error: nothing to repeat

[lordsauronthegreat@…]

How to Reproduce

While doing a POST operation on /discussion/1/2, Trac issued an internal error.

Whenever submitting a post for my site it does this. It's fine on previews though. I noticed that it redirects after the post submission to the same preview location. It can't preview a post, since we're not making one, can we? So there in lies the issue...

I'm not up on Python, otherwise I'd fix it myself rather than trouble you.

Request parameters:

{'__EDITOR__1': u'textarea',
 '__FORM_TOKEN': u'a14c32e19f8f823123f04d6d',
 'author': u'lordsauron',
 'body': u"A base, [source:Ty/Chequebook/trunk/src/myshell2.d dummy GUI] now works.  If you compile it with the DMD Snapshot you should get a blank (but present!) GUI.  I have yet to write in all the action events and things that make button clicks do things, but there's a GUI there.",
 'discussion_action': u'post-add',
 'forum': u'1',
 'message': u'6',
 'submit': u'Submit changes',
 'topic': u'2'}

User Agent was: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9b5) Gecko/2008032620 Firefox/3.0b5

System Information

Trac	0.11dev-r6811
Python	2.5.1 (r251:54863, Mar 18 2008, 19:18:55) [GCC 3.3.5 (Debian 1:3.3.5-13)]
setuptools	0.6c7
MySQL	server: "5.0.24a-standard-log", client: "5.0.16", thread-safe: 1
MySQLdb	1.2.2
Genshi	0.5dev-r818
Pygments	0.9
Subversion	1.4.6 (r28521)
jQuery:	1.2.3

Python Traceback

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/web/main.py", line 417, in _dispatch_request
    dispatcher.dispatch(req)
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/web/main.py", line 197, in dispatch
    resp = chosen_handler.process_request(req)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/core.py", line 77, in process_request
    return api.process_discussion(context) + (None,)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/api.py", line 48, in process_discussion
    is_moderator)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/api.py", line 679, in _do_action
    notifier = DiscussionNotifyEmail(self.env)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/notification.py", line 25, in __init__
    NotifyEmail.__init__(self, env)
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/notification.py", line 181, in __init__
    self.shortaddr_re = re.compile(r'%s$' % addrfmt)
  File "/home/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/re.py", line 180, in compile
    return _compile(pattern, flags)
  File "/home/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/re.py", line 233, in _compile
    raise error, v # invalid expression
error: nothing to repeat

I should add that my site runs using CGI, not mod_python or any of those other lovely tools that only the expensive web hosts get.

[Radek Bartoň]

I'm not sure that I understand how did you evoke this error. Did you used standard web UI or some kind of script?

Following the backtrace told me error is somewhere between recieving request and creating NotifyEmail object from environment which are Trac internals. So either plugin messed up an environment somehow or it's problem of Trac itself or usage.

Are there some more informations in ​log?

[lordsauronthegreat@…]

Well, I think that the problem is that when a user previews before posting, it sends him to a url like discussion/1/1/#preview When the user finally submits the post, it does submit the post, but it tries to redirect the user to the last visited URL, which is the same one, still with the #preview part. If I take that error page and cut the #preview part out of the URL, it works fine. I'm guessing that it's an issue with my running it through CGI, a necessary evil because of my two-bit web host. Normally I'd run it through mod_python like the rest of the civilized world.

I would supply some logs, but a cronjob wiped it so there's nothing there.

[Radek Bartoň]

I studied related Trac code and noticed that error is caused when compiling regular expression for correct e-mail format checking during notification. Possible source of problems could be setting of admit_domains configuration variable. Why this occurs only when request contains #preview is mystery to me. In mod_python or tracd environment reuqested path doesn't contain anchors (they are visible only for user agent) but I don't know how's that in CGI. But to support your supposition try to apply attached patch if it helps. If it does it won't be the explanation. If it doesn't I would appreciate to see debug log to know exactly what course of actions is causing the error. Seeing trac.ini configuration about notification may help too.

[Radek Bartoň]

Possible fix.

