[Users] Problem with clawsrc occasionally reverting to default

[Joebug]

Le Wed, 25 Mar 2015 23:01:22 +0100,
Michael Schwendt <bugreporter at abwesend.de> a écrit :

> On Wed, 25 Mar 2015 21:33:14 +0100, Joebug wrote:
> 
> > but the window size and position is only the *visible symptom* that
> > Claws-Mail reverted to a default clawsrc.
> > 
> > The real problem is that plugins aren't loaded, and other
> > user configuration is missing.
> > 
> > Luckily, all this is still in clawsrc.bak
> 
> It seems to me that there may be two different symptoms:
> 
> 1) Users don't exit Claws Mail cleanly before shutting down or
> rebooting, and in turn the latest changes to the preferences are not
> saved. This would be because you need to quit the program to save the
> config changes.
> 
> 2) Users start Claws Mail and find that it sometimes resets the
> previously saved preferences (or just some parts of it) to defaults.

Today, again, Claws-Mail started abnormally with no user prefs or
plugins loaded.

So before closing CM, I checked "~/.claws-mail" folder

=== WHEN "ERROR"
in ~/.claws-mail folder
There is no clawsrc file!

there is a clawsrc.bak which is complete
there is a clawsrc.tmp which is only slightly different :

joebug at debian:~/.claws-mail$ diff clawsrc.tmp clawsrc.bak 
452,454c452,454
< include_news=0
< include_rss=0
< include_calendar=0
---
> include_news=1
> include_rss=1
> include_calendar=1

=== I CLOSE CLAWS MAIL MANUALLY
clawsrc is written to file and completely empty of user config
clawsrc.bak is still complete

rm clawsrc  
mv clawsrc.bak clawsrc

=== I RESTART CLAWS MAIL
Claws Mail starts normally

=== THEN I MODIFY A PREFERENCE
eg. change 
debianspam_enabled=0  -> debianspam_enabled=1

* case 1/ APPLY then OK

Click "APPLY" Button
clawsrc updated immediately : debianspam_enabled=1
clawsrc.bak refreshed/updated immediately : debianspam_enabled=0

Then click "OK" Button

clawsrc and clawsrc.bak are updated again but not as quick
(up to a few seconds later - I counted 6 sec. on one occasion)

I now have 
clawsrc : debianspam_enabled=1
clawsrc.bak : debianspam_enabled=1

Is this normal ??

* case 2/ OK (without APPLY)

Click "OK" button
clawsrc updated after a few seconds : debianspam_enabled=1
clawsrc.bak also updated after a few seconds : debianspam_enabled=0

which seems more coherent with what a backup file is for.

=== I CLOSE MANUALLY / REOPEN
Files are updated on disk
clawsrc still says debianspam_enabled=1
clawsrc.bak now also has debianspam_enabled=1

Claws Mail starts normally

=== SAME THING WITHOUT CLOSING "PROPERLY"
Change debianspam_enabled=0 to debianspam_enabled=1
Click "APPLY" then "OK"
Reboot computer ...
(which BTW I never do so quickly in sequence)

Start Claws Mail
Files are updated on disk
clawsrc says debianspam_enabled=1
clawsrc.bak also has debianspam_enabled=1

This time Claws Mail starts normally ...

=== BACK TO THE BEGINNING
joebug at debian:~/.claws-mail$ diff clawsrc.tmp clawsrc.bak 
452,454c452,454
< include_news=0
< include_rss=0
< include_calendar=0
---
> include_news=1
> include_rss=1
> include_calendar=1

These are preferences from [NotificationPlugin]
which I remember modifying yesterday evening.

So I set out to modify them again to reflect yesterday's situation
Preferences / Notifications / deselect news, rss, calendar

Click "APPLY" 
clawsrc IS NOT MODIFIED
(clawsrc.bak is not modified either)

Click "OK"
clawsrc IS STILL NOT MODIFIED (!?)

I sent CM to tray, waited a little while, still no change to clawsrc

then ...
=== REBOOT COMPUTER WITHOUT CLOSING CM
Check "~/.claws-mail" ...
clawsrc present in ~/.claws-mail ... with correct (new) settings (!?)

include_mail=1
include_news=0
include_rss=0
include_calendar=0

Claws Mail starts normally - as expected from clawsrc


...

So what is the situation that leaves you with *no* clawsrc and a
clawsrc.tmp in the ~/.claws-mail folder ?

I'll be watching that folder closely over the next few days,
... and checking content of "~/.claws-mail" folder *before* starting CM
and come back here with more information I can find some.

BTW, are there any other files I could / should be checking ?

Thanks for your help & feedback,

Jérôme