Re: Fresh install (ubuntu) permissions issues

[email protected] Sun, 24 May 2026 19:52:29 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.comp.sysutils.backup.backuppc.general
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Still having the write error to /etc/backuppc.  Providing this summary t=
o help others.

I reinstalled Apache2 and backuppc.  Permissions are definitely OK.  Apa=
che2 running as www-data, user www-data is in group www-data, and permis=
sions in /etc/backuppc are writeable for backuppc:www-data

This previous thread had the same problem: https://sourceforge.net/p/bac=
kuppc/mailman/backuppc-users/thread/9700CC75-BEA8-41FE-B883-B90ED6643B49=
@rams.colostate.edu/  One commenter (not the thread initiator) said his =
distro had SELinux running and had to write a policy to allow it to run.=
  I don't have SELinux running.  The thread initiator did not get his pr=
oblem solved but mentioned something in the end about the file system be=
ing read only.  His was not, and neither is mine.

I found this discussion: https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/issues/188=
 which had the same issue.  One respondent provided some code to add to =
/usr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Storage/Text.pm to get more info on the=
 error.  I did this and got the same additional error information:

---
TextFileWrite: Failed to write /etc/backuppc/localhost.pl.new (errno =3D=
 Read-only file system, uids =3D 33,113, gids =3D 33 33,33 33, umask =3D=
 027, ver =3D v5.40.1, prog =3D /usr/bin/perl)
---

I also got the read-only file system message, which didn't make sense (n=
ote uid and gid 33 are both www-data and uid 113 is backuppc).

So then I found this thread with the same issue: https://www.reddit.com/=
r/sysadmin/comments/104960e/backuppc_turning_linux_client_into_a_readonl=
y/   That user turned out to have a bad sector on his disk.  So I plugge=
d in an external drive with a fresh ext4 partition.  Did a temporary mou=
nt and copied over the contents of /etc/backuppc, then remounted it at /=
etc/backuppc.

And it worked!  So I must have some bad blocks where /etc/backuppc was i=
n the original installation.  So I am going to run some smartmon or fsck=
/badblocks tests and the drive, and reinstall ubuntu.

On Sun, May 10, 2026, at 1:52 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> That's what is strange.  This is a fresh install of Lubuntu 26.04, wit=
h backuppc installed from the ubuntu packages.  The 26.04 release just d=
ropped a week or so ago, so maybe there was some problem with its origin=
al packaging.
>=20
> Ubuntu =E2=80=93 Details of package backuppc in resolute <https://pack=
ages.ubuntu.com/resolute/backuppc>
>=20
> On Sun, May 10, 2026, at 1:04 PM, Les Mikesell wrote:
>> >
>> > Any suggestions?  Maybe whatever I did to get the CGI interface wor=
king wasn't enough to get it working with the correct permissions?
>> >
>>=20
>> For anyone considering setting up a new system, my suggestion would be
>> to use a distribution that has a packaged install that comes up
>> working predictably. Long ago when I ran a system for a small company
>> that couldn't afford much extra equipment I kept a matching install on
>> a dual-boot laptop that could have restored from a USB connection if
>> the main system died but now a VM would be an easier approach.
>>=20
>>=20
>> _______________________________________________
>> BackupPC-users mailing list
>> [email protected]
>> List:    https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
>> Wiki:    https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki
>> Project: https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/
>>=20
>=20

