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Corrupt Signal DB issue crashing App and losing data
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- ncmncm 6y agoI upgraded Signal on my Linux machine recently. It started by re-schema-ing its configuration, and then froze, ignoring all UI events as if it had a modal dialog box up. So I downgraded Signal, but the old version refused to use the re-schema-ed configuration. Always copy your Signal configs before trying a new Signal version. Element's current release has the same UI problem, ignoring all UI input. New messages appear and show on counters, but no UI events break through. Both Signal and Element are Electron apps, run on Debian in a VM, with software rendering. Evidently something changed in Electron. Ideas welcome.
- atat7024 6y ago> Evidently something changed in Electron. Ideas welcome. If you're a dev, write PWA.
- hiq 6y agoOpen a thread on the Signal forum.
- jhoechtl 6y agoSound like an easy fix on the side of Signal. First work on temp and when everything turned out successful, delete the old directory and move temp to new.
- ncmncm 6y agoThat would be fine if the files were not already messed up, or if the Electron app framework they used building Signal could be persuaded to actually UI.
- dannyw 6y agoI'm deleting my signal if a way to back up my messages on MY terms (i.e. to a file) isn't implemented in two months. I'd rather give Facebook my messages than lose it because Signal devs think users don't deserve to own their messages.
- sigg3 6y agoThat's interesting. In our data-mined world I've always found this a feature, and a refreshing one. I'm exposed to this feature/shortcoming quite often since I use the desktop version only intermittently. Observing that lost messages are lost _is reassuring to me_. On the infrequent event that I need a record, I'll usually just screenshot it then and there.
- pseudalopex 6y agoThe Android and desktop databases can be backed up. Just the iOS version blocks it.
- serial_dev 6y agoI think it depends on the content. With family photos, I'd rather have them public then lose them. For the public, it's likely not that interesting, but for me they are invaluable.
- andrepd 6y agoGood for you that that's your usecase! I myself would like to have a secure backup of all my messages and attachments.
- atat7024 6y agoWho wants permanent persistence as a feature of secure comms? Save messages or files that you find permanently important to store?
- atat7024 6y ago(You all could reply with your thoughts, as well)
- Silhouette 6y agoSo when will we be able to make real backups of Signal messages using the iOS app? Privacy is valuable, but important messages without ability to make backups is already very risky given the inherent fallibility (and steal-ability) of mobile devices. Having data loss bugs in conjunction with that is delete-the-app-and-use-something-else unforgivable. Unless I've missed something, it's still impossible by construction to export your message history as a real backup on iOS, even if you are happy that it's being done entirely locally and the receiving system is adequately secured.
- mopsi 6y agoThere's a hacky way to back up messages sent on IOS, if you sync messages to desktop client, because it stores messages in a SQLite database. While encrypted, encryption key for the database is kept as plaintext in a JSON file. :) On Windows: 1. Download "DB Browser for SQLite" https://sqlitebrowser.org/ https://sqlitebrowser.org/ 2. Unpack it and run "DB Browser for SQLCipher.exe". 3. Open database, select "%APPDATA%\Signal\sql\db.sqlite". 4. In the following dialog, select "Raw key" type and enter the encryption key stored in "%APPDATA%\Signal\config.json" into Password field (prefix it with 0x). 5. Now you can work with the database, including exporting its contents to unencrypted SQLite, CSV and JSON. The process should be similar on other platforms.
- Silhouette 6y agoThank you. I haven't been able to try it immediately as I don't normally use the desktop client, but that looks like a workaround that could be useful.
- userbinator 6y agoWhile encrypted, encryption key for the database is kept as plaintext in a JSON file. ...which is kept right next to the encrypted DB and presumably has the same permissions, so what's the point?
- tmp538394722 6y agoA more secure delete, for one.
- f430 6y agoHow do I donate to Signal?
- speedgoose 6y agoYou can buy their scam crypto coins.
- iddqd 6y agohttps://signal.org/donate/ https://signal.org/donate/
- jameshilliard 6y agoIt would be nice if signal would implement support for BackupAgent based client side encrypted backups and device to device transfers for Android, the current risk of data loss during device migrations is very high IMO if you aren't careful. https://community.signalusers.org/t/support-native-android-backupagent-based-client-side-encrypted-backups-and-device-to-device-transfers/19135/5 https://community.signalusers.org/t/support-native-android-b...