[lordsauronthegreat@…]

Here's the error (which repeated after the patch) in the log file:

2008-04-08 12:20:29,971 Trac[main] ERROR: nothing to repeat
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/web/main.py", line 417, in _dispatch_request
    dispatcher.dispatch(req)
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/web/main.py", line 197, in dispatch
    resp = chosen_handler.process_request(req)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/core.py", line 78, in process_request
    return api.process_discussion(context) + (None,)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/api.py", line 48, in process_discussion
    is_moderator)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/api.py", line 680, in _do_action
    notifier = DiscussionNotifyEmail(self.env)
  File "build/bdist.linux-i686/egg/tracdiscussion/notification.py", line 25, in __init__
    NotifyEmail.__init__(self, env)
  File "/home/.marie/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/site-packages/Trac-0.11dev_r6811-py2.5.egg/trac/notification.py", line 181, in __init__
    self.shortaddr_re = re.compile(r'%s$' % addrfmt)
  File "/home/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/re.py", line 180, in compile
    return _compile(pattern, flags)
  File "/home/fsdev/packages/lib/python2.5/re.py", line 233, in _compile
    raise error, v # invalid expression
error: nothing to repeat
2008-04-08 12:21:21,510 Trac[loader] WARNING: Skipping "spamfilter.ip_blacklist = tracspamfilter.filters.ip_blacklist [dns]": ("dnspython>=1.3.5" not found)
2008-04-08 12:21:21,553 Trac[loader] WARNING: Skipping "spamfilter.captcha.image = tracspamfilter.captcha.image [pil]": ("pil" not found)
2008-04-08 12:21:21,595 Trac[loader] WARNING: Skipping "spamfilter.bayes = tracspamfilter.filters.bayes [spambayes]": ("spambayes" not found)
2008-04-08 12:21:21,964 Trac[loader] WARNING: Skipping "trac.mimeview.txtl = trac.mimeview.txtl [textile]": ("textile>=2.0" not found)
2008-04-08 12:21:23,993 Trac[main] WARNING: 404 Not Found (No handler matched request to /internal_error.html)

And here's the trac.ini

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

[account-manager]
password_file = /not/giving/out
password_format = htpasswd
password_store = HtPasswdStore

[attachment]
max_size = 25000000
render_unsafe_content = false

[browser]
color_scale = True
downloadable_paths = /trunk, /branches/*, /tags/*
hide_properties = svk:merge
intermediate_color = 
intermediate_point = 
newest_color = (255, 136, 136)
oldest_color = (136, 136, 255)
oneliner_properties = trac:summary
render_unsafe_content = false
wiki_properties = trac:description

[changeset]
max_diff_bytes = 10000000
max_diff_files = 0
wiki_format_messages = true