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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title></title></head><body><div style=3D"fon=
t-family:Verdana;">Still having the write error to /etc/backuppc.&nbsp; =
Providing this summary to help others.</div><div style=3D"font-family:Ve=
rdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">I reinstalled Apac=
he2 and backuppc.&nbsp; Permissions are definitely OK.&nbsp; Apache2 run=
ning as www-data, user www-data is in group www-data, and permissions in=
 /etc/backuppc are writeable for backuppc:www-data</div><div style=3D"fo=
nt-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">This p=
revious thread had the same problem: <a href=3D"https://sourceforge.net/=
p/backuppc/mailman/backuppc-users/thread/9700CC75-BEA8-41FE-B883-B90ED66=
[email protected]/">https://sourceforge.net/p/backuppc/mailman/ba=
ckuppc-users/thread/[email protected].=
edu/</a>&nbsp; One commenter (not the thread initiator) said his distro =
had SELinux running and had to write a policy to allow it to run.&nbsp; =
I don't have SELinux running.&nbsp; The thread initiator did not get his=
 problem solved but mentioned something in the end about the file system=
 being read only.&nbsp; His was not, and neither is mine.</div><div styl=
e=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"=
>I found this discussion: <a href=3D"https://github.com/backuppc/backupp=
c/issues/188">https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/issues/188</a> which =
had the same issue.&nbsp; One respondent provided some code to add to /u=
sr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Storage/Text.pm to get more info on the e=
rror.&nbsp; I did this and got the same additional error information:</d=
iv><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-fami=
ly:Verdana;">---</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">TextFileWrite:=
 Failed to write /etc/backuppc/localhost.pl.new (errno =3D Read-only fil=
e system, uids =3D 33,113, gids =3D 33 33,33 33, umask =3D 027, ver =3D =
v5.40.1, prog =3D /usr/bin/perl)</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;=
">---</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"f=
ont-family:Verdana;">I also got the read-only file system message, which=
 didn't make sense (note uid and gid 33 are both www-data and uid 113 is=
 backuppc).</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div styl=
e=3D"font-family:Verdana;">So then I found this thread with the same iss=
ue: <a href=3D"https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/104960e/backup=
pc_turning_linux_client_into_a_readonly/">https://www.reddit.com/r/sysad=
min/comments/104960e/backuppc_turning_linux_client_into_a_readonly/</a>&=
nbsp;&nbsp; That user turned out to have a bad sector on his disk.&nbsp;=
 So I plugged in an external drive with a fresh ext4 partition.&nbsp; Di=
d a temporary mount and copied over the contents of /etc/backuppc, then =
remounted it at /etc/backuppc.</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">=
<br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">And it worked!&nbsp; So I =
must have some bad blocks where /etc/backuppc was in the original instal=
lation.&nbsp; So I am going to run some smartmon or fsck/badblocks tests=
 and the drive, and reinstall ubuntu.</div><div style=3D"font-family:Ver=
dana;"><br></div><div>On Sun, May 10, 2026, at 1:52 PM,&nbsp;<a href=3D"=
mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]<=
/a> wrote:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite" id=3D"qt" style=3D""><div styl=
e=3D"font-family:Verdana;">That's what is strange.&nbsp; This is a fresh=
 install of Lubuntu 26.04, with backuppc installed from the ubuntu packa=
ges.&nbsp; The 26.04 release just dropped a week or so ago, so maybe the=
re was some problem with its original packaging.</div><div style=3D"font=
-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><a href=3D=
"https://packages.ubuntu.com/resolute/backuppc">Ubuntu =E2=80=93 Details=
 of package backuppc in resolute</a></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verd=
ana;"><br></div><div>On Sun, May 10, 2026, at 1:04 PM, Les Mikesell wrot=
e:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite" id=3D"qt-qt" style=3D""><div style=3D"=
font-family:Verdana;">&gt;</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">&gt;=
 Any suggestions?&nbsp; Maybe whatever I did to get the CGI interface wo=
rking wasn't enough to get it working with the correct permissions?</div=
><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">&gt;</div><div style=3D"font-family=
:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">For anyone cons=
idering setting up a new system, my suggestion would be</div><div style=3D=
"font-family:Verdana;">to use a distribution that has a packaged install=
 that comes up</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">working predicta=
bly. Long ago when I ran a system for a small company</div><div style=3D=
"font-family:Verdana;">that couldn't afford much extra equipment I kept =
a matching install on</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">a dual-bo=
ot laptop that could have restored from a USB connection if</div><div st=
yle=3D"font-family:Verdana;">the main system died but now a VM would be =
an easier approach.</div><div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><=
div style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div><div style=3D"font-family:V=
erdana;">_______________________________________________</div><div style=
=3D"font-family:Verdana;">BackupPC-users mailing list</div><div style=3D=
"font-family:Verdana;"><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
e.net">[email protected]</a></div><div style=3D"font-=
family:Verdana;">List:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=3D"https://lists.s=
ourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users">https://lists.sourceforge.=
net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users</a></div><div style=3D"font-family:Ver=
dana;">Wiki:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=3D"https://github.com/backup=
pc/backuppc/wiki">https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki</a></div><di=
v style=3D"font-family:Verdana;">Project:&nbsp;<a href=3D"https://backup=
pc.github.io/backuppc/">https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/</a></div><d=
iv style=3D"font-family:Verdana;"><br></div></blockquote><div style=3D"f=
ont-family:Verdana;"><br></div></blockquote><div style=3D"font-family:Ve=
rdana;"><br></div></body></html>
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_______________________________________________
BackupPC-users mailing list
[email protected]
List:    https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
Wiki:    https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki
Project: https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/

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