Syslog file flooded with systemd-timesyncd and frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'

[Willem (Will van Gemert)]

• Platform information:
  • Hardware: rPi4 4MbRAM/ 32Gb sd
  • OS: Obenhabian
  • openHAB version: 3.3

I did a fresh install off the latest version of Openhabian used the latest stable version and flashed it to SD.
First thing I did was checking the syslog files before anything else.
The syslog is flooded with time sync’s and the system tried to start fronttail numerous times but it exits with an error code. Below is a part of the syslog file.

Aug 20 19:17:11 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Aug 20 19:17:11 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Aug 20 19:17:11 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
Aug 20 19:17:11 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:11 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:959
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:   throw err;
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:   ^
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: Error: Cannot find module 'cookie'
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: Require stack:
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: - /opt/frontail/index.js
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: - /opt/frontail/bin/frontail
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Function.Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:956:15)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:804:27)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1028:19)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:102:18)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Object.<anonymous> (/opt/frontail/index.js:3:16)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1126:14)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1180:10)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1004:32)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:839:12)
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:     at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1028:19) {
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:   code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]:   requireStack: [ '/opt/frontail/index.js', '/opt/frontail/bin/frontail' ]
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian frontail[1111]: }
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 4.
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:12 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopping Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-timesyncd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Starting Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:959
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:   throw err;
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:   ^
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: Error: Cannot find module 'cookie'
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: Require stack:
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: - /opt/frontail/index.js
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: - /opt/frontail/bin/frontail
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Function.Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:956:15)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:804:27)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1028:19)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:102:18)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Object.<anonymous> (/opt/frontail/index.js:3:16)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1126:14)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1180:10)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1004:32)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:839:12)
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:     at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1028:19) {
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:   code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]:   requireStack: [ '/opt/frontail/index.js', '/opt/frontail/bin/frontail' ]
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian frontail[1118]: }
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Failed to start Frontail openHAB instance, reachable at http://openhabian:9001.
Aug 20 19:17:13 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:14 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopping Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:15 openhabian CRON[1153]: (root) CMD (   cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Aug 20 19:17:18 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-timesyncd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:18 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:18 openhabian systemd[1]: Starting Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:19 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:19 openhabian systemd-timesyncd[1166]: Initial synchronization to time server 212.45.144.206:123 (0.debian.pool.ntp.org).
Aug 20 19:17:19 openhabian kernel: [   31.831493] cam-dummy-reg: disabling
Aug 20 19:17:22 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopping Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:22 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-timesyncd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:22 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:22 openhabian systemd[1]: Starting Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:23 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:23 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-fsckd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:29 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopping Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:29 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-timesyncd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:29 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:29 openhabian systemd[1]: Starting Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:30 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:30 openhabian systemd-timesyncd[1229]: Initial synchronization to time server 212.45.144.88:123 (0.debian.pool.ntp.org).
Aug 20 19:17:32 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-hostnamed.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:37 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopping Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:37 openhabian systemd[1]: systemd-timesyncd.service: Succeeded.
Aug 20 19:17:37 openhabian systemd[1]: Stopped Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:37 openhabian systemd[1]: Starting Network Time Synchronization...
Aug 20 19:17:38 openhabian systemd[1]: Started Network Time Synchronization.
Aug 20 19:17:38 openhabian systemd-timesyncd[1280]: Initial synchronization to time server 212.45.144.206:123 (0.debian.pool.ntp.org).

The Pi can not be the problem as it runs flawless on version 3.2.

Am I doing something wrong or might ther be a problem with the current stable version of openhabian?
With kind regards,
Will van Gemert

[Wolfgang_S]

@Willem

frontail.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'

same frontail problem is reported in this thread:

OH 3.3.0 Frontail not Starting after fresh installation

Hey, I recently had a few problems with my openhab installation. So i decided to do a fresh installation and use everything i learned in the last years to make an even better smarthome. I downloaded the latest openhab version (openHABian v1.7.4b) for raspberry pi, used balena etcher to burn the image on a sd-card and let the raspberry alone with the card and network connected. after the installation process openhab started on openhabian:8080 but nothing to see on openhabian:9001. I tried thi…

[Willem (Will van Gemert)]

Thanks Wolfgang,
I hadn’t found that thread as I was at first more focussed on the timesync issue.
For know I will revert back to stable running version 3.2 as this OH instance is running abroad in my holliday house. As I always try to run the latest stable version I updated the system thru sudo apt update/upgrade last week after arival but that made the Pi crash upon reboot not during installation, everything kept running without errors up to the moment I rebooted the system. That was the reason I tried a fresh rebuild of 3.3. I now think the two are related (tried update/upgrade of 3.2 twice with exactly the same result) have no time to investigate as holliday comes to an end. I will follow the thread you mentioned.
Regards Will

[mstormi (Markus Storm)]

@Willem

For know I will revert back to stable running version 3.2 as this OH instance is running abroad

Note that issues with the OS (openhabian) and frontail are unrelated to the OH version you are running.
So unless by “reverting” you mean to restore the full disk/SD incl. the OS to the state it was running on before the apt upgrade you did, this won’t change anything.

[Willem (Will van Gemert)]

Thanks for the heads up Markus, and yes I am putting back in my V3.2 SD card. I always keep the last stable running version of my system on a backup SD just for safeguarding.

[mstormi (Markus Storm)]

If you don’t need Frontail just disable it (systemctl disable --now frontail).

[Willem (Will van Gemert)]

But what about the Timesyncs, see end of my log, these keep comming every 8 seconds what could be the cause of this?
Regards Will

[Wolfgang_S]

@Willem

But what about the Timesyncs, see end of my log, these keep comming every 8 seconds what could be the cause of this?

Here is a report similar to yours but every 5 minutes instead of every 8 seconds.
I doubt that it is for the same root cause … but to be checked.
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=332670