Python 3.11 raises 'f-string expression part cannot include a backslash'
on line 91, where strip('\n') sits inside an f-string {...}. PEP 701
lifted this restriction in 3.12.
Bind the decoded output to a local so the strip call happens outside
the f-string, which also removes the duplicate decode+strip already
performed on the preceding length check.
Closes#1289
Signed-off-by: Truffle <truffleagent@gmail.com>