isync-devel

systemd timer not working

[Vikas R. <vik...@gm...>]

I am somehow unable to get systemd to run mbsync regularly. I have created
the following files and enabled them.

Would appreciate any pointers about what might be wrong here.

VR

-----

*~/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.service:*

[Unit]
Description=Mbsync synchronization service

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart= /bin/sh -c "/usr/local/bin/mbsync -V daily"
ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c 'notmuch new && afew -t -n && afew --move-mails -v
&& echo "notmuch `date`" >> ~/tmp/maillog.log'

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

*~/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.timer:*

[Unit]
Description=Mysync synchronization timer

[Timer]
OnBootSec=2m
OnCalendar=*:00/2
Unit=mbsync.service

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target

Re: systemd timer not working

[Oswald B. <osw...@gm...>]

On Fri, Jul 15, 2022 at 02:47:17AM +0530, Vikas Rawal wrote:
>I am somehow unable to get systemd to run mbsync regularly. I have created
>the following files and enabled them.
>
>Would appreciate any pointers about what might be wrong here.
>
did you run `systemctl status` on mbsync.service and mbsync.timer?

i can't see anything really wrong, just two observations:

>*~/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.service:*
>
>[Unit]
>Description=Mbsync synchronization service
>
>[Service]
>Type=oneshot
>ExecStart= /bin/sh -c "/usr/local/bin/mbsync -V daily"

there is no need to run this through a shell.

>ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c 'notmuch new && afew -t -n && afew --move-mails -v && echo "notmuch `date`" >> ~/tmp/maillog.log'
>

>[Install]
>WantedBy=default.target
>
this doesn't look right.

>*~/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.timer:*
>
>[Unit]
>Description=Mysync synchronization timer
>
>[Timer]
>OnBootSec=2m
>OnCalendar=*:00/2
>Unit=mbsync.service
>
>[Install]
>WantedBy=timers.target

Re: systemd timer not working

[Max G. <ash...@gm...>]

Check the status for both the timer and the service, but on the top of
my head:
> [Service]
> ...
> ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c 'notmuch new && afew -t -n && afew --move-mails -v
> && echo "notmuch `date`" >> ~/tmp/maillog.log'

I had problems in the past when breaking Exec lines on several lines,
might be the reason it does not work.

> [Timer]
> OnBootSec=2m
> OnCalendar=*:00/2
That does not seem to conform to the format in systemd.time(7) ? You can
just use 'daily' (inferring from your channel name)

> Unit=mbsync.service

That's not needed, the default is to trigger the service with matching
unsuffixed name

-- 
Max Gautier

Re: systemd timer not working

[Vikas R. <vik...@gm...>]

I have modified the scripts slightly based on recommendations on this
thread. But this still does not work. I am just looking for mbsync to run
every two minutes. What do most people use?

It is crazy that something so obvious should be so difficult to get right.

Vikas

---


# mbsync.service

[Unit]
Description=Mbsync synchronization service

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart= /usr/local/bin/mbsync -V daily
#ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c '/usr/bin/notmuch new && /home/vikas/bin/afew -t
-n && /home/vikas/bin/afew --move-mails -v && echo "notmuch `date`" >>
/home/vikas/bin/maillog.log'

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

#mbsync.timer

[Unit]
Description=Mysync synchronization timer

[Timer]
OnBootSec=2m
OnUnitActiveSec=2m
Unit=mbsync.service

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target


On Fri, 15 Jul 2022 at 13:36, Max Gautier <ash...@gm...> wrote:

> Check the status for both the timer and the service, but on the top of
> my head:
> > [Service]
> > ...
> > ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c 'notmuch new && afew -t -n && afew --move-mails
> -v
> > && echo "notmuch `date`" >> ~/tmp/maillog.log'
>
> I had problems in the past when breaking Exec lines on several lines,
> might be the reason it does not work.
>
> > [Timer]
> > OnBootSec=2m
> > OnCalendar=*:00/2
> That does not seem to conform to the format in systemd.time(7) ? You can
> just use 'daily' (inferring from your channel name)
>
> > Unit=mbsync.service
>
> That's not needed, the default is to trigger the service with matching
> unsuffixed name
>
> --
> Max Gautier
>

Re: systemd timer not working

[Simão A. <sim...@po...>]

On 2022-07-21 21:50:04, Vikas Rawal wrote:
> I have modified the scripts slightly based on recommendations on this
> thread. But this still does not work. I am just looking for mbsync to run
> every two minutes. What do most people use?

