SOLVED -- install fails on Fedora 39+

[FBachofner]

Ever since moving from Linux Mint to Fedora 39 (and in one case F40, beta) I can not get QOwnNotes to install.

I follow the either of the detailed instruction options (i.e. "config-manager" or "legacy"), attempt to install and promptly get an error message.

The error message begins:

error: Verifying a signature using certificate F2205FB121DF142B31450865A3BA514562A835DB (home:pbek OBS Project home:pbek@build.opensuse.org):

1. Certificiate A3BA514562A835DB invalid: certificate is not alive
   because: The primary key is not live
   because: Expired on 2023-12-05T16:47:00Z
2. Key A3BA514562A835DB invalid: key is not alive
   because: The primary key is not live
   because: Expired on 2023-12-05T16:47:00Z

This is followed by an apparently identical 2nd message (one seems to be for "qownnotes" the other for "qt5-qtwebsockets" )

Thanks in advance for ideas/help. In the meantime we have QON running as an appimage, but that is suboptimal due to concerns with staying updated.

Flatpak and (especially) Snap versions are not of interest to any of my users.

[pbek]

The Fedora builds are done on opensuse build service (OBS). Usually people remove and add the certificate again if there are problems.

[FBachofner]

Hello @pbek

I have this sorted on at least one upgraded F40 (Cinnamon DE) host.

Your instructions should ideally be updated to point out that the "TIP" -- "accept the repo key" instructions and "legacy" installs NOT necessarily use the folder with "Fedora_36" in the name but rather explicitly point out the user input the version of Fedora s/he is using. [ I accidentally glossed over this in my rush to get QOwnNotes working earlier. ]

Also, you will need to publish a Fedora 40 repository considering F40 was released today. As a consequence of the update, all "variable"-based paths such as http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbek:/QOwnNotes/Fedora_\$releasever do not currently resolve correctly.

Thanks for your excellent ongoing work with QOwnNotes! :-)

[pbek]

Would you care to suggest changes in a pull request, @FBachofner? I have not much experience with the ins and outs of Fedora. 😉

[FBachofner]

Hello @pbek

I would be glad to attempt this on the upcoming weekend Patrizio.

Beyond entering and responding to issues, I have precious little knowledge of how Github works, so it will be a learning experience!

Can a page be edited right in the browser or will I have to clone all or part of the repository to one of my machines?

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

Well, I decided I had a few moments and thus made the pull request right now as opposed to waiting for the weekend. It was remarkably straightforward to "fork" the project, edit fedora.md (from the website folder) in the browser and make the pull request.

I have only suggested very minor edits, but if you incorporate them you will definitely need to create the Fedora_40 repository (i.e. https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbek:/QOwnNotes/Fedora_/ ) so the links resolve properly.

[pbek]

Thank you!
Fedora 40 finally showed up on OBS! I've now added it too.

[pbek]

I guess we can close this now, can we?

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

I guess we can close this now, can we?

Sorry, no.

I just uninstalled QOwnNotes 24.3 and performed various other system cleanup tasks.

Then: sudo dnf install qownnotes which I expected would install 24.4

Result:

The GPG keys listed for the "repository for QOwnNotes (Fedora 40 - x86_64)" repository are already installed but they are not correct for this package.
Check that the correct key URLs are configured for this repository.. Failing package is: qownnotes-24.4.4-1.1.x86_64
GPG Keys are configured as: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbek:/QOwnNotes/Fedora_40/repodata/repomd.xml.key

[pbek]

Dunno, what are Fedora people doing in that case? 😊
Remove the old key and add the new? ️🤷🏻
Key-management is done by OBS directly. I don't create the keys.

[pbek]

Does this also happen on a fresh installation of Fedora?

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

Remove the old key and add the new? ️🤷🏻 Key-management is done by OBS directly. I don't create the keys.

I would if I could! ;-)

The key(s) is(are) not found anywhere in the "passwords and keys" app. gpg --list-keys also shows nothing. Same thing with gpg --list-secret-keys

This is an enigma to me.

[pbek]

This is what GPT-4 said 😊 :

The error message indicates that the GPG keys already installed on your system do not match the ones required for validating the QOwnNotes package you're attempting to install. This mismatch can happen for various reasons, such as an outdated key or a recent change in the repository's security setup.

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. Remove the existing GPG key

First, you may want to remove the existing, incorrect GPG key to avoid conflicts. However, finding and removing the exact key can be tricky, especially for beginners. If you're sure about which key to remove and its impact, you could use the rpm command to delete it, otherwise, it might be safer to proceed to the next steps, as adding the correct key should not be interfered with by the presence of the old one in many cases.

2. Import the new GPG key

You can manually import the correct GPG key for the QOwnNotes repository. The error message you provided contains the URL for the key. You can import this key using sudo rpm --import [KEY_URL], replacing [KEY_URL] with the actual URL.

