grub-btrfsd fails to start

[jfabernathy]

I have a new install of Linux Mint 21 with kernel 5.15.0-56-generic. timeshift is working manually. I'm following these instructions to setup grub-btrfs. https://www.lorenzobettini.it/2022/10/timeshift-and-grub-btrfs-in-ubuntu/ At this point I can run grub-update and it updates the list of snapshots that I see when I boot.

I edited grub-btrfsd.service to include --timeshift-auto and --verbose

# /etc/systemd/system/grub-btrfsd.service
[Unit]
Description=Regenerate grub-btrfs.cfg

[Service]
Type=simple
LogLevelMax=notice
# Set the possible paths for `grub-mkconfig`
Environment="PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin"
# Load environment variables from the configuration
EnvironmentFile=/etc/default/grub-btrfs/config
# Start the daemon, usage of it is:
# grub-btrfsd [-h, --help] [-t, --timeshift-auto] [-l, --log-file LOG_FILE] SNAPSHOTS_DIR
# SNAPSHOTS_DIR         Snapshot directory to watch, without effect when --timeshift-auto
# Optional arguments:
# -t, --timeshift-auto  Automatically detect Timeshifts snapshot directory
# -o, --timeshift-old   Activate for timeshift versions <22.06
# -l, --log-file        Specify a logfile to write to
# -v, --verbose         Let the log of the daemon be more verbose
# -s, --syslog          Write to syslog
ExecStart=/usr/bin/grub-btrfsd --syslog --timeshift-auto --verbose

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

when I do systemctl start grub-btrfsd.service I get this in the log:

grub-btrfsd.service - Regenerate grub-btrfs.cfg
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/grub-btrfsd.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2022-12-06 18:33:37 EST; 20min ago
    Process: 5191 ExecStart=/usr/bin/grub-btrfsd --syslog --timeshift-auto --verbose (code=exited, status=2)
   Main PID: 5191 (code=exited, status=2)
        CPU: 1ms

Dec 06 18:33:37 den-pc grub-btrfsd[5191]: /usr/bin/grub-btrfsd: 63: /etc/default/grub-btrfs/config: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
Dec 06 18:33:37 den-pc systemd[1]: grub-btrfsd.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 06 18:33:37 den-pc systemd[1]: grub-btrfsd.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.`

[jfabernathy]

I was going to add my version number and got an error:

jim@den-pc:~$ sudo /usr/bin/grub-btrfsd --help
/usr/bin/grub-btrfsd: 63: /etc/default/grub-btrfs/config: Syntax error: "(" unexpected

[Schievel1]

Hi and thanks for this proper issue report. That is very strange, because the config should mostly contain comments when you did not change anything yet. You can get the version as well with sudo /etc/grub.d/41_snapshots-btrfs --version Could you also post your config? In /etc/default/grub-btrfs/config

[jfabernathy]

jim@den-pc:~$ sudo /etc/grub.d/41_snapshots-btrfs --version
Version 4.12-master-2022-12-04T21:11:00+00:00

I made no modification of the config file but here is what I have:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

GRUB_BTRFS_VERSION=4.12-master-2022-12-04T21:11:00+00:00

# Disable grub-btrfs.
# Default: "false"
#GRUB_BTRFS_DISABLE="true"

# Name appearing in the Grub menu.
# Default: "Use distribution information from /etc/os-release."
#GRUB_BTRFS_SUBMENUNAME="Arch Linux snapshots"

# Custom title.
# Shows/Hides "date" "snapshot" "type" "description" in the Grub menu, custom order available.
# Default: ("date" "snapshot" "type" "description")
#GRUB_BTRFS_TITLE_FORMAT=("date" "snapshot" "type" "description")

# Limit the number of snapshots populated in the GRUB menu.
# Default: "50"
#GRUB_BTRFS_LIMIT="50"

# Sort the found subvolumes by "ogeneration" or "generation" or "path" or "rootid".
# # See Sorting section to https://btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Manpage/btrfs-subvolume#SUBCOMMAND
# "-rootid" means list snapshot by new ones first.
# Default: "-rootid"
#GRUB_BTRFS_SUBVOLUME_SORT="+ogen,-gen,path,rootid"

# Show snapshots found during run "grub-mkconfig"
# Default: "true"
#GRUB_BTRFS_SHOW_SNAPSHOTS_FOUND="false"

# Show Total of snapshots found during run "grub-mkconfig"
# Default: "true"
#GRUB_BTRFS_SHOW_TOTAL_SNAPSHOTS_FOUND="true"

# By default, "grub-btrfs" automatically detects most existing kernels.
# If you have one or more custom kernels, you can add them here.
# Default: ("")
#GRUB_BTRFS_NKERNEL=("kernel-custom" "vmlinux-custom")

# By default, "grub-btrfs" automatically detects most existing initramfs.
# If you have one or more custom initramfs, you can add them here.
# Default: ("")
#GRUB_BTRFS_NINIT=("initramfs-custom.img" "initrd-custom.img" "otherinit-custom.gz")

# By default, "grub-btrfs" automatically detects most existing microcodes.
# If you have one or more custom microcodes, you can add them here.
# Default: ("")
#GRUB_BTRFS_CUSTOM_MICROCODE=("custom-ucode.img" "custom-uc.img "custom_ucode.cpio")

