Etherpad error when updating

[sponch]

Hi, v8.3.2
no modifications besides:
requireAuthentication: false,
and changes to "defaultPadText"
(as said 3 different Cloudrons, same problem)

[james]

Hello @sponch
Can you please check the logs on startup when it fails to start?
And maybe provide the log file?

[sponch]

Oct 19 18:01:23 Etherpad start
Oct 19 18:01:23 ==========================
Oct 19 18:01:23 => Ensure /app/data/settings.json
Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_font_color current version: 0.0.89, required version: 0.0.89
Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_align current version: 10.0.2, required version: 10.0.2
**Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_comments_page current version: 1.0.38, required version: 10.0.4**
Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_headings2 current version: 0.2.68, required version: 0.2.68
Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_openid_connect current version: 3.0.13, required version: 3.0.13
Oct 19 18:01:26 => ep_stable_authorid current version: 1.0.5, required version: 1.0.5
Oct 19 18:01:26 => Ensure folder permissions
Oct 19 18:01:27 => Starting etherpad
Oct 19 18:01:27 2025-10-19T16:01:27Z
Oct 19 18:01:27 > etherpad@2.5.1 prod /run/etherpad-lite
Oct 19 18:01:27 > pnpm --filter ep_etherpad-lite run prod --settings /run/etherpad-lite/settings.json --credentials /app/data/settings.json
Oct 19 18:01:27 2025-10-19T16:01:27Z
Oct 19 18:01:27 2025-10-19T16:01:27Z
Oct 19 18:01:27 > ep_etherpad-lite@2.5.1 prod /run/etherpad-lite/src
Oct 19 18:01:27 > cross-env NODE_ENV=production node --require tsx/cjs node/server.ts --settings /run/etherpad-lite/settings.json --credentials /app/data/settings.json
Oct 19 18:01:27 2025-10-19T16:01:27Z
Oct 19 18:01:27 Using specified settings from command line
Oct 19 18:01:27 Using specified credentials from command line
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.830] [INFO] settings - settings loaded from: /run/etherpad-lite/settings.json
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.831] [INFO] settings - credentials loaded from: /app/data/settings.json
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.832] [WARN] settings - loglevel: INFO
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.832] [WARN] settings - logLayoutType: colored
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.832] [INFO] settings - Using skin "colibris" in dir: /run/etherpad-lite/src/static/skins/colibris
Oct 19 18:01:27 [2025-10-19T16:01:27.833] [INFO] settings - Random string used for versioning assets: ef86fca9
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.303] [INFO] server - Starting Etherpad...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.318] [INFO] plugins - pnpm --version: 10.18.0
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.327] [INFO] plugins - check installed plugins for migration
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.404] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_comments_page...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.404] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_embedded_hyperlinks2...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_font_color...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_user_displayname...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_stable_authorid...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_guest...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_align...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_headings2...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_markdown...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_openid_connect...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loading plugin ep_etherpad-lite...
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.405] [INFO] plugins - Loaded 11 plugins
Oct 19 18:01:28 [2025-10-19T16:01:28.600] [INFO] APIHandler - Api key file read from: "/run/etherpad-lite/APIKEY.txt"
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.231] [INFO] server - Installed plugins: ep_comments_page@1.0.38, ep_embedded_hyperlinks2@1.2.4, ep_font_color@0.0.89, ep_user_displayname@1.0.7, ep_stable_authorid@1.0.5, e**p_guest@1.0.37, ep_align@10.0.2, ep_headings2@0.2.68, ep_markdown@1.0.2, ep_openid_connect@3.0.136:01:Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.233] [WARN] plugin:ep_guest - disabled because requireAuthentication is false
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.233] [WARN] plugin:ep_stable_authorid - disabled because requireAuthentication is false
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T129.233] [WARN] plugin:ep_user_displayname - disabled because requireAuthentication is false**
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.238] [INFO] plugin:ep_openid_connect - OpenID Connect Discovery complete.
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.238] [INFO] plugin:ep_openid_connect - Configured.
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.238] [INFO] settings - Report bugs at https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.238] [INFO] settings - Your Etherpad version is 2.5.1 (stable)
**Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.887] [ERROR] server - Error occurred while starting Etherpad
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.887] [ERROR] server - Metrics at time of fatal error:**
Oct 19 18:01:29 {
Oct 19 18:01:29 "httpStartTime": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "memoryUsage": 343490560,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "memoryUsageHeap": 164920664,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_lockAwaits": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_lockAcquires": 2,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_lockReleases": 2,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_reads": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFailed": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFinished": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFromCache": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFromDb": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFromDbFailed": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_readsFromDbFinished": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writes": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesFailed": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesFinished": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesObsoleted": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesToDb": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesToDbFailed": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesToDbFinished": 1,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "ueberdb_writesToDbRetried": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "totalUsers": 0,
Oct 19 18:01:29 "activePads": 0
Oct 19 18:01:29 }
Oc**t 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.888] [ERROR] server - TypeError: Unexpected ? at 17, expected END: https://git.new/pathToRegexpError
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Iter.consume (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:205:11)**
Oct 19 18:01:29 at consume (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:315:10)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at parse (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:320:18)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at <anonymous> (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:503:40)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Array.map (<anonymous>)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at pathToRegexp (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:502:23)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Object.match (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp@8.2.0/node_modules/path-to-regexp/src/index.ts:461:28)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at matcher (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/router@2.2.0/node_modules/router/lib/layer.js:86:23)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at new Layer (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/router@2.2.0/node_modules/router/lib/layer.js:93:62)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Function.route (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/router@2.2.0/node_modules/router/index.js:428:17)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Function.route (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/express@5.1.0/node_modules/express/lib/application.js:257:22)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at app.<computed> [as get] (/run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/express@5.1.0/node_modules/express/lib/application.js:478:22)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at Object.exports.expressCreateServer (/run/etherpad-lite/src/plugin_packages/.versions/ep_markdown@1.0.2/express.ts:6:7)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at <anonymous> (/run/etherpad-lite/src/static/js/pluginfw/hooks.ts:273:18)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at new Promise (<anonymous>)
Oct 19 18:01:29 at callHookFnAsync (/run/etherpad-lite/src/static/js/pluginfw/hooks.ts:236:16)
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.888] [INFO] server - Exiting...
Oct 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.888] [INFO] server - Waiting for Node.js to exit...
**Oct 19 18:01:30 => Healtheck error: Error: connect ECONNREFUSED 172.18.19.27:9001
Oct 19 18:01:34 [2025-10-19T16:01:34.889] [ERROR] server - Something that should have been cleaned up during the shutdown hook (such as a timer, worker thread, or open connection) is preventing Node.js from exiting
Oct 19 18:01:34 [2025-10-19T16:01:34.889] [ERROR] server - Enable `dumpOnUncleanExit` setting to get a dump of objects preventing a clean exit
Oct 19 18:01:34 [2025-10-19T16:01:34.889] [ERROR] server - Forcing an unclean exit...**
Oct 19 18:01:34 /run/etherpad-lite/src:
Oct 19 18:01:34  ERR_PNPM_RECURSIVE_RUN_FIRST_FAIL  ep_etherpad-lite@2.5.1 prod: `cross-env NODE_ENV=production node --require tsx/cjs node/server.ts --settings /run/etherpad-lite/settings.json --credentials /app/data/settings.json`
Oct 19 18:01:34 Exit status 1
Oct 19 18:01:34  ELIFECYCLE  Command failed with exit code 1.

