Currently, the package assumes the only way to run Radicale is as a
standalone server (which is wrong by itself), and for some reason the
directories for storing logs and data files are created at server's
startup, in its init script.

This is wrong for two reasons:
1) If Radicale is started by a web server, it's unusable as it
   tries to access its data and log directories, which do not
   exist as they are not created when the package is configured.
2) Only the /var/run directory is allowed to be transient,
   so it has to be re-created, if needed, at server's startup.
   The log and data directories are "stable" and hence should
   be managed by the postinst script.

These changes are required for Radicale to be useful when set up to be
run by a web server (via WSGI).

Another (minor but nagging) problem with the way this package sets the
log directory up is that it's not readable by the members of the `adm'
group which (by the policy) should have read access to the system logs.

The attached patch fixes all these problems.

I agree with this bug report, except that I think the check for /var/run
is not needed. The policy does not require it, if I am reading
correctly; and a check of the daemons installed on my system, only one
does this kind of check.

UGH, sorry about that, I misread the code and thought it was creating
/var/run/, instead of /var/run/radicale/

Hi Konstantin,

Thanks for the bugreport and the patch.  However...

Quoting Konstantin Khomoutov (2012-07-18 21:03:29)

No.  The package do not assume it is only run as a standalone server.
What it assumes is that if run as the user created by the package, then
it will be used the way offered by the package: as a daemon controlled
with the sysV init script.

You are free to bypass the way the package handles the daemon, but then
you are on your own, and is best advised to use a separate account that
you are in control of, to not risk your system blowing up in surprising
ways if some day the package is upgraded in a way involving changes to
the account.

I believe Policy do not mandate log and data to be created early.

Reason for setting up these directories late is to ease changing account
but still use the sysV script.
by hand what the sysV script does, or extend your uWSGI script to do it,
or (recommende) do same but for a different account.

This does indeed sound like a bug.


 - Jonas

Much of what was asked for in bug #682017 has been implemented at this
point.  I think portions should really be in the postinst script instead
of /etc/init.d/radicale, but creating the log and data directories has
been implemented.

The Debian NEW review of radicale 3.7.8+ds-2 has been completed.

Decision: ACCEPTED
Reviewer: Mechtilde Stehmann

Review comment:

Hi,
please add the missing authors to d/copyright.
You find the info in the public notes
Thanks

Full review details: https://dfsg-new-queue.debian.org/reviews/radicale

We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
radicale, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive.

A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.

Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed.  If you
have further comments please address them to 682017@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.

Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Jonas Smedegaard <dr@jones.dk> (supplier of updated radicale package)

(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org)
Format: 1.8
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:19:40 +0200
Source: radicale
Binary: python3-radicale radicale radicale-uwsgi
Architecture: source all
Version: 3.7.8+ds-2
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: medium
Maintainer: Jonas Smedegaard <dr@jones.dk>
Changed-By: Jonas Smedegaard <dr@jones.dk>
Description:
 python3-radicale - simple calendar and addressbook server - python3 module
 radicale   - simple calendar and addressbook server - daemon
 radicale-uwsgi - simple calendar and addressbook server - uWSGI Unix socket
Closes: 682017 982762 1130672
Changes:
 radicale (3.7.8+ds-2) unstable; urgency=medium
 .
   * tighten systemd unit file
   * relax uWSGI config file to use fewer workers and threads
   * move initial access rights setup
     from uWSGI config file to postinst script;
     closes: bug#682017, #982762,
     thanks to Konstantin Khomoutov, Martína Ferrari and Rob Browning
   * fix uWSGI-based setup and provide as binary package radicale-uwsgi;
     closes: bug#1130672,
     thanks to Borden, Alexandre Rossi and Petter Reinholdtsen
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