Remove window-id use (was: I updated EndeavourOS on Sunday. After the update, attempting restore in BiT fails - the window closes).

[Ciderdrinker-cmd]

Describe the problem, feature or ask a question:

Hello,

backintime obtained from here - https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/backintime ( cloned https://aur.archlinux.org/backintime.git )

Until latest EOS update (performed on Sunday) BiT has been fine. Since the update, I can create a snapshot, but when I click restore, BiT crashes:

This is the konsole info:

[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ backintime-qt

Back In Time
Version: 1.5.4

Back In Time comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; type `backintime --license' for details.


Back In Time
Version: 1.5.4

Back In Time comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; type `backintime --license' for details.

INFO: Lock
INFO: Take a new snapshot. Profile: 1 Main profile
INFO: Call rsync to take the snapshot
INFO: Save config file
INFO: Save permissions
INFO: Unlock
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/backintime/qt/app.py", line 1665, in restoreParent
    rd.exec()
    ~~~~~~~^^
  File "/usr/share/backintime/qt/restoredialog.py", line 82, in exec
    self.config.inhibitCookie = tools.inhibitSuspend(toplevel_xid = self.config.xWindowId, reason = 'restoring')
                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/share/backintime/common/tools.py", line 2045, in inhibitSuspend
    cookie = proxy(*[(app_id, dbus.UInt32(toplevel_xid), reason, dbus.UInt32(flags))[i] for i in dbus_props['arguments']])
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
OverflowError: Value 1702441408 out of range for UInt32
/usr/bin/backintime-qt: line 26:  4966 Aborted                 (core dumped) /usr/bin/python -Es ${APP_PATH}/app.py "$@"
[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ 

backintime --diagnostics:

[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ backintime --diagnostics
QSettings::value: Empty key passed
<sys>:0: Warning: g_main_context_pop_thread_default: assertion 'stack != NULL' failed
{
    "backintime": {
        "name": "Back In Time",
        "version": "1.5.4",
        "running-as-root": false,
        "latest-config-version": 6,
        "local-config-file": "/home/UsernameReplaced/.config/backintime/config",
        "local-config-file-found": true,
        "global-config-file": "/etc/backintime/config",
        "global-config-file-found": false,
        "started-from": "/usr/share/backintime/common",
        "user-callback": "/home/UsernameReplaced/.config/backintime/user-callback",
        "keyring-supported": true
    },
    "host-setup": {
        "OS": {
            "/etc/os-release": "EndeavourOS",
            "/etc/arch-release": "\n",
            "/etc/lsb-release": "DISTRIB_ID=\"EndeavourOS\"\nDISTRIB_RELEASE=\"rolling\"\nDISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=\"EndeavourOS Linux\"\nDISTRIB_CODENAME=\"rolling\"\n"
        },
        "platform": "Linux-6.13.8-arch1-1-x86_64-with-glibc2.41",
        "system": "Linux #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sun, 23 Mar 2025 17:17:30 +0000",
        "display-system": "wayland",
        "locale": "en_GB, UTF-8",
        "PATH": "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/bin/site_perl:/usr/bin/vendor_perl:/usr/bin/core_perl",
        "RSYNC_OLD_ARGS": "(not set)",
        "RSYNC_PROTECT_ARGS": "(not set)"
    },
    "python-setup": {
        "python": "3.13.2 main Feb  5 2025 08:05:21 CPython GCC 14.2.1 20250128",
        "python-executable": "/usr/bin/python",
        "python-executable-symlink": true,
        "python-executable-resolved": "/usr/bin/python3.13",
        "sys.path": [
            "/usr/share/backintime/qt/plugins",
            "/usr/share/backintime/common/plugins",
            "/usr/share/backintime/plugins",
            "/usr/share/backintime/common",
            "/usr/lib/python313.zip",
            "/usr/lib/python3.13",
            "/usr/lib/python3.13/lib-dynload",
            "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages"
        ],
        "qt": {
            "Version": "PyQt 6.8.1 / Qt 6.9.0",
            "Theme": "breeze-dark",
            "Theme Search Paths": [
                "/usr/share/icons",
                ":/icons"
            ],
            "Fallback Theme": "breeze",
            "Fallback Search Paths": []
        }
    },
    "external-programs": {
        "rsync": {
            "version": "3.4.1",
            "protocol": "32.0",
            "capabilities": "file_bits: 64; inum_bits: 64; timestamp_bits: 64; long_int_bits: 64; socketpairs: True; symlinks: True; symtimes: True; hardlinks: True; hardlink_specials: True; hardlink_symlinks: True; IPv6: True; atimes: True; batchfiles: True; inplace: True; append: True; ACLs: True; xattrs: True; secluded_args: optional; iconv: True; prealloc: True; stop_at: True; crtimes: False",
            "optimizations": "SIMD_roll: True; asm_roll: False; openssl_crypto: True; asm_MD5: False",
            "checksum_list": "xxh128, xxh3, xxh64, md5, md4, sha1, none",
            "compress_list": "zstd, lz4, zlibx, zlib, none",
            "daemon_auth_list": "sha512, sha256, sha1, md5, md4"
        },
        "ssh": "OpenSSH_9.9p2, OpenSSL 3.4.1 11 Feb 2025",
        "sshfs": "3.7.3",
        "encfs": "(no encfs)",
        "shell": "/bin/bash",
        "shell-version": "GNU bash, version 5.2.37(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)"
    }
}