I configured a hotkey on "neomutt", I don't need to check the mail if
I'm not reading it.

Make sure you are defining this on your per-user systemd configuration.
That's in `~/.config/systemd/user/`, or `/etc/systemd/user`.

Re: systemd timer not working

[Max G. <ash...@gm...>]

> I have modified the scripts slightly based on recommendations on this
> thread. But this still does not work. I am just looking for mbsync to run
> every two minutes. What do most people use?

I switched recently to initial sync on starting (but maybe I'll change
that to start to first time mutt is opened) then watching mailboxes with
goimapnotifiy (ordering is done by systemd):

# override for goimapnotify@.service
[Install]
RequiredBy=mail-sync@.target
WantedBy=

[Unit]
After=mbsync@%i.service network-online.target
PartOf=mail-sync@%i.target

[Service]
SyslogIdentifier=goimapnotify-%i
Slice=app-mailsync-%i.slice


# goimapnotify config
{
  "host": "imap.gmail.com",
  "tls": true,
  "port": 993,
  "tlsOptions": {
    "rejectUnauthorized": true
  },
  "username": "user",
  "passwordCmd": "oauth2get gmail account",
  "xoauth2": true,
  "onNewMail": "systemctl start --user mbsync@account",
  "boxes": [
    "INBOX"
  ]
}
# mbsync@.service

[Unit]
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
PartOf=mail-sync@%i.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mbsync -c %E/mbsync/config -V %i
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30
SyslogIdentifier=mbsync-%i
Slice=app-mailsync-%i.slice

[Install]
RequiredBy=mail-sync@.target


-- 
Max Gautier

Re: systemd timer not working

[Johannes K. <ma...@oj...>]

On 21.07.22 18:20 Vikas Rawal wrote:
> I have modified the scripts slightly based on recommendations on this
> thread. But this still does not work. I am just looking for mbsync to run
> every two minutes. What do most people use?
> 
> It is crazy that something so obvious should be so difficult to get right.

Please run the following commands:

systemctl --user status mbsync.service
systemctl --user status mbsync.timer


Did you run "systemctl --user daemon-reload" after the modifications?
Did you enable the timer?
Did you start the timer?
...

Kind Regards,
Johannes

Re: systemd timer not working

[Vikas R. <vik...@gm...>]

I think it is working at the moment. But it stops every now and then. As
you would see below, mbsync.service also ends with an error. There is no
such error when I run mbsync -V daily myself. Is this error makes systemd
stop running it repeatedly?


> Please run the following commands:
>
> systemctl --user status mbsync.service
>

× mbsync.service - Mbsync synchronization service
     Loaded: loaded (/home/xxxxx/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.service;
disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2022-07-22 05:55:52 IST;
9s ago
TriggeredBy: ● mbsync.timer
    Process: 2148631 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/mbsync -V daily (code=exited,
status=1/FAILURE)
   Main PID: 2148631 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
        CPU: 6.305s

Jul 22 05:55:50 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: Opening near side box
Trash...
Jul 22 05:55:51 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: Loading far side box...
Jul 22 05:55:51 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: far side: 0 messages, 0
recent
Jul 22 05:55:51 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: Loading near side box...
Jul 22 05:55:51 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: near side: 0 messages, 0
recent
Jul 22 05:55:51 jhumritalaiya mbsync[2148631]: Synchronizing...
Jul 22 05:55:52 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: mbsync.service: Main process
exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Jul 22 05:55:52 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: mbsync.service: Failed with
result 'exit-code'.
Jul 22 05:55:52 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: Failed to start Mbsync
synchronization service.
Jul 22 05:55:52 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: mbsync.service: Consumed 6.305s
CPU time.

systemctl --user status mbsync.timer
>
> ● mbsync.timer - Mysync synchronization timer
     Loaded: loaded (/home/xxxxx/.config/systemd/user/mbsync.timer;
enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: active (waiting) since Thu 2022-07-21 19:32:21 IST; 10h ago
      Until: Thu 2022-07-21 19:32:21 IST; 10h ago
    Trigger: Fri 2022-07-22 05:52:10 IST; 659ms left
   Triggers: ● mbsync.service

Jul 21 19:32:21 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: Stopping Mysync synchronization
timer...
Jul 21 19:32:21 jhumritalaiya systemd[996]: Started Mysync synchronization
timer.