- hiq 6y agoThere's already a backup transfer feature in the last version.
- jameshilliard 6y agoIt doesn't work automatically though when doing a normal android data transfer/migration.
- jka 6y agoDoes the normal Android transfer process involve network transfers and backups, out of interest? (it's possible that there are privacy design reasons to keep data within user control, even if it cedes some convenience)
- jameshilliard 6y agoPer the docs(https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/backup/BackupAgent#FLAG_DEVICE_TO_DEVICE_TRANSFER https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/backup/B...): "The transport is for a device-to-device transfer. There is no third party or intermediate storage. The user's backup data is sent directly to another device over e.g., USB or WiFi."
- jka 6y agoThanks!
- ttty 6y agoWhen will we be able to make real backups of Signal messages using the iOS app? Privacy is valuable, but important messages without ability to make backups is already very risky. Having data loss bugs is unforgivable. Bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended. Signal was my default app, so to even receive an SMS I had to switch to Android Messages. I have been using the app for over half a decade and kept transferring messages from phone to phone. I fear it's because it's low on space (it has an SD card but afaik signal can't use that except for backups) and maybe something temporarily fills up the main storage and signal corrupts. I didn't get this in time. I checked and didn't have any signal updates or OS updates happen for at least a week, I don't think that was the issue. The problem started one day with "... has joined Signal". (It is possible that the phone was low on storage on that day.) Subsequently I got this stack trace upon startup 4 out of 5 times, and 19 out of 20 times when trying to open any conversation: #10868 (comment) This instant crash made Signal unusable for the last few months. The backup procedure ran through within 1 second, and the created backup file is only 1 MB in size. Reinstalling Signal and trying to import that backup has no effect.
- Nextgrid 6y agoI've more or less given up on Signal and recently moved to Telegram. I'll still use it for actually private communications, but for 90% of my chats, all I need is "good enough" security which both iMessage and Telegram cover with a much better UX than Signal. I can't believe in 2021 they still don't have a native Mac app nor proper chat backups, and the recent announcement of their bullshit crypto integration clearly shows where their priorities are.
- lima 6y ago> for 90% of my chats, all I need is "good enough" security which both iMessage and Telegram True for iMessage, but not for Telegram. Telegram has great UX, but does not use end-to-end encryption. (Telegram's "secret chats" do not count - they're not the default, nobody ever uses them, they only work on mobile, and use a questionable DIY encryption schema)
- SCLeo 6y agoTo be honest, for 99.9% of my use cases, I value the ability to easily log in to different devices with automatically synchronized one-to-one/group chat log more than true E2E encryption, granted that Telegram has promised to not analyze the data, and I decided to trust Durov. The other 0.1% is when I need to send credit card numbers, which I can also do within Telegram, using secret chat, which does have E2E encryption.
- Jonanin 6y agoiMessage is not end to end encrypted either.
- sneak 6y agoNot true for iMessage either. The addition of iCloud Backup (on by default, and not e2e) functions as a key escrow for iMessage, rendering iMessage also no longer end-to-end encrypted (as Apple receives a copy of the keys in the automatic nightly backup). Turning off iCloud Backup doesn't fix it either, as your conversation partners back up their keys.
- Klonoar 6y ago
- pkulak 6y agoDoes it matter? Signal messages are meant to disappear. They live only on your device and the developers would rather build in sketchy crypto payments than any kind of automated backup.
- wolverine876 6y agoThree users report they've experienced a bug (the fourth just says Signal won't start). We only know some symptoms of the bug, and almost nothing about its cause. One user guesses at a db size limit, but there is strong evidence that's not the case - including users with much larger data stores and the fact that media is stored externally to the database (as we would expect). Without more information, the problem could have little to do with Signal. It may be something funky about Android when it's low on space, or a million other possibilities. Put on your IT hats - there is nothing of significance here; it's just an unconfirmed, undiagnosed bug reported by three users.