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Bug#1116567: backintime backup: hangs and only continues on ctrl-C with message: ERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py

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  Bug#1116567: backintime backup: hangs and only continues on ctrl-C with message: ERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py Julian Gilbey <jdg@debian.org> - 2025-09-28 18:20 +0200
    Bug#1116567:  c.buhtz@posteo.jp - 2025-09-29 08:40 +0200
    Bug#1116567: #1116567 c.buhtz@posteo.jp - 2025-09-29 10:20 +0200
      Bug#1116567: backintime backup: hangs and only continues on ctrl-C with message: ERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py Julian Gilbey <jdg@debian.org> - 2025-10-12 16:50 +0200
        Bug#1116567: backintime backup: hangs and only continues on ctrl-C with message: ERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py c.buhtz@posteo.jp - 2025-10-13 09:10 +0200
    Bug#1116567: 1116567 c.buhtz@posteo.jp - 2025-11-12 12:00 +0100

#1263676 — Bug#1116567: backintime backup: hangs and only continues on ctrl-C with message: ERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py

Package: backintime-common
Version: 1.5.5-1
Severity: normal

I have backintime-common and backintime-qt installed on a machine.  I
connected to the machine via ssh, and then su'd to root.  As root,
DISPLAY is unset.  I ran "backintime backup", and it just hangs.
Hitting ctrl-C I get the output:

^CERROR: Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py: 
INFO: Lock
INFO: Take a new snapshot. Profile: 1 Main profile
...

and then the backup runs normally.

It's presumably hanging because it can't connect to any Qt services,
but it probably shouldn't be looking for them when not running in a
graphical environment.

Best wishes,

   Julian

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 13.1
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-security'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 6.12.48+deb13-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_WARN
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

Versions of packages backintime-common depends on:
ii  cron [cron-daemon]  3.0pl1-197
ii  openssh-client      1:10.0p1-7
ii  python3             3.13.5-1
ii  python3-dbus        1.4.0-1
ii  python3-keyring     25.6.0-2
ii  python3-packaging   25.0-1
ii  rsync               3.4.1+ds1-5

Versions of packages backintime-common recommends:
ii  backintime-qt  1.5.5-1
ii  sshfs          3.7.3-1.1+b2

Versions of packages backintime-common suggests:
ii  encfs           1.9.5-3
pn  nocache         <none>
ii  powermgmt-base  1.38

-- no debconf information

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#1263760 — Bug#1116567:

Hello Julian,
I am not the Debian package maintainer but the upstream maintainer.
Thank you for reporting.

> and then su'd to root.  As root, DISPLAY is unset.
> I ran "backintime backup"
> ... I get the output:

Can you please try again with adding the `--debug` switch and post the 
full output.

> It's presumably hanging because it can't connect to any Qt services,
> but it probably shouldn't be looking for them when not running in a
> graphical environment.

systrayiconplugin.py determine if a graphic environment is running 
(available) or not, it does not expect it.
So I am not sure if the DISPLAY thing is the cause. It is a usual 
situation.

I have not invented this mechanic, because I am just the maintainer in 
3rd generation.
I am open for suggestions how the systray icon could determine if a 
graphical environment is running or not.

At upstream we have several issues open regarding that topic.

Regards,
Christian Buhtz

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#1263767 — Bug#1116567: #1116567

Hello again,

I was not able to reproduced the freeze on my system in a similar setup 
(Debian 13, via SSH, no DE/GE).

In your debug output you should find a line like this:

     DEBUG: [plugins/systrayiconplugin.py:68 init] No system tray 
available to show the BiT system tray icon

I am assuming the DISPLAY thing is misleading and there might be another 
problem. Let's find out.

Regards,
Christian

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#1265806

On Mon, Sep 29, 2025 at 08:14:01AM +0000, c.buhtz@posteo.jp wrote:
> Hello again,
> 
> I was not able to reproduced the freeze on my system in a similar setup
> (Debian 13, via SSH, no DE/GE).
> 
> In your debug output you should find a line like this:
> 
>     DEBUG: [plugins/systrayiconplugin.py:68 init] No system tray available
> to show the BiT system tray icon
> 
> I am assuming the DISPLAY thing is misleading and there might be another
> problem. Let's find out.
> 
> Regards,
> Christian

Hello Christian!

(Sorry, I only just spotted this - you forgot to copy me in to your
emails and I'm not subscribed to this bug report.)

