signalapp / signalapp/Signal-Android

Backup generates and renames backup file but deletes it (Nextcloud)

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Dominant language
Kotlin
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Description

Bug description

For external storage I chose a folder in Nextcloud. This results in the storage location being displayed like "-123456789/12345" and the backup failing with "Renaming temporary backup file failed!" according to the debug log. I have no SD cards.

See also:
https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/7763
https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/7692

It appears the file is successfully created and renamed, but Signal decides to delete it anyway, before Nextcloud can upload it:

Nextcloud app:
Nextcloud failed uploads

Nextcloud web interface:
renames and deletes

Steps to reproduce

Turn on external backup. Select Nextcloud folder. Run backup.

Actual result: Backup takes a while and eventually it stops and says "Last Backup: Never".
Expected result: The backup completes successfully or gives me an informative error message.

Device info

Device: Xiaomi Mi 9T (davinci)
Android version: 10
Signal version: 5.0.0
No SD cards mounted.

All permissions for write access are granted.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No source file, test, or entry point is named. Begin with the external-backup reproduction steps using a Nextcloud folder and inspect the backup behavior around file creation, renaming, and deletion. Done means the backup completes successfully or reports an informative error instead of ending with “Last Backup: Never”.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
android, kotlin
Domain
mobile
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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