(process:6100): GLib-CRITICAL **: 13:48:15.334: g_main_context_pop_thread_default: assertion 'stack != NULL' failed
[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ 

I hope this helps, I'm a newbie when it comes to git.

Many thanks for continuing to maintain this very useful program,
cheers, Ian.

[buhtz]

Hello Ciderdrinker-cmd,

Thank you for taking the time to report the bug and providing the details. I appreciate your feedback, will investigate the issue, and work on a solution to the best of my ability.

I hope this helps, I'm a newbie when it comes to git.

You are doing fine. 😃

I am not able to reproduce the problem on my site, but I do have an idea. Please do me a favor and edit the source of BIT on your machine. I am not sure how AUR works and where BIT is installed but I am assuming you do have the file /usr/share/backintime/qt/app.py in your system. Right?

Open that file as root, because you have to edit and save it.

Go to the end of that file and you will find a code block like this:

    if cfg.isConfigured():
        cfg.xWindowId = mainWindow.winId()
        mainWindow.show()
        qapp.exec()

Please modify it to this

    if cfg.isConfigured():
        cfg.xWindowId = mainWindow.winId()
        print(f'{cfg.xWindowId=} {type(cfg.xWindowId)=}')
        mainWindow.show()
        qapp.exec()

Save and close that file.

Open a terminal and start BIT (e.g. backintime-qt). Do again what you have done to trigger the error.
Post the terminal output please.

If you have any more details to share, feel free to reach out.

Please see the projects background information to get an idea about our workflow and priorities:

• Maintenance status
• The team
• Strategy outline / Roadmap

Best regards,
Christian

[Ciderdrinker-cmd]

Hi Christian,

These are my changes to app.py (commented out what you said and replaced with):

if cfg.isConfigured():
        cfg.xWindowId = mainWindow.winId()
        print(f'{cfg.xWindowId=} {type(cfg.xWindowId)=}')
        mainWindow.show()
        qapp.exec()

Now backintime-qt doesn't start, a window doesn't even appear, I just get the following:

[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ backintime-qt
  File "/usr/share/backintime/qt/app.py", line 2485
    mainWindow.qapp.removeEventFilter(mainWindow.mouseButtonEventFilter)
                                                                        ^
IndentationError: unindent does not match any outer indentation level
[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ 

Does that mean I've done something wrong? If so, sorry, I know its hard work dealing with a noob.

I've reverted the changes, and it runs 'ok' as before (restore not working).

Incidentally, I've found something interesting, I've discovered that 'sudo backintime-qt' (without app.py being modified) the restore function works ok (it doesn't crash, it works as expected).

I hope this helps, thanks for investigating. I've got to go out now, hopefully, I'll be able to follow up later on (in a few hours).

Thanks, Ian

[buhtz]

Please post code blocks not as plain text but using the "Code" formatting feature of Microsoft GitHub.

if cfg.isConfigured():
        cfg.xWindowId = mainWindow.winId()
        print(f'{cfg.xWindowId=} {type(cfg.xWindowId)=}')
        mainWindow.show()
        qapp.exec()

Python is the programming language used here. And it is sensitive to tab stops and blank characters.
Don't use tab stops. Use blank characters only.

