[Issue]: Unable to open database file

[pkylian]

Please describe your bug

Hello,

I have got a problem with the Jellyfin server. Yesterday the server worked fine and today when I arrived at home the server was inaccessible. I watched logs and I saw this error :

CannotOpen: SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException: unable to open database file

The server reboots in loop with this error. So I tried in a first time to restart the Docker container and it was the same. I also tried to restart the Docker service & socket but it didn't work. Same when I tried to reboot my Debian server.

Some precisions:

• I already encountered an error with an older version of Jellyfin, I tried to delete jellyfin.db & library.db in the /config/data/ directory but it didn't work. I had to recreate entirely the Docker container to solve the issue
• I have enough space on the SSD on which the Jellyfin Docker volume is stored
• I didn't touch anything inside the container (permissions, installed packages, configurations...)
• I use Docker with Portainer

Jellyfin Version

10.8.9

if other:

No response

Environment

- OS: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
- Linux Kernel: 6.1.0-0.deb11.6-amd64
- Virtualization: Docker with Portainer
- Storage: 256GB SSD (where Docker volumes are stored, 78GB used), 6To RAID 5 for movies/shows (~900GB used)

Jellyfin logs

[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Jellyfin version: 10.8.9
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Environment Variables: ["[JELLYFIN_LOG_DIR, /config/log]", "[JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR, /config]", "[JELLYFIN_FFMPEG, /usr/lib/jellyfin-ffmpeg/ffmpeg]", "[JELLYFIN_CONFIG_DIR, /config/config]", "[JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl, https://jellyfin.kylianprevot.fr]", "[JELLYFIN_WEB_DIR, /jellyfin/jellyfin-web]", "[JELLYFIN_CACHE_DIR, /cache]", "[DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT, 1]"]
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Arguments: ["/jellyfin/jellyfin.dll"]
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Operating system: Linux
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Architecture: X64
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: 64-Bit Process: True
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: User Interactive: True
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Processor count: 4
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Program data path: /config
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Web resources path: /jellyfin/jellyfin-web
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Main: Application directory: /jellyfin/
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.AppBase.BaseConfigurationManager: Setting cache path: /cache
[19:59:36] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Loading assemblies
[19:59:37] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Networking.Manager.NetworkManager: Defined LAN addresses : [10.0.0.0/8,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16]
[19:59:37] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Networking.Manager.NetworkManager: Defined LAN exclusions : []
[19:59:37] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Networking.Manager.NetworkManager: Using LAN addresses: [10.0.0.0/8,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16]
[19:59:37] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Networking.Manager.NetworkManager: Using bind addresses: []
[19:59:37] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Networking.Manager.NetworkManager: Using bind exclusions: []
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins.PluginManager: Loaded plugin: TMDb 10.8.9.0
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins.PluginManager: Loaded plugin: Studio Images 10.8.9.0
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins.PluginManager: Loaded plugin: OMDb 10.8.9.0
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins.PluginManager: Loaded plugin: MusicBrainz 10.8.9.0
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins.PluginManager: Loaded plugin: AudioDB 10.8.9.0
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner: Applying migration 'MigrateActivityLogDatabase'
[19:59:40] [ERR] [1] Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner: Could not apply migration 'MigrateActivityLogDatabase'
CannotOpen: SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException: unable to open database file
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException.Throw(Int32 rc, Int32 extended, String msg)
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException.CheckOk(sqlite3 db, Int32 rc)
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteDatabaseConnectionBuilder.Build()
   at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.Routines.MigrateActivityLogDb.Perform()
   at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner.PerformMigrations(IMigrationRoutine[] migrations, MigrationOptions migrationOptions, Action`1 saveConfiguration, ILogger logger)
[19:59:40] [FTL] [1] Main: Error while starting server.
CannotOpen: SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException: unable to open database file
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException.Throw(Int32 rc, Int32 extended, String msg)
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException.CheckOk(sqlite3 db, Int32 rc)
   at SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteDatabaseConnectionBuilder.Build()
   at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.Routines.MigrateActivityLogDb.Perform()
   at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner.PerformMigrations(IMigrationRoutine[] migrations, MigrationOptions migrationOptions, Action`1 saveConfiguration, ILogger logger)
   at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner.Run(CoreAppHost host, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory)
   at Jellyfin.Server.Program.StartApp(StartupOptions options)
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Main: Running query planner optimizations in the database... This might take a while
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Disposing CoreAppHost
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Disposing MusicBrainzAlbumProvider
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Disposing SchedulesDirect
[19:59:40] [INF] [1] Emby.Server.Implementations.ApplicationHost: Disposing EmbyTV
[19:59:40] [INF] [2] Main: Received a SIGTERM signal, shutting down

FFmpeg logs

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Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[synt4x93]

I just encountered this on TrueNAS-SCALE-22.12.3.1 running jellyfin 10.8.10_1.0.6

CannotOpen: SQLitePCL.pretty.SQLiteException: unable to open database file

[pkylian]

To resolve the issue, since I use Proxmox on my server, I just installed Jellyfin server + web into a LXC container. For the moment it works fine.

[loginoff]

This is caused by having

<IsStartupWizardCompleted>true</IsStartupWizardCompleted>

in /etc/jellyfin/system.xml

Setting it to false will allow the server to start up.

[erky01]

Can someone give me a play by play on how to fix this please....im new at all this! Im having this issue

[srcrist]

Closing this issue as it is not apparent that there is a documented Jellyfin bug. The error suggests that the DB handler is unable to open a file, and the most likely culprit is a system or container configuration issue. Please feel free to visit the support communities on the forums or the Matrix/Discord server with help troubleshooting this issue.