>
> Did you run "systemctl --user daemon-reload" after the modifications?
>
Yes

> Did you enable the timer?
>
Yes

> Did you start the timer?
>
Yes


V.

>
>

Re: systemd timer not working

[Johannes K. <ma...@oj...>]

On 22.07.22 02:28 Vikas Rawal wrote:
> I think it is working at the moment. But it stops every now and then. As
> you would see below, mbsync.service also ends with an error. There is no
> such error when I run mbsync -V daily myself. Is this error makes systemd
> stop running it repeatedly?

In addition to what Oswald pointed out, I would try to run the timer
with -V and maybe some of the -D options, so you at least get more
information on what is happening.

Johannes

Re: systemd timer not working

[Oswald B. <osw...@gm...>]

On Fri, Jul 22, 2022 at 05:58:26AM +0530, Vikas Rawal wrote:
>I think it is working at the moment. But it stops every now and then. As
>you would see below, mbsync.service also ends with an error. There is no
>such error when I run mbsync -V daily myself.
>
the error is certainly stochastic, so it's more likely to occur when you 
auto-poll often than during a few manual runs.
the fact that the failure is silent is obviously an mbsync bug. i 
recommend that you use a build from git master - it has more reliable 
error reporting. it also has additional exit codes to let you know 
whether running the post-exec action makes sense.

>Is this error makes systemd stop running it repeatedly?
>
i guess? systemd has protection mechanisms against error floods. you can 
configure the exact behavior.

Re: systemd timer not working

[Vikas R. <vik...@gm...>]

> > I think it is working at the moment. But it stops every now and then. As
> > you would see below, mbsync.service also ends with an error. There is no
> > such error when I run mbsync -V daily myself.
> >
> the error is certainly stochastic, so it's more likely to occur when you
> auto-poll often than during a few manual runs.

I am afraid I don't understand what you mean by the error being stochastic. But it seems to never happen when I run mbsync manually and almost always be the case when it is run through systemd.

> the fact that the failure is silent is obviously an mbsync bug. i recommend
> that you use a build from git master - it has more reliable error reporting.
> it also has additional exit codes to let you know whether running the
> post-exec action makes sense.

I have built isync from git master:

mbsync -v gives me:
isync 1.5.0

But I still see the same message in systemd logs.

mbsync.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Failed to start Mbsync synchronization service

What should I do for more verbose error reporting?


> > Is this error makes systemd stop running it repeatedly?
> >
> i guess? systemd has protection mechanisms against error floods. you can
> configure the exact behavior.

Can you kindly point to how? Is there a way of telling systemd to just silently ignore these errors?

Thanks very much.

V.

Re: systemd timer not working

[Vikas R. <vik...@gm...>]

>
>
>
> > i guess? systemd has protection mechanisms against error floods. you can
> > configure the exact behavior.
>
> Can you kindly point to how? Is there a way of telling systemd to just
> silently ignore these errors?
>
> This seems to make systemd ignore the errors:

https://stackoverflow.com/a/71770918

Let me see if this helps.

Re: systemd timer not working

[Oswald B. <osw...@gm...>]

On Sun, Jul 24, 2022 at 08:33:03AM +0530, Vikas Rawal wrote:
>What should I do for more verbose error reporting?
>
as johannes already suggested, add the -D option.

>> systemd has protection mechanisms against error floods. you can
>> configure the exact behavior.
>
>Can you kindly point to how? Is there a way of telling systemd to just silently ignore these errors?
>
as i already implied, yes, there is. it's all in 
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.service.html#
and related pages.