Rocketchat root_url issue?

[izrunas]

When trying to configure rocketchat, eGroupWare tells me it cannot connect. If I use the direct-URL method, I get the error:

Proxy Error
The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
The proxy server could not handle the request GET /rocketchat/.
 
Reason: Error reading from remote server

On the docker log side, I get this:

 Error: $ROOT_URL, if specified, must be an URL
     at packages/meteor.js:1328:13
     at packages/meteor.js:1343:4
     at packages/meteor.js:1508:3
     at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:398:38
     at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
     at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:226:21
     at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:461:7
     at Function.run (/app/bundle/programs/server/profile.js:280:14)
     at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:460:13
 Tried 15 times. Waiting 5 secs...

Yet, if I look at the compose file, I have set the URL:

[root@portal ~]# grep -ir "ROOT_URL" /etc/*
 /etc/egroupware-rocketchat/docker-compose.yml:    # IMPORTANT: change ROOT_URL to your actual url eg. https://domain.com/rocketchat
 /etc/egroupware-rocketchat/docker-compose.yml:      - ROOT_URL=http://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat

Am I missing something obvious? I have combed the documentation, this forum and the general Internet…

Oh, yes… here’s my “docker ps -a”:

[root@portal ~]# docker ps -a
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                                     COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS                         PORTS                      NAMES
270796e734e2        mongo:4.0                                 "docker-entrypoint.s…"   About an hour ago   Exited (0) About an hour ago                              egroupware-rocketchat_mongo-init-replica_1
db6332c2b28a        rocketchat/rocket.chat:latest             "bash -c 'for i in `…"   About an hour ago   Up 2 minutes                   127.0.0.1:3000->3000/tcp   rocketchat
ecc2122a7bf8        mongo:4.0                                 "docker-entrypoint.s…"   About an hour ago   Up 26 minutes                  27017/tcp                  rocketchat-mongo
3cc7b556889e        nginx:stable-alpine                       "nginx -g 'daemon of…"   2 hours ago         Up 26 minutes                  127.0.0.1:8080->80/tcp     egroupware-nginx
bd850e6ba921        containrrr/watchtower                     "/watchtower --sched…"   2 hours ago         Up 26 minutes                                             egroupware-watchtower
e0ad8e7f214d        egroupware/egroupware:latest              "/entrypoint.sh php-…"   2 hours ago         Up 26 minutes                  9000/tcp                   egroupware
7aad267bc392        quay.io/egroupware/collabora-key:stable   "/bin/sh -c 'bash st…"   2 hours ago         Up 26 minutes                  127.0.0.1:9980->9980/tcp   collabora-key

I am running a brand new v19 installation on a CentOS 8 host.

Thank you!

[AlexS]

Hello izrunas,

The first thing I would check is the rocketchat log and the URL rocketchat uses:

docker logs -f rocketchat

If your settings from the docker-compose.yml are not applied you could also delete the container so that it will be generated again correctly:

docker rm -f rocketchat

docker-compose up -d

What I see additionally is that your URL starts with http and not with https. I am not sure if this works without further configuration.

Best regards

Alex

[izrunas]

Alex,

Thank you for replying. Sorry I was not more clear before, when I run:

docker logs -f rocketchat

I get this over and over in the log:

/app/bundle/programs/server/node_modules/fibers/fibers.js:90
                                        return fn.apply(this, arguments);
                                                  ^

Error: $ROOT_URL, if specified, must be an URL
    at packages/meteor.js:1328:13
    at packages/meteor.js:1343:4
    at packages/meteor.js:1508:3
    at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:398:38
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:226:21
    at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:461:7
    at Function.run (/app/bundle/programs/server/profile.js:280:14)
    at /app/bundle/programs/server/boot.js:460:13
Tried 29 times. Waiting 5 secs...

