restore failed due to "CollectionsError: No backup chains found"

[Dani Hayes]

I had to re-install Ubuntu 20,04.3 LTS, and before doing so I did a complete back up via the Déjà Dup GUI (version 40.7) to my external hard drive. It gave no errors, but now when trying to restore it fails. Using the GUI, I get the error "Restore Failed. No backups to restore." Using duplicity, I get the following CollectionsError:

danielle@danielle-thinkpad:~$ duplicity --no-encryption file:///media/danielle/My\ Passport/danielle-ThinkPad/ Desktop/restore/
Warning, found incomplete backup sets, probably left from aborted session
Local and Remote metadata are synchronized, no sync needed.
Last full backup date: none
Traceback (innermost last):
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 106, in <module>
    with_tempdir(main)
  File "/usr/bin/duplicity", line 92, in with_tempdir
    fn()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/duplicity/dup_main.py", line 1538, in main
    do_backup(action)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/duplicity/dup_main.py", line 1618, in do_backup
    restore(col_stats)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/duplicity/dup_main.py", line 724, in restore
    restore_get_patched_rop_iter(col_stats)):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/duplicity/dup_main.py", line 746, in restore_get_patched_rop_iter
    backup_chain = col_stats.get_backup_chain_at_time(time)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/duplicity/dup_collections.py", line 1005, in get_backup_chain_at_time
    raise CollectionsError(u"No backup chains found")
 duplicity.dup_collections.CollectionsError: No backup chains found

The output from `dconf dump /org/gnome/deja-dup/`
[/]
backend='google'
prompt-check='disabled'

[drive]
folder='danielle-ThinkPad'
icon='. GThemedIcon drive-harddisk-usb drive-harddisk drive drive-harddisk-usb-symbolic drive-harddisk-symbolic drive-symbolic'
name='My Passport'

[file]
migrated=true

[gcs]
folder='danielle-thinkpad'

[google]
folder='danielle-thinkpad'

[local]
folder='danielle-thinkpad'

[openstack]
container='danielle-thinkpad'

[rackspace]
container='danielle-thinkpad'

[remote]
folder='danielle-thinkpad'

[s3]
folder='danielle-thinkpad'

The output from `DEJA_DUP_DEBUG=1 deja-dup --restore` (This is the only line in the file)
An operation is already in progress

[Michael Terry (mterry)]

Hello! I’m sorry Deja Dup is giving you trouble. Let’s see if we can get you sorted.

Are there files that start with duplicity-* in the backup folder?

[Dani Hayes (dhayes97)]

Hi!
Yes, every file in the backup folder starts with duplicity-*. There are 363 files, all ending with *.difftar.gz.

[Michael Terry (mterry)]

OK well let's keep Deja Dup out of this for now and just use duplicity - just to keep the number of variables low.

It's weird that Duplicity says there are no backup chains. How many files that end in .manifest are there in the backup folder? That will tell us how many snapshots live there.

Let's try a duplicity command that should list all the backup chains in the folder. It will probably give us the same error. But maybe not?

duplicity --no-encryption colletion-status file:///media/danielle/My\ Passport/danielle-ThinkPad

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Déjà Dup because there has been no activity for 60 days.]