Here's the result of running it with --debug:

erdos:~ # backintime backup --debug
DEBUG: [common/backintime.py:668 argParse] Argument(s) used: {'debug': True, 'quiet': False, 'command': 'backup', 'checksum': False, 'func': <function backup at 0x7f48e0f58900>}
DEBUG: [common/backintime.py:565 startApp] backintime: {'name': 'Back In Time', 'version': '1.5.5', 'running-as-root': True}; host-setup: {'OS': {'/etc/os-release': 'Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)', '/etc/debian_version': '13.1\n'}}

Back In Time
Version: 1.5.5

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.

DEBUG: [common/configfile.py:585 Config.setCurrentProfile] Change current profile: 1=Main profile
DEBUG: [common/tools.py:227 initiate_translation] No language code. Use systems current locale.
DEBUG: [common/tools.py:242 initiate_translation] Language code used: "en"
DEBUG: [common/backintime.py:754 getConfig] config file: "/root/.config/backintime/config"; share path: "/root/.local/share/backintime"; profiles: "1=Main profile"
DEBUG: [common/pluginmanager.py:233 PluginManager.load] Register plugin path /usr/share/backintime/plugins
DEBUG: [common/pluginmanager.py:254 PluginManager.load] Add plugin notifyplugin.py
DEBUG: [common/pluginmanager.py:254 PluginManager.load] Add plugin usercallbackplugin.py

at which point it hangs.  Hitting ctrl-C then shows:

^CERROR: [common/pluginmanager.py:263 PluginManager.load] Failed to load plugin systrayiconplugin.py: 
DEBUG: [common/applicationinstance.py:167 flockExclusiv] Trying to put an advisory lock on the flock file /root/.local/share/backintime/worker.lock.flock
DEBUG: [common/applicationinstance.py:199 flockUnlock] Trying to remove the advisory lock from the flock file /root/.local/share/backintime/worker.lock.flock
INFO: [common/snapshots.py:794 Snapshots.backup] Lock
DEBUG: [common/tools.py:2023 inhibitSuspend] Inhibit Suspend failed because BIT was started as root.
DEBUG: [common/tools.py:1512 keyringSupported] No keyring due to import error.
DEBUG: [common/mount.py:151 Mount.__init__] pw-cache is not running
DEBUG: [common/mount.py:162 Mount.__init__] Call command: ['/usr/bin/backintime', 'pw-cache', 'start']

and then it continues normally.

Further data:

I can run "backintime backup" in a terminal via ssh (with the -X
option) as a regular user; this environment contains the variable
DISPLAY=localhost:12.0.  After su'ing to root, if I then export
DISPLAY=localhost:12.0 as root, "backintime backup" works fine.  So it
does seem to be related to this DISPLAY setting.  However, if I ssh to
the machine without using -X, so DISPLAY is unset, and try running
"backintime backup" as this regular user, it works fine too.  So there
appears to be some subtle combination of DISPLAY and running as root
going on.

Best wishes,

   Julian

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#1265878

Hello Julian,
thank you for your feedback.

Am 12.10.2025 16:43 schrieb Julian Gilbey:
> (Sorry, I only just spotted this - you forgot to copy me in to your
> emails and I'm not subscribed to this bug report.)

I am confused. Why are you not subscribed but you are the reporter? 
Doesn't the system subscribe you automatically?
I don't forgot to CC you directly because I always assume that the 
reporter is subcribed.

> Here's the result of running it with --debug:

Mhm... I still have no hot trail on this.

Can you please check the syslog? It might be that the systrayicon-thing 
does log something that does not appear on stdout/stderr.

> does seem to be related to this DISPLAY setting.  However, if I ssh to
> the machine without using -X, so DISPLAY is unset, and try running
> "backintime backup" as this regular user, it works fine too.  So there
> appears to be some subtle combination of DISPLAY and running as root
> going on.

I also ssh'ed as a regular user and than did "sudo su" and started 
"backintime backup --debug" (DISPLAY is not set).
No hanging. Can you give me more details about your setup? There is no X 
server running at all? I'll have to setup a test VM to check this case.

Regards,
Christian

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#1269911 — Bug#1116567: 1116567

Hello Julian,
can you please respond to my last message?

Otherwise I need to close the ticket. I am unable to reproduce the 
problem. Currently I see not target to work on because without more 
information I don't have a trail here.

Regards,
Christian
upstream maintainer

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