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When using "Backups" (a.k.a. deja-dup) - it doesn't find duplicity, although it's installed:

I have been trying to backup using "Backups" (a.k.a. deja-dup), and it turns out that the current duplicity (which deja-dup uses) still has the "Unicode bug" (it fails when dealing with Unicode strings). (I have "Backups" (a.k.a. deja-dup) installed on my system: "deja-dup backup tool" v 37.0, and had duplicity v 0.7.17).

My system:

~$ lsb_release -a
Description:   Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS; Release:  18.04; Codename:   bionic

So, I then removed the existing installation of duplicity, and installed duplicity 0.8 from source: https://launchpad.net/duplicity. It installs duplicity at: /usr/local/bin. It's in PATH:

~$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:/snap/bin

After loading and installing all the requirements, duplicity 0.8 itself runs fine:

~$ duplicity -V
duplicity 0.8.05

But, when running "Backups" (deja-dup), it doesn't find it. A window pops up, saying:

INSTALL PACKAGES

In order to continue, the following package needs to be installed: duplicity

I installed dconf-editor, found /org/gnome/deja-dup, but I don't see there any settings for the duplicity path.

nautilus and "apt list --installed" don't see it, either.

Note: cross posted here

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  • 2
    Duplicity by default on Ubuntu is installed in /usr/bin. You should try to install it there.
    – dadexix86
    Oct 13, 2019 at 19:31
  • If no success, You may also try faking a Debian package like in askubuntu.com/a/497944/26246
    – user.dz
    Oct 14, 2019 at 17:51
  • @user.dz: "Backups" (=="deja-dup") must run duplicity, and it's not finding it because duplicity wasn't installed using the package management mechanism (dpkg | apt, etc.) but directly from tar. How do you make this happen using a fake package? (using equivs)? Oct 14, 2019 at 19:53
  • @HelenCraigman, Yeah using equivs, create empty package with same name. Steps are resumed in an answer from above link, You may also copy info from original package, check CONTROL file.
    – user.dz
    Oct 14, 2019 at 19:56
  • 1
    @user.dz: I think your comment is correct. (I looked around the net). Write it here as an answer, and I'll mark it as the right answer. Oct 16, 2019 at 15:17

4 Answers 4

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To solve your original issue of Unicode errors, I would recommend trying the snap version of Deja Dup. It has the 0.8 version of duplicity bundled in.

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+50

If Deja-Dup does check for duplicity package instead of command, you may try faking a Debian package like in this case MySQL 5.6 depends on client 5.5 , which is about a dependency issue.

equivs may help to create dummy packages.

  1. Install equivs:

    sudo apt-get install equivs
    
  2. Generate control file from template:

    equivs-control duplicity
    
  3. Open duplicity file for edit. Change name and version if needed:

    ...
    Package: duplicity
    Version: 0.8.05
    ...
    
  4. Build then install it:

    equivs-build duplicity
    sudo dpkg -i duplicity*.deb
    

Notes:

  • It can be uninstalled like any package. If you are using this method on large scale (company computers), write something in description (step 3) to indicate it's a dummy/fake package.
  • For general case, some packages have Provides:.. field, check original package and copy that line from its control file, add it with step (3).
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Programs can run with different PATH values. The most common that has bitten me is that sudo commands use a limited set of path values.

To Check the environment that a program is running with run ps axeww | grep deja-dup. The output will include the value of PATH used, towards the end of the output.

If the executable is not in the PATH used by deja-dup, you can add a symbolic link. For example to add a symbolic link in /usr/bin/ run a command similar to the following.

sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin/duplicity /usr/bin

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  • Running "ps axeww | grep deja-dup", there is a "PATH" entry there, and the right path (/usr/local/bin) appears there. So that's not the problem. Oct 14, 2019 at 16:20
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Install snap version of duplicity, purge apt duplicity, and create link from snap to apt default location(/usr/bin/duplicity). And reboot.

See here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/duplicity/+bug/1770929/comments/30

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