[snap] wrapper script doesn't source ~/.chromium-browser.init

[Olivier Tilloy]

(initially reported here: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/call-for-testing-chromium-browser-deb-to-snap-transition/11179/82)

The /usr/bin/chromium-browser script in the old deb packages had the following line:

    test -f ~/.chromium-browser.init && . ~/.chromium-browser.init

which allowed users to customize CHROMIUM_FLAGS. This was lost when transitioning to the snap. For compatibility, it should be added back, so that users who rely on this don't observe regressions when transitioning to the snap.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Better tentative fix: https://git.launchpad.net/~chromium-team/chromium-browser/+git/snap-from-source/commit/?id=ffd7ad54bca62c325f906014cd3b96bd2bcd2ee7

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Auto-connection for the new path was requested here: https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/auto-connecting-the-personal-files-interface-for-the-chromium-snap-part-ii/13705.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

I have temporarily reverted that commit until the request for auto-connection has been granted, because snaps in the candidate channels had become uninstallable.
Once the voting period is over (next week), I will work with Jamie to restore it.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Fix committed again (https://git.launchpad.net/~chromium-team/chromium-browser/+git/snap-from-source/commit/?id=e4093977f925511becd71b44e992e2d936ea59ba) now that the request for auto-connection has been granted.

[Alexey Bazhin (baz-irc)]

Chromium snap refuses to start if file exists:

$ chromium
/snap/chromium/917/bin/chromium.launcher: 78: .: Can't open /home/baz/.chromium-browser.init

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

It works here. What's the output of the following commands:

    ls -l ~/.chromium-browser.init

    snap connections chromium | grep personal-files

[Alexey Bazhin (baz-irc)]

$ ls -l ~/.chromium-browser.init
-rw-r--r-- 1 baz baz 60 мар 16 2018 /home/baz/.chromium-browser.init

$ snap connections chromium | grep personal-files
personal-files chromium:chromium-config :personal-files -

[Alexey Bazhin (baz-irc)]

# dmesg | grep chromium-browser.init
[803454.414690] audit: type=1400 audit(1572333616.781:52868): apparmor="DENIED" operation="open" profile="snap.chromium.chromium" name="/home/baz/.chromium-browser.init" pid=5334 comm="chromium.launch" requested_mask="r" denied_mask="r" fsuid=1000 ouid=1000

[Jalon Funk (francescohickle15)]

I can confirm that if "personal-files" slot isn't connected and "~/.chromium-browser.init" exist then chromium snap fails to start.

The solution is to either connect "personal-files" slot or delete "~/.chromium-browser.init" (arguably it's pointless to have this file if access is blocked).

@osomon you may also use something like:

test -f $REALHOME/.chromium-browser.init && . $REALHOME/.chromium-browser.init || true

which will ignore failure of sourcing ".chromium-browser.init" and let chromium start.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Well spotted! I wonder how the personal-files interface ended up in this semi-connected state for Alexey…

In any case, Alexey to work around the problem I would suggest disconnecting and reconnecting the personal-files interface:

    snap disconnect chromium:chromium-config
    snap connect chromium:chromium-config

And I'm going to add a " || true" as suggested by Jalon Funk.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

In fact adding a " || true" statement doesn't cut it, chromium still fails to start with the same error.

[Alexey Bazhin (baz-irc)]

snap disconnect chromium:chromium-config
snap connect chromium:chromium-config

This is resolved my issue

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

This, however, should fix the problem when the personal-files interface isn't connected: https://git.launchpad.net/~chromium-team/chromium-browser/+git/snap-from-source/commit/?id=8799b7e8e5c6b8af9aa789df745b2dacb3652f02

[Alexey Bazhin (baz-irc)]

I have put CHROMIUM_FLAGS="--force-device-scale-factor=2.0 --new-window" in ~/.chromium-browser.init as I did before. But multiple options is not parsed correctly as it was. I getting error: "[18384:18384:1111/111220.448169:ERROR:display.cc(55)] Failed to parse the default device scale factor:2 --new-window"

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Well spotted, thanks Alexey.
Fixed with https://git.launchpad.net/~chromium-team/chromium-browser/+git/snap-from-source/commit/?id=e9aa3fc0e117d5abaccdb2ee40a42379a7ceeef1.