[rdiff-backup-users] Error reading from pipe (problem probably originated remotely)

[Linda Markowsky]

I've been using rdiff-backup for months (currently using 0.6.0-1), 
but my remote backup no longer works. Just after asking for my password,
rdiff-backup prints the following error message:

Resuming aborted backup dated Tue Jun  3 11:11:40 2003
Exception iteration over non-sequence raised of class exceptions.TypeError
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4463, in patch_increment_and_finalize
    try: dsrp = cls.check_skip_error(error_checked)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4473, in check_skip_error
    try: return thunk()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4457, in error_checked
    ITR(indexed_tuple)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 526, in __call__
    self.process_w_subreducer(indexed_elem)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 480, in process_w_subreducer
    if not self.subreducer(indexed_elem):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 526, in __call__
    self.process_w_subreducer(indexed_elem)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 480, in process_w_subreducer
    if not self.subreducer(indexed_elem):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 512, in __call__
    self.state.base_init_val = self.base_init(indexed_elem)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3786, in base_init
    else: return init_non_dir(dsrp, diff_rorp, incpref)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3823, in init_non_dir
    incpref),
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3702, in Increment_action
    else: return Inc.makesnapshot_action(mirror, incpref)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3715, in makesnapshot_action
    snapshotrp = Inc.get_inc_ext(incpref, "snapshot")
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3750, in get_inc_ext
    inctime = Resume.FindTime(rp.index, inctime)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3023, in FindTime
    for si in cls.get_sis_covering_index(index):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 3039, in get_sis_covering_index
    cls._session_info_list)

Exception  raised of class exceptions.AssertionError
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2695, in execute
    self.final_thunk()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2718, in final
    for ra in robust_action_list: ra.final_thunk()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2935, in touch_last_file
    cls._last_file_sym.touch()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2470, in touch
    assert self.isreg()

Sending back exception: 
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1786, in answer_request
    try: result = apply(eval(request.function_string), argument_list)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4466, in patch_increment_and_finalize
    except: cls.handle_last_error(dsrp, finalizer, ITR)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4491, in handle_last_error
    if ITR: SaveState.checkpoint_inc_backup(ITR, finalizer, dsrp, 1)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2977, in checkpoint_inc_backup
    state_string),
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 2699, in execute
    raise exp

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 5099, in ?
    Globals.Main.Main()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4843, in Main
    self.take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4819, in take_action
    elif self.action == "backup": self.Backup(rps[0], rps[1])
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4873, in Backup
    HighLevel.Mirror_and_increment(rpin, rpout, self.incdir, RSI)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4267, in Mirror_and_increment
    DestS.patch_increment_and_finalize(dest_rpath, diffiter, inc_rpath)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1878, in __call__
    return apply(self.connection.reval, (self.name,) + args)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1817, in reval
    if isinstance(result, Exception): raise result
AssertionError
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 5099, in ?
    Globals.Main.Main()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4843, in Main
    self.take_action(rps)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 4818, in take_action
    PipeConnection(sys.stdin, sys.stdout).Server()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1802, in Server
    self.get_response(-1)
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1769, in get_response
    try: req_num, object = self._get()
  File "/usr/bin/rdiff-backup", line 1683, in _get
    assert len(header_string) == 9, \
AssertionError: Error reading from pipe (problem probably originated remotely)

My on-site backup still works fine, and as far as I can tell,
my on-site and remote backups are set up identically -- same versions
of rdiff, rdiff-backup, and python.

Does anyone know what is causing this error and how I might resolve it?
Thank you.

L. Markowsky
address@hidden