python-gamin does not detect any filesystem events

[Alistair Buxton]

[rational]
gamin is unable to detect changes on filesystem which make it impossible to work with bcfg2-server. and other service as well.

[test case]
To reproduce, use the attached test case:

1. python gamin-test.py
2. touch /tmp/foo

Expected result:
Got callback: /tmp/foo, 5

Actual result:
Nothing

[regression potential]
None, this fix the deadlock on gamin

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: python-gamin 0.1.10-4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-12.21-generic 3.2.2
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.91-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Feb 4 20:07:26 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta amd64 (20110921.2)
SourcePackage: gamin
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-02-02 (1 days ago)

[Sol Jerome (solj)]

Ugly workaround

    $ pkill gam_server && python gamin-test.py
    Got callback: /tmp, 8
    Got callback: .ICE-unix, 8
    Got callback: aptitude-root.4939:nRkJsO, 8
    Got callback: .X11-unix, 8
    Got callback: /tmp, 9
    Got callback: foo, 5
    Got callback: foo, 1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[alp (atoker)]

Upstream Gnome bug #667230 has an appropriate analysis and patch.

[alp (atoker)]

As far as I can tell, this is a security issue since fail2ban and presumably other monitoring daemons will silently ignore intrusion attempts on Precise server (see bug #954453).

Apart from breaking intrusion detection, it turns out this issue with gamin was also the cause of delayed IMAP mail notifications with postfix/dovecot and loss of nightly backups on our server following an upgrade to Precise.

The problem is due to a deadlock after the first disconnect from gam_server under common conditions.

https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=667230 has the correct fix for this issue which should be applied in Ubuntu and uploaded to precise-security as soon as possible.

Gentoo is using this fix (http://sources.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi/gentoo-x86/app-admin/gam-server/files/gam-server-0.1.10-ih_sub_cancel-deadlock.patch?revision=1.1) while Fedora is using a similar but less accurate version (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=786170).

Would be great to set this up so it monitors the other trackers as the problem was fixed in other distributions months ago yet the latest Ubuntu release didn't get the fix. I don't know my way around Launchpad well enough to do that myself.

[alp (atoker)]

Also mentioned at http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=542361.

Not sure why the discussion at Debian is stalled but it's probably significant to Ubuntu server where gamin is used by default for IDS. As a Gnome developer I can confirm that http://bugzilla-attachments.gnome.org/attachment.cgi?id=204537 is the obviously correct fix out of the two available patches in case that was the sticking point.

Guessing upstream is MIA.

[Rick Richardson (rick-richardson)]

Also, "gnome-manual-duplex" doesn't work unless you do the "pkill gam_server"!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gamin - 0.1.10-4ubuntu1

---------------
gamin (0.1.10-4ubuntu1) quantal; urgency=low

  * Add 18_gam_server_deadlocks.patch: fix gam server deadlock (LP: #926862)
 -- Marc Gariepy <email address hidden> Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:39:41 -0400

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Hello Alistair, or anyone else affected,

Accepted gamin into precise-proposed. The package will build now and be available at http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gamin/0.1.10-4ubuntu0.1 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please change the bug tag from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not, change the tag to verification-failed. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

[Marc Gariépy (mgariepy)]

just tested the new package, everything work as expected.

Thanks for the upload.

[DEXTER (mydexterid)]

The new package works for me too.

[Florin (flopppy)]

This new package works for me too, it fixes the issue. When this will be pushed from proposed to main?

[Florin (flopppy)]

and btw, this was already released for quantal, when it will be released for precise?

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

It needs to stay at least 2 more days in -proposed as the minimum testing period is 7 days from the time it was accepted.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gamin - 0.1.10-4ubuntu0.1

---------------
gamin (0.1.10-4ubuntu0.1) precise-proposed; urgency=low

  * Add 18_gam_server_deadlocks.patch: fix gam server deadlock (LP: #926862)
 -- Marc Gariepy <email address hidden> Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:39:41 -0400

[Wladimir Mutel (mwg)]

Hell, finally
it screwed my courier-imap for 3 months !
Thanks a lot for fixing this !