Per your suggestion, I have changed the link in my docker-compose.yml for rocketchat to be:

- ROOT_URL=https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat

Then, I regenerated the rocketchat docker as you suggested:

[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker rm -f rocketchat
rocketchat
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker-compose up -d
rocketchat-mongo is up-to-date
Starting egroupware-rocketchat_mongo-init-replica_1 ... done
Creating rocketchat                                 ... done

Then, I re-ran the log command:

[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker logs -f rocketchat
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
Setting default file store to GridFS
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
Setting default file store to GridFS
ufs: temp directory created at "/tmp/ufs"
Loaded the Apps Framework and loaded a total of 0 Apps!
Using GridFS for custom sounds storage
Using GridFS for custom emoji storage
Updating process.env.MAIL_URL
Browserslist: caniuse-lite is outdated. Please run next command `npm update`
➔ System ➔ startup
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+
➔ |                       SERVER RUNNING                       |
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+
➔ |                                                            |
➔ |  Rocket.Chat Version: 3.2.2                                |
➔ |       NodeJS Version: 12.16.1 - x64                        |
➔ |      MongoDB Version: 4.0.18                               |
➔ |       MongoDB Engine: mmapv1                               |
➔ |             Platform: linux                                |
➔ |         Process Port: 3000                                 |
➔ |             Site URL: https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat  |
➔ |     ReplicaSet OpLog: Enabled                              |
➔ |          Commit Hash: a720d25f4e                           |
➔ |        Commit Branch: HEAD                                 |
➔ |                                                            |
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+

And the server now runs! BUT when I go to https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat/, the configuration screen comes up-- yet it is rapidly “blinking” in and out between a readable screen and a grey one. I tried to fill in the fields despite the blinking, but I could not even select a field to complete, let alone type anything into them.

Perhaps I am again missing something basic in configuration, but how do I resolve the “blinking configuration screen” issue?

Thank you!

PS: I tried to upload a short mp4 of the “blinking screen” but I’m too new a user to be allowed.

[AlexS]

Hello izrunas,
you could close all windows, clear the browser - cache and try again. Additionally if this does not help, you could start over with a clean mongo-db, as described here:

Reset RocketChat Database

This will delete all settings.
Good look and
Best regards
Alex

[izrunas]

Hi Alex, thank you for your reply.

I did both things you suggested, but the blinking continued. I did have to use an additional command to the ones listed in the post you linked in your reply…

[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker-compose stop
Stopping rocketchat       ... done
Stopping rocketchat-mongo ... done
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker volume ls | grep mongo
local               egroupware-rocketchat_mongo
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker volume rm egroupware-rocketchat_mongo
Error response from daemon: remove egroupware-rocketchat_mongo: volume is in use - [ecc2122a7bf84578a14008e9d73f59b7aeaa8a82903ecb851988ee03fe94c4cd]
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker-compose down --volumes
Removing rocketchat                                 ... done
Removing egroupware-rocketchat_mongo-init-replica_1 ... done
Removing rocketchat-mongo                           ... done
Removing network egroupware-rocketchat_default
Removing volume egroupware-rocketchat_mongo
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker volume rm egroupware-rocketchat_mongo
Error: No such volume: egroupware-rocketchat_mongo
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker volume ls | grep mongo
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker volume ls
DRIVER              VOLUME NAME
local               6b8e9a14eb2dc8f79a22cb0fd0e15d8e45491aa3540f69eae6e63b1ae708276f
local               71475092f72effe3d109d1e0c350f2a6c8e56d6e7e78accf329e0bb5c137adb4
local               egroupware-docker_data
local               egroupware-docker_extra
local               egroupware-docker_sources
local               f80c32f1324427d2a8915348d3d5e2e12d3b924bb5d59e6e2c9fd6c1bc6a2ac4
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker-compose up -d
Creating network "egroupware-rocketchat_default" with the default driver
Creating volume "egroupware-rocketchat_mongo" with default driver
Creating rocketchat-mongo ... done
Creating egroupware-rocketchat_mongo-init-replica_1 ... done
Creating rocketchat                                 ... done
[root@portal egroupware-rocketchat]# docker logs -f rocketchat
Setting default file store to GridFS
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
LocalStore: store created at
Setting default file store to GridFS
ufs: temp directory created at "/tmp/ufs"
Loaded the Apps Framework and loaded a total of 0 Apps!
Using GridFS for custom sounds storage
Using GridFS for custom emoji storage
Updating process.env.MAIL_URL
Browserslist: caniuse-lite is outdated. Please run next command `npm update`
➔ System ➔ startup
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+
➔ |                       SERVER RUNNING                       |
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+
➔ |                                                            |
➔ |  Rocket.Chat Version: 3.2.2                                |
➔ |       NodeJS Version: 12.16.1 - x64                        |
➔ |      MongoDB Version: 4.0.18                               |
➔ |       MongoDB Engine: mmapv1                               |
➔ |             Platform: linux                                |
➔ |         Process Port: 3000                                 |
➔ |             Site URL: https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat  |
➔ |     ReplicaSet OpLog: Enabled                              |
➔ |          Commit Hash: a720d25f4e                           |
➔ |        Commit Branch: HEAD                                 |
➔ |                                                            |
➔ +------------------------------------------------------------+