[james]

This line here is suspicious:

Oc**t 19 18:01:29 [2025-10-19T16:01:29.888] [ERROR] server - TypeError: Unexpected ? at 17, expected END: https://git.new/pathToRegexpError

Somehow the /run/etherpad-lite/node_modules/.pnpm/path-to-regexp module is throwing an error resulting in the termination of the process.

To make sure no module is corrupted, could you:

• put the app into recovery mode
• open the web-terminal
• ensure that /run/etherpad-lite does not exist
• start the app with /app/pkg/start.sh to see if this issue persists.

[sponch]

/run/etherpad-lite does not exist
start the app with /app/pkg/start.sh to see if this issue persists.--> same error log

[nebulon]

@sponch so this should be fixed with version 4.4.1 as now all plugin versions are pinned and updated to the etherpad version (ep_markdown wasn't part of that list in 4.4.0 yet)

We should have revoked the 4.4.0 package, just looking into this now. Can you see if you can update the app all the way to 4.4.1 and if that fixes the issue?

[sponch]

Hi @nebulon and thanks. Could just update directly to 4.4.1 - with same problem. Hangs on starting

[nebulon]

Looks like some of those custom variables do make a difference then, even though they seem unrelated

So the error is the same as you pasted above? So far I am not able to reproduce it though.

[nebulon]

I did a update test round now with those two variables set as mentioned, however also that works fine. Did you configure anything else by any chance? Especially some configs for the markdown plugin?

[sponch]

Just changed the variables with the one from a fresh installed version. Same problem.

[sponch]

@nebulon no, haven't changed anything.mh...
that's the config

{
"requireAuthentication": false,
"defaultPadText" : "#Wxxx",
"padOptions": {
"lang": "de"},
"users": {
"xxx": {
"is_admin": true
},
"username2": {
"is_admin": true
}
}
}

[vladimir.d]

@sponch could you post content of /app/data/data/installed_plugins.json here?

[sponch]

@vladimir.d {"plugins":[{"name":"ep_align","version":"10.0.2"},{"name":"ep_comments_page","version":"1.0.38"},{"name":"ep_embedded_hyperlinks2","version":"1.2.4"},{"name":"ep_font_color","version":"0.0.89"},{"name":"ep_headings2","version":"0.2.68"},{"name":"ep_markdown","version":"1.0.1"},{"name":"ep_openid_connect","version":"3.0.13"},{"name":"ep_user_displayname","version":"1.0.7"},{"name":"ep_stable_authorid","version":"1.0.5"},{"name":"ep_guest","version":"1.0.37"},{"name":"ep_etherpad-lite","version":"2.2.6"}]}