In your case, you would run:

sudo rpm --import http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbek:/QOwnNotes/Fedora_40/repodata/repomd.xml.key

3. Clean DNF cache

Sometimes, your system's package manager cache can cause issues. Cleaning the cache can ensure that your system fetches the latest metadata from repositories. You can clean the DNF cache with the following command:

sudo dnf clean all

4. Try installing QOwnNotes again

Now that you have imported the correct GPG key and cleaned the cache, try installing QOwnNotes again:

sudo dnf install qownnotes

If you still encounter issues, there might be additional problems with the repository configuration or with the package itself. In such cases, consider checking the official QOwnNotes installation instructions for Fedora or seeking support from the QOwnNotes community. It’s also worth ensuring that your system is fully updated (sudo dnf update) in ca

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

Thanks for your efforts. I had tried all these things. The real problem seems to be that the wrong key is installed, but there is no way to see it and (therefore) no way to remove it.

I'll ask about this on one of the Fedora forums in a moment. Hopefully I can get help from someone with more expertise in Fedora than I seem to have.

I'll report back soon.

[pbek]

Or maybe it's a problem with OBS? 🤔

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

When you say OBS, do you somehow mean https://obsproject.com/ ? I don't have that on any machines currently . . .

I got interrupted last week and hope to finally inquire on the forums this weekend regarding expired keys which don't show up anywhere I expect to find them.

[pbek]

No, it's open build service, the repository you are downloading from 😁
https://openbuildservice.org/

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 30 days with no activity.

[FBachofner]

I don't have an answer for my non-cooperating machine yet, but I did once again successfully install the RPM version of QON on a brand new Fedora 40 machine yesterday.

[pbek]

Nice 😁

[FBachofner]

I ran into a similar problem with scrcpy (the "screen copy" program which can mirror Android devices on a computer screen) earlier this week.

Thanks to the excellent "troubleshooting" section of this COPR repository page, to fix my rpm key problem with QOwnNotes "I" came up with this slightly modified form:

sudo rpm -e $(rpm -q --qf "%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}\t%{SUMMARY}\n" gpg-pubkey | grep pbek | cut -f1)

as a possible (likely!) way to remove the hiding and incorrect key for QOwnNotes.

In a way different than I had attempted earlier, using command substitution (i.e. a nested command) this one-liner basically

1. queries -q in the specified "format" --qf ... all installed gpg public keys installed for the various repos on the system, showing the summary related to each key
2. these are each placed in a separate line \n and listed with their gpg-pubkey
3. "pbek" which is integral as a (likely unique) identifier is searched from the resulting list ... and
4. that line is cut down to the first "field" (i.e. before the single tab \t ) using cut-f1
5. so that the exact, (i.e. used) gpg public key for the QOwnNotes software is then passed . . .
6. to the "outer" command: sudo rpm -e . . . which "erases" the offending gpg-pubkey

Surprise: it worked. [ wasn't too worried as this system is not mission critical and Linuxes are so easy for me to reinstall if completely b0rked [ I was just trying to avoid a reinstall to fix this issue as it presented a great learning opportunity! ]

For those interested, a way to non-destructively test this command is to work your way from the inside out. I first tried:
rpm -q --queryformat "%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}\t%{SUMMARY}\n" gpg-pubkey just to see what was listed and that does nothing except provide a formatted list.

Then you could add the piped search parameter | grep pbeck

Finally you can add the piped "cut-by-field#1" | cut -f1

This ends up only showing something like

gpg-pubkey-62a835db-5d41b919

When you are satisfactorily convinced you will only be deleting the single "offending" key, drop the whole construct into the command substitution parenthetical in the sudo rpm "erase" command as shown above.

Now I just have to understand exactly why I can not see ALL installed keys (including those for rpm repos) on my system in other ways!

[FBachofner]

Hi @pbek

I have made a pull request with new additions to the fedora.md installation instruction file which incorporates my code above and links to the detailed explanation here (above)

Curiously (I am a GitHub newbie) this seems tto have been merged into my "fork" of the code and is not being pushed to your main branch.

How do I go about "pushing" this to you? Do I need to make another pull request and fork yours again?

[FBachofner]

OK, it looks like I figured out how to make a pull request to merge the changes in my downstream fork into your "main."

Hopefully you deem the additions to fedora.md worthwhile.

Thanks again for all your work on this remarkable project!

[FBachofner]

I now deem this SOLVED

Merging my suggestions to fedora.md will allow users will allow Fedora users to find this discussion if necessary.

[pbek]

Thank you!

[tim77]

QOwnNotes properly packaged and available in official Fedora repos for 4+ years https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/qownnotes
All the user needs to do is:

sudo dnf install qownnotes

Or install it in one click from the GNOME Software/Discover app.

[FBachofner]

Hi @tim77

All the user needs to do is:

Well, this is true, but:

1. Not everyone uses the (default) Gnome Fedora spin, so the software app may not be available
2. The version of QOwnNotes included in the Fedora repos seems to be at least one "patch"-version behind [ today, for example, Fedora wants to serve up 24.6.1-1 and Patrizio's "master" repository offers 24.6.3-1 ]
3. If I do install the Gnome Software app to install QON it forces me into the flatpak version of QOwnNotes (which I do not want, if at all possible!)
4. aspell dependency does not seem to be installed when using the Fedora repo

So, adding Patrizio's repo is certainly a good idea all around.