So, I am certain I have a virgin database and whatnot.

I tried using both a fully updated Firefox and Chrome-- same problem on both. I have also tried using other computers, both Windows 10 and CentOS 8.

The blinking is behaving much like a continuous “reload” of the page was being executed.

But, the flashing screen continues… Any other ideas?

[RalfBecker]

Any other ideas?

You look in the wrong direction, the blinking is only a symptom of the OAuth login not working!

Blinking happens because EGroupware tries to automatic log you in, if that fails it tries again and again …

So for diagnosing the problem it makes sense to ignore that for now and open Rocket.Chat in it’s own Browser window using it’s URL: https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat/

Now you need to start looking for the real cause of the failed OAuth authentication:

1. Log in both EGroupware and Rocket.Chat with the admin account you used for the first login, compare your settings with each other and our instructions.
2. enable the OAuth request log in EGroupware > Admin > OpenID / OAuth server > Request log and watch for error messages
3. open the internal EGroupware Nginx log and watch for PHP Fatal errors
4. open you hosts access log and watch for requests with HTTP status 500

Ralf

[RalfBecker]

Failed to state the obvious, to check the logs (item 2. - 4.) you need to click on [EGroupware users click here] to trigger an OAuth Login and when redirected to EGroupware login page log in there.

Ralf

[izrunas]

So for diagnosing the problem it makes sense to ignore that for now and open Rocket.Chat in it’s own Browser window using it’s URL: https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat/

Therein is the issue. I can neither log in directly nor indirectly to https://portal.REDACTED.net/rocketchat/ because of the “blinking.” I have never been able to complete the configuration wizard in Rocket.Chat, so there are no settings to compare.

[RalfBecker]

I have never been able to complete the configuration wizard in Rocket.Chat

Then you can only start over as described in my post already mentioned by Alex.

Ralf

[izrunas]

Hi Ralf,

I have “started over” multiple times. In fact, I have even gone as far as wiping the server’s hard drive and restarting from scratch.

I followed the instructions provided for CentOS 8 installation, as listed at https://computingforgeeks.com/install-egroupware-ce-software-on-centos-linux/

So, to be clear… When I install a fresh copy of eGroupware 19 on a freshly installed CentOS 8 server ("minimal install, with eGroupware required packages added)… this problem recurs.

Am I missing something? I change the rocketchat docker-compose.yml file only to specify the fully resolvable https address, then I try to go to the rocketchat configuration page outside of egroupware.

Thank you in advance for further advice you may offer.

[RalfBecker]

Hi,

I run into a couple of similar issues in past support cases, caused by all sorts of things:

• email address used for two different accounts
• Rocket.Chat container can not talk to EGroupware container (and visa versa), because firewall does not allow from the container / host itself to access the external address
• problem with the Docker daemon configuration (eg. 172.17+ IP address ranged already used internally)

Only thing I can offer is to buy a support budget (https://www.egroupware.org/en/egroupware-support/) and I have a look.

Ralf