[components]
acct_mgr.* = enabled
blackmagic.blackmagic.tickettweaks = disabled
ctxtnavadd.web_ui.ctxtnavaddmodule = enabled
goodies.entities.entities = enabled
goodies.mailto.mailtolink = enabled
goodies.mozilla.mozilla = enabled
goodies.smileys.smileys = enabled
goodies.symbols.symbols = enabled
goodies.unc_paths.uncpathlink = enabled
htgroups.htgroups.htgroups = enabled
iniadmin.iniadmin.iniadminplugin = enabled
irclogs.irclogsplugin = disabled
pydotorgtheme.theme.pydotorgtheme = enabled
svnauthz.svnauthz.svnauthzplugin = enabled
themeengine.admin.themeadminmodule = enabled
themeengine.api.themeenginesystem = enabled
themeengine.web_ui.themeenginemodule = enabled
trac.web.auth.loginmodule = disabled
tracdiscussion.admin.discussionwebadmin = enabled
tracdiscussion.api.discussionapi = enabled
tracdiscussion.core.discussioncore = enabled
tracdiscussion.init.discussioninit = enabled
tracdiscussion.search.discussionsearch = enabled
tracdiscussion.timeline.discussiontimeline = enabled
tracdiscussion.wiki.discussionwiki = enabled
trachacks.web_ui.trachacksaccountmanager = disabled
trachacks.web_ui.trachackshandler = disabled
tracspamfilter.adapters.attachmentfilteradapter = enabled
tracspamfilter.adapters.ticketfilteradapter = enabled
tracspamfilter.adapters.wikifilteradapter = enabled
tracspamfilter.admin.akismetadminpageprovider = enabled
tracspamfilter.admin.bayesadminpageprovider = enabled
tracspamfilter.admin.spamfilteradminpageprovider = enabled
tracspamfilter.api.filtersystem = enabled
tracspamfilter.captcha.api.captchasystem = disabled
tracspamfilter.filters.akismet.akismetfilterstrategy = enabled
tracspamfilter.filters.extlinks.externallinksfilterstrategy = enabled
tracspamfilter.filters.ip_throttle.ipthrottlefilterstrategy = enabled
tracspamfilter.filters.regex.regexfilterstrategy = enabled
tracspamfilter.filters.session.sessionfilterstrategy = enabled
tractags.api.tagsystem = disabled
tractags.macros.listtaggedmacro = disabled
tractags.macros.tagcloudmacro = disabled
tractags.model.tagmodelprovider = disabled
tractags.ticket.tickettagprovider = disabled
tractags.web_ui.tagrequesthandler = disabled
tractags.web_ui.tagtemplateprovider = disabled
tractags.wiki.tagwikisyntaxprovider = disabled
tractags.wiki.wikitaginterface = disabled
tractags.wiki.wikitagprovider = disabled
tractoc.macro.tocmacro = enabled
tractrail.trail.userbasemodule = enabled
tracusermanager.account.admin_um.accountusermanagerpanel = enabled
tracusermanager.admin.usermanagementadminpage = enabled
tracusermanager.api.environmentfixknownusers = enabled
tracusermanager.api.sessionattributeprovider = enabled
tracusermanager.api.sessionuserstore = enabled
tracusermanager.api.usermanager = enabled
tracusermanager.permissions.admin_um.permissionusermanagerpanel = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.admin.userprofilefieldsadminpage = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.admin_um.userprofileusermanagerpanel = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.api.userprofilemanager = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.macros.defaultuserprofileslistcellcontributor = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.macros.teamrostermacro = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.macros.userprofileslistmacro = enabled
tracusermanager.profile.prefs.userprofilemodule = enabled
tracwysiwyg.templateprovider = enabled
tracwysiwyg.wysiwygwikifilter = enabled
webadmin.* = enabled

[discussion]
title = Forum

[header_logo]
alt = 
height = -1
link = http://www.fsdev.net/
src = /site/logo.png
width = -1

[inherit]
plugins_dir = 
templates_dir = 

[logging]
log_file = trac_log
log_level = INFO
log_type = file

[milestone]
stats_provider = DefaultTicketGroupStatsProvider

[mimeviewer]
enscript_modes = text/x-dylan:dylan:4
enscript_path = enscript
max_preview_size = 262144
mime_map = text/x-dylan:dylan,text/x-dsrc:d:di,text/x-idl:ice,text/x-ada:ads:adb
php_path = php
pygments_default_style = borland
pygments_modes = 
tab_width = 4

[notification]
admit_domains = *
always_notify_owner = true
always_notify_reporter = true
always_notify_updater = true
ignore_domains = 
mime_encoding = base64
smtp_always_bcc = 
smtp_always_cc = 
smtp_default_domain = fsdev.net
smtp_enabled = false
smtp_from = noreply@fsdev.net
smtp_from_name = noreply
smtp_password = not_giving_out
smtp_port = 25
smtp_replyto = dev@null.com
smtp_server = mail.fsdev.net
smtp_subject_prefix = __default__
smtp_user = retro-bot@dev.fsdev.net
ticket_subject_template = $prefix #$ticket.id: $summary
use_public_cc = false
use_short_addr = false
use_tls = false

[project]
admin = 
descr = Firestorm Development Group International
footer = © 2008 Firestorm Development Group International.  All Rights Reserved.
icon = /site/favicon.ico
name = FSDEV
url = 

[query]
default_anonymous_query = status!=closed&cc~=$USER
default_query = status!=closed&owner=$USER