# Comma seperated mount options to be used when booting a snapshot.
# They can be defined here as well as in the "/" line inside the respective snapshots'
# "/etc/fstab" files.  Mount options found in both places are combined, and this variable
# takes priority over `fstab` entries.
# NB: Do NOT include "subvol=..." or "subvolid=..." here.
# Default: ""
#GRUB_BTRFS_ROOTFLAGS="space_cache,commit=10,norecovery"

# Ignore specific path during run "grub-mkconfig".
# Only exact paths are ignored.
# e.g : if `specific path` = @, only `@` snapshot will be ignored.
# Default: ("@")
GRUB_BTRFS_IGNORE_SPECIFIC_PATH=("@")

# Ignore prefix path during run "grub-mkconfig".
# Any path starting with the specified string will be ignored.
# e.g : if `prefix path` = @, all snapshots beginning with "@/..." will be ignored.
# Default: ("var/lib/docker" "@var/lib/docker" "@/var/lib/docker")
GRUB_BTRFS_IGNORE_PREFIX_PATH=("var/lib/docker" "@var/lib/docker" "@/var/lib/docker")

# Ignore specific type/tag of snapshot during run "grub-mkconfig".
# For snapper:
# Type = single, pre, post.
# For Timeshift:
# Tag = boot, ondemand, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly.
# Default: ("")
#GRUB_BTRFS_IGNORE_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=("")

# Ignore specific description of snapshot during run "grub-mkconfig".
# e.g: timeline
# Default: ("")
#GRUB_BTRFS_IGNORE_SNAPSHOT_DESCRIPTION=("")

# By default "grub-btrfs" automatically detects your boot partition,
# either located at the system root or on a separate partition or in a subvolume,
# Change to "true" if your boot partition isn't detected as separate.
# Default: "false"
#GRUB_BTRFS_OVERRIDE_BOOT_PARTITION_DETECTION="true"

# Location of the folder containing the "grub.cfg" file.
# Use by grub-btrfs to save the file "grub-btrfs.cfg".
# Might be grub2 on some systems.
# For example, on Fedora with EFI : "/boot/efi/EFI/fedora"
# Default: "/boot/grub"
#GRUB_BTRFS_GRUB_DIRNAME="/boot/grub2"

# Location of kernels/initramfs/microcode.
# Use by "grub-btrfs" to detect the boot partition and the location of kernels/initrafms/microcodes.
# Default: "/boot"
#GRUB_BTRFS_BOOT_DIRNAME="/boot"

# Location where grub-btrfs.cfg should be saved.
# Some distributions (like OpenSuSE) store those file at the snapshot directory
# instead of boot. Be aware that this direcory must be available for grub during
# startup of the system.
# Default: "/boot/grub"
#GRUB_BTRFS_GBTRFS_DIRNAME="/boot/grub"

# Location of the directory where Grub searches for the grub-btrfs.cfg file.
# Some distributions (like OpenSuSE) store those file at the snapshot directory
# instead of boot. Be aware that this direcory must be available for grub during
# startup of the system.
# Default: "\${prefix}" # This is a grub variable that resolves to where grub is
# installed. (like /boot/grub, /boot/efi/grub)
# NOTE: If variables of grub are used here (like ${prefix}) they need to be escaped
# with `\` before the `$`
#GRUB_BTRFS_GBTRFS_SEARCH_DIRNAME="\${prefix}"

# Name/path of grub-mkconfig command, use by "grub-btrfs.service"
# Might be 'grub2-mkconfig' on some systems (Fedora ...)
# Default paths are /sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin,
# if your path is missing, report it on the upstream project.
# For example, on Fedora : "/sbin/grub2-mkconfig"
# You can use only name or full path.
# Default: grub-mkconfig
#GRUB_BTRFS_MKCONFIG=/usr/bin/grub2-mkconfig

# Name of grub-script-check command, use by "grub-btrfs"
# Might be 'grub2-script-check' on some systems (Fedora ...)
# For example, on Fedora : "grub2-script-check"
# Default: grub-script-check
#GRUB_BTRFS_SCRIPT_CHECK=grub2-script-check

# Path of grub-mkconfig_lib file, use by "grub-btrfs"
# Might be '/usr/share/grub2/grub-mkconfig_lib' on some systems (Opensuse ...)
# Default: /usr/share/grub/grub-mkconfig_lib
#GRUB_BTRFS_MKCONFIG_LIB=/usr/share/grub2/grub-mkconfig_lib

# Password protection management for submenu,snapshots
# Refer to the Grub documentation https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub/grub.html#Authentication-and-authorisation
# and this comment https://github.com/Antynea/grub-btrfs/issues/95#issuecomment-682295660
#
# Add authorized usernames separate by comma (foo,bar)
# When Grub's password protection is enabled, the superuser is authorized by default, it isn't necessary to add it
# Default: ""
#GRUB_BTRFS_PROTECTION_AUTHORIZED_USERS="foo,bar"
#
# Disable authentication support for submenu of Grub-btrfs only (--unrestricted)
# doesn't work if GRUB_BTRFS_PROTECTION_AUTHORIZED_USERS isn't empty
# Default: "false"
#GRUB_BTRFS_DISABLE_PROTECTION_SUBMENU="true"

[Schievel1]

Thanks. I think I found the culprit already, it has to do with Debian based distros coming with dash as their /bin/sh.

I will update the code soon and you then just redownload and install, ok?

[Schievel1]

Just pushed the fix, please download and install again and report back. :)

[jfabernathy]

Thanks for the quick fix. I just did:

cd ~/git/grub-btrfs/
git pull
sudo make install.

I added timeshift-autosnap-apt and along with this fix everything is working great.