For less technically inclined users, your analysis certainly holds up pretty well.

[tim77]

1. Not everyone uses the (default) Gnome Fedora spin, so the software app may not be available

Don't know how you came in conclusion from my words that Gnome Fedora spin required for using QOwnNotes in Fedora. It's available in official repo for any spin. In fact I also mentioned "Discover" app which is used in KDE for installing and managing applications via GUI. You can also install it via CLI as I mentioned.

2. The version of QOwnNotes included in the Fedora repos seems to be at least one "patch"-version behind [ today, for example, Fedora wants to serve up 24.6.1-1 and Patrizio's "master" repository offers 24.6.3-1 ]

Not really. Fedora repo included latest 2.6.3 since day one it was released upstream (12 days ago). For non-Rawhide branches Fedora using regular QA process and even update should been tested before or wait for one week. You could always help with testing process and speedup this process.

https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/?packages=qownnotes

Also there is nothing critical in this minor updates. No CVE's or fatal issues. New QOwnNotes releases do very frequently. It's not two years outdated version or something in the end.

3. If I do install the Gnome Software app to install QON it forces me into the flatpak version of QOwnNotes (which I do not want, if at all possible!)

You don'n need Gnome Software app and installing flatpak version of QOwnNotes either for installing QOwnNotes from official repo. Please read par. 1.

Also you can install RPM version via Gnome Software:
https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/finding-and-installing-linux-applications/#_4_installation

4. aspell dependency does not seem to be installed when using the Fedora repo

This sounds like a bug which should reported RHBZ. Adding missing optional dependencies will be trivial.

---

Users and QOwnNotes upstream could benefit by using one build. Fedora entirely relies on upstream and always MUST work with upstream and trying to fix issues. No downstream patches. You can always join to package maintainers and help with updates, fixing bugs, etc.

• https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/package-maintainers/Staying_Close_to_Upstream_Projects/

[FBachofner]

Hi @tim77

Don't know how you came in conclusion from my words that Gnome Fedora spin required for using QOwnNotes in Fedora. It's available in official repo for any spin. In fact I also mentioned "Discover" app which is used in KDE for installing and managing applications via GUI. You can also install it via CLI as I mentioned.

I didn't come to that conclusion nor did I write that. You specifically called out Gnome; I did miss you referencing KDE's "Discover" -- sorry for that oversight.

On the computer where I had the problem, I am running Cinnamon DE. Unlike their Mint distro, Cinnamon DE on Fedora does not seem to come with a graphical software management app. I therefore first used the terminal to install QON and noticed it was not up to date.

Then I installed Gnome "Software" which yields only a flatpak, also out of date.

Then I installed Patrizio's repo.

That was some time ago, but I repeated it just the other day to see whether the scenario persisted. It does.

Not really. Fedora repo included latest 2.6.3 since day one it was released upstream (12 days ago). For non-Rawhide branches Fedora using regular QA process and even update should been tested before or wait for one week. You could always help with testing process and speedup this process.

This is interesting as it is not what I see when try to install.

Indeed, the official Fedora repo for QOwnNotes shows that 24.6.1 is active for Fedora 40 and 26.4.3 only for Fedora 41

https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/?packages=qownnotes

It looks like you are responsible for the 24.6.3 updates now in testing for Fedora 39 and 40. Indeed, you seem to be the packager for QOwnNotes on Fedora entire. Good on you!! Thank you!

I am thrilled others will continue to become exposed to this excellent software. I evangelize it all the time.

Also there is nothing critical in this minor updates. No CVE's or fatal issues. New QOwnNotes releases do very frequently. It's not two years outdated version or something in the end.

With this I fully agree. I just like to be on the most up-to-date release where possible.

You don'n need Gnome Software app and installing flatpak version of QOwnNotes either for installing QOwnNotes from official repo. Please read par. 1.

Also you can install RPM version via Gnome Software: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/finding-and-installing-linux-applications/#_4_installation

Already done. Please see above.

Your experience with QON versions seems to be different from mine. Perhaps you are on Fedora 41 alpha (or non-public beta) assuming those are already a "thing"

4. aspell dependency does not seem to be installed when using the Fedora repo

This sounds like a bug which should reported RHBZ. Adding missing optional dependencies will be trivial.

Users and QOwnNotes upstream could benefit by using one build. Fedora entirely relies on upstream and always MUST work with upstream and trying to fix issues. No downstream patches. You can always join to package maintainers and help with updates, fixing bugs, etc.

* https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/package-maintainers/Staying_Close_to_Upstream_Projects/

These are very useful resources. Thank you.

I have just created a Redhat Bugzilla account and posted this as a new bug.

Hopefully I did it correctly. :-)