[revisionlog]
default_log_limit = 100

[roadmap]
stats_provider = DefaultTicketGroupStatsProvider

[search]
min_query_length = 3

[spam-filter]
akismet_api_key = not_telling_you
akismet_api_url = rest.akismet.com/1.1/
extlinks_karma = 2
ip_throttle_karma = 3
logging_enabled = true
min_karma = 3
purge_age = 7
regex_karma = 5
session_karma = 9

[svn]
branches = trunk,branches/*
tags = tags/*

[theme]
theme = PyDotOrg

[ticket]
default_component = 
default_milestone = 
default_priority = normal
default_resolution = fixed
default_type = defect
default_version = 
max_description_size = 262144
preserve_newlines = default
restrict_owner = true
workflow = ConfigurableTicketWorkflow

[ticket-workflow]
accept = new,assigned,accepted,reopened -> accepted
accept.operations = set_owner_to_self
accept.permissions = TICKET_MODIFY
leave = * -> *
leave.default = 1
leave.operations = leave_status
reassign = new,assigned,accepted,reopened -> assigned
reassign.operations = set_owner
reassign.permissions = TICKET_MODIFY
reopen = closed -> reopened
reopen.operations = del_resolution
reopen.permissions = TICKET_CREATE
resolve = new,assigned,accepted,reopened -> closed
resolve.operations = set_resolution
resolve.permissions = TICKET_MODIFY

[timeline]
abbreviated_messages = true
changeset_collapse_events = false
changeset_long_messages = false
changeset_show_files = 0
default_daysback = 30
max_daysback = 90
newticket_formatter = oneliner
ticket_show_details = false

[trac]
authz_file = /not/giving/out
authz_module_name = 
auto_reload = False
base_url = http://www.fsdev.net/
check_auth_ip = true
database = mysql://rails:ipitythefool@obfuscated.fsdev.net/testing
default_charset = iso-8859-15
htdocs_location = 
ignore_auth_case = false
mainnav = wiki,discussion,timeline,roadmap,browser,revtree,tickets,newticket,downloader,search
metanav = login,logout,prefs,help,about
permission_policies = DefaultPermissionPolicy, LegacyAttachmentPolicy
permission_store = DefaultPermissionStore
repository_dir = /not/giving/out
repository_type = svn
show_email_addresses = false
timeout = 20
use_base_url_for_redirect = false

[um_profile-custom]
chat-icq = text
chat-icq.cols = 
chat-icq.internal = 0
chat-icq.label = ICQ
chat-icq.order = 3
chat-icq.rows = 
chat-irc = text
chat-irc.cols = 
chat-irc.internal = 0
chat-irc.label = IRC
chat-irc.order = 2
chat-irc.rows = 
chat-msn = text
chat-msn.cols = 
chat-msn.internal = 0
chat-msn.label = MSN
chat-msn.order = 1
chat-msn.rows = 
chat-xfire = text
chat-xfire.cols = 
chat-xfire.internal = 0
chat-xfire.label = XFire
chat-xfire.order = 4
chat-xfire.rows = 
contact-phone = text
contact-phone.cols = 
contact-phone.internal = 1
contact-phone.label = Phone #
contact-phone.order = 5
contact-phone.rows = 
kw = select
kw.cols = 
kw.internal = 1
kw.label = Kingdom Wars
kw.options = true|false
kw.order = 6
kw.rows = 
kw.value = false

[wiki]
ignore_missing_pages = false
render_unsafe_content = false
split_page_names = false

I have sanitized the trac.ini to remove sensitive information (passwords, important file locations, etc).

[Radek Bartoň]

Here we are. You have admit_domains = * and it is directly passed to regular expression which is uncomplete then. According to documentation it can be only list.

Comma-separated list of domains that should be considered as valid for email addresses (such as localdomain)

[lordsauronthegreat@…]

Ah... sorry for the trouble, I didn't know that.

Thank you so much for the help! If I knew enough Python I'd try to repay you with some code help, but all I'd do is make a big mess so I'll stay away.