The first line starting with if... should have 4 blank spaces in front of it.
The next line (starting with cfg.xWindow..) should have 8 blanks.
Each following line, too.
The line starting with mainWindow.qapp.removeEventFilter... should have 4 blanks.

Does that mean I've done something wrong?

Don't worry. We all learn.

Incidentally, I've found something interesting, I've discovered that 'sudo backintime-qt' (without app.py being modified) the restore function works ok (it doesn't crash, it works as expected).

Nice to know.

[Ciderdrinker-cmd]

Apologies, I had no idea that python was sensitive to spaces/tabs.

So, I've sorted the spaces/tabs out, this is the latest when I restore:

[ian@ian-laptop ~]$ backintime-qt

Back In Time
Version: 1.5.4

Back In Time comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; type `backintime --license' for details.

cfg.xWindowId=<PyQt6.sip.voidptr object at 0x7fb2c81f0d50> type(cfg.xWindowId)=<class 'PyQt6.sip.voidptr'>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/backintime/qt/app.py", line 1665, in restoreParent
    rd.exec()
    ~~~~~~~^^
  File "/usr/share/backintime/qt/restoredialog.py", line 82, in exec
    self.config.inhibitCookie = tools.inhibitSuspend(toplevel_xid = self.config.xWindowId, reason = 'restoring')
                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/share/backintime/common/tools.py", line 2045, in inhibitSuspend
    cookie = proxy(*[(app_id, dbus.UInt32(toplevel_xid), reason, dbus.UInt32(flags))[i] for i in dbus_props['arguments']])
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
OverflowError: Value -928644336 out of range for UInt32
/usr/bin/backintime-qt: line 26:  4646 Aborted                 (core dumped) /usr/bin/python -Es ${APP_PATH}/app.py "$@"

[buhtz]

Notes to myself.

• https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-session/-/issues/144
• https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/dbus/2025-April/018511.html

[buhtz]

Did you mentioned the desktop environment you are using? Which one is it?

And how do you activate/install Wayland on EndevourOS? I am currently installing it in a VM but only X11 is available in the Calamares installer.

[Ciderdrinker-cmd]

KDE Plasma. Wayland was installed and activated by default from the latest EOS iso ( https://repo.c48.uk/endeavouros/iso/EndeavourOS_Mercury-Neo-2025.03.19.iso ).

I only installed EOS last week, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm an EOS noob. I've been using debian for ten years.

[buhtz]

Solution for you

Reset the modifications you have done in the qt/app.py file.
Now you need to modify common/tools.py round about line 2045 in function inhibitSuspend().

cookie = proxy(*[(app_id, dbus.UInt32(toplevel_xid), reason, dbus.UInt32(flags))[i] for i in dbus_props['arguments']])
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Replace the second argument with a simple 0 like this:

cookie = proxy(*[(app_id, 0, reason, dbus.UInt32(flags))[i] for i in dbus_props['arguments']])
                          ^

Then your problem should be fixed. Let me know.

Urgency

Because I was not able to reproduce the problem and that no one else reported it in the past, I do assume it is a rare case. Therefore, I don't see the need for a hotfix for the upcoming Debian 13, in one week.

I tested this on Debian 12 with Gnome and Debian 13 using Wayland. I was not able to run KDE Plasma on EndevourOS within the VM. But I can life with that.

Cause of the problem

BIT is using QWindow.winIDd() in some places. That is bad, because it is a pointer into the memory. It works in most cases, but as we can see not always.

There is also no need for this anymore.

Potential approaches for a solution

• Based on my research and feedback from Gnome folks I can say that the window-identifier is not needed anymore today. We can use the value 0 without risk and without losing something.
• The other point is the question if we even need to try 3 different dbus session managers (gnome, mate, freedesktop)? The freedesktop session manager does not need a window-id as method argument. We should stick it it. And to my understanding we need upower package as a dependency to be sure that this session manager exists.
• The functions also need to be more robust and verbose, to catch potential errors and not crashing the whole application. Inhibiting hibernation is not essential to BIT. If it fails BIT can run further.

[Ciderdrinker-cmd]

Brilliant, that seems to have fixed it. Well done, thanks very much.