = "color"
+        self.assertEqual(publish._gh(["user"]), {"login": "octocat"})
+
+    def test_empty_stdout_names_the_command_and_stderr(self):
+        message = self._error("empty")
+        self.assertIn("keyring locked", message)
+
+    def test_non_json_stdout_names_the_command_and_stderr(self):
+        message = self._error("text")
+        self.assertIn("color forced", message)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()