Backups only happen at login and never at the scheduled time

[arcticcacti]

Description

I've set Vorta up to backup at 6pm every day, and to perform a backup at startup if the last one was missed.

What's actually happening is it always runs a backup at startup, and reschedules the next one for 6pm the next day instead. But at startup that day, it thinks it missed the last backup and repeats the same behaviour. Here's a typical log from before shutdown, then after restarting and logging in:

2025-12-09 15:22:59,457 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Catching up by running job for Default (1)
2025-12-09 15:22:59,459 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Starting background backup for Default
...
2025-12-09 15:23:19,091 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-10 18:00:00
2025-12-09 15:23:19,177 - vorta.notifications - DEBUG - notification not suppressed
2025-12-09 15:23:19,178 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Backup creation successful.
...
2025-12-09 22:49:41,236 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-10 18:00:00

...

2025-12-10 09:46:27,811 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Catching up by running job for Default (1)
2025-12-10 09:46:27,813 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Starting background backup for Default
...
2025-12-10 09:46:31,248 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Creating archive at "/mnt/nas_backup/gatito::gatito-2025-12-1
0-094629"
...
2025-12-10 09:46:48,692 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,692 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:48,779 - vorta.notifications - DEBUG - notification not suppressed
2025-12-10 09:46:48,780 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Backup creation successful.
2025-12-10 09:46:48,782 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Doing post-backup jobs for Default

So even though the next backup is scheduled for 6pm on the 10th, logging in at 10am that day triggers a backup. And when it completes it schedules the next backup a day later - so nothing ever happens at 6pm when it's supposed to. I tried disabling the 'missed backups' option for a couple of days, and enabled it after it successfully ran at 6pm. