RTE: module 'qttools' has no attribute 'initate_translator' (encFS when prompting the user for a password)

[aryoda]

Reported via PR #1552 (THX to @asciiprod)

Symptoms

When using encFs (mode "local encryption") in a BiT config
and the password is not stored in a keyring (nor cached)
and the profile has an active schedule (= uses cron)
instead of opening a message box to ask for the encFS password this RTE is shown:

File "<inst folder>/backintime/qt/messagebox.py", line 26, in askPasswordDialog
    translator = qttools.initate_translator(language_code)
AttributeError: module 'qttools' has no attribute 'initate_translator'. Did you mean: 'initiate_translator'?

Impact

BiT cron jobs for such encFS profiles silently fail instead of asking the user for a password

Steps to reproduce

TODO Add steps to reproduce in BiT GUI

On the console (just to test if you are affected):

python -c "import messagebox; pw = messagebox.askPasswordDialog(None, 'Test', 'prompt', 'en', 10)"

Analysis

As the error says: There is a typo in the function name:

translator = qttools.initate_translator(language_code)
should be
translator = qttools.initiate_translator(language_code)

Introduced on Aug 9, 2023 with commit e52c324 ("feat: Language in config file (#1493)") into

backintime/qt/messagebox.py

Lines 23 to 27 in 92a2016

	def askPasswordDialog(parent, title, prompt, language_code, timeout):
	if parent is None:
	app = qttools.createQApplication()
	translator = qttools.initate_translator(language_code)
	app.installTranslator(translator)

Affected release versions

• Back in Time 1.4.0 (Sept. 14, 2023)
• Back in Time 1.4.1 (Oct. 1, 2023)

Proposed fix

See PR #1552

Recommended dev process changes

GUI testing of all possible code paths (driven by user choices and configs) is nearly impossible (neither manually nor automated).

When preparing a new release a code linter or PyCharm's "Problems" tab should be used to find such problems.

[aryoda]

TODOs

• Mention bug in release v1.4.0 and v1.4.1 (DONE)
• Merge PR to fix it (DONE)
• Add changelog entry to mention the fix (DONE)
• Add "check linter/PyCharm problems tab" in BiT release process documentation (DONE)

[aryoda]

I have reduced the criticality level of the bug from HIGH to MEDIUM after looking deeper into the source code because

• it affects only encfs ("local encryption") configs
• and when the password GUI is (indirectly by starting a backup) opened from the command line (the BiT GUI must be installed)

> ./backintime --profile "encFS test" backup

Back In Time
Version: 1.4.2-dev

Back In Time comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; type `backintime --license' for details.

INFO: Lock
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/backintime.py", line 1190, in <module>
    startApp()
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/backintime.py", line 523, in startApp
    args.func(args)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/backintime.py", line 764, in backup
    ret = takeSnapshot(cfg, force)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/backintime.py", line 97, in takeSnapshot
    ret = snapshots.Snapshots(cfg).backup(force)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/snapshots.py", line 738, in backup
    hash_id = mount.Mount(cfg = self.config).mount()
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/mount.py", line 227, in mount
    return backend.mount(check = check)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/mount.py", line 526, in mount
    self._mount()
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/encfstools.py", line 62, in _mount
    self.password = self.config.password(self.parent, self.profile_id, self.mode)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/config.py", line 811, in password
    return self.pw.password(parent, profile_id, mode, pw_id, only_from_keyring)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/password.py", line 197, in password
    password = self.passwordFromUser(parent, profile_id, mode, pw_id)
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/common/password.py", line 267, in passwordFromUser
    password = messagebox.askPasswordDialog(
  File "/home/<user>/dev/backintime/qt/messagebox.py", line 26, in askPasswordDialog
    translator = qttools.initate_translator(language_code)
AttributeError: module 'qttools' has no attribute 'initate_translator'. Did you mean: 'initiate_translator'?

[buhtz]

This code as an example

 import qttools

 def askPasswordDialog(parent, title, prompt, language_code, timeout): 
     if parent is None: 
         translator = qttools.initate_translator(language_code)
         #                       ^^ mssing "i"

I can not find a linter/checker who is able to detect that initate_translator() typo. The reason seems to be that that none of them do look into the imported modules.

Any suggestions on that?

I read that some IDE's (e.g. PyCharm) are able to detect such problems. But we can not integrate them into our CI or unit tests.

My current IDE setup (Emacs plus some magic) is also not able to detect that.

[Germar]

The reason seems to be that that none of them do look into the imported modules.

That's why I started to use coveralls.io and created unittests which trigger every function at least once.

[buhtz]

That's why I started to use coveralls.io and created unittests which trigger every function at least once.

I do agree that a 100% coverage (incl. GUI code) with real unit tests should be the preferred solution here. But it is a long way.

[aryoda]

I can not find a linter/checker who is able to detect that initate_translator() typo. The reason seems to be that that none of them do look into the imported modules.

Standard pylint can detect the missing function - as long as the file is in the qt sub folder so that the qttools file can be imported:

~/dev/backintime/qt (doc/ssh_setup)  > python -m pylint playground.py 
************* Module playground
playground.py:1:0: C0114: Missing module docstring (missing-module-docstring)
playground.py:3:0: C0103: Function name "askPasswordDialog" doesn't conform to snake_case naming style (invalid-name)
playground.py:3:0: C0116: Missing function or method docstring (missing-function-docstring)
playground.py:5:21: E1101: Module 'qttools' has no 'initate_translator' member; maybe 'initiate_translator'? (no-member)
playground.py:3:30: W0613: Unused argument 'title' (unused-argument)
playground.py:3:37: W0613: Unused argument 'prompt' (unused-argument)
playground.py:3:60: W0613: Unused argument 'timeout' (unused-argument)
playground.py:5:8: W0612: Unused variable 'translator' (unused-variable)

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Your code has been rated at -20.00/10 (previous run: -20.00/10, +0.00)

I read that some IDE's (e.g. PyCharm) are able to detect such problems.

PyCharm just uses pylint (configured as "external tool") and does also detect the typo:

pylint does support checking only specific rules. How about performing only critical checks via TravisCI and as make target, eg. like this:

~/dev/backintime/qt (doc/ssh_setup)  > python -m pylint --disable=all --enable=E1101 playground.py 
************* Module playground
playground.py:5:21: E1101: Module 'qttools' has no 'initate_translator' member; maybe 'initiate_translator'? (no-member)

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Your code has been rated at -2.50/10 (previous run: -20.00/10, +17.50)

[buhtz]

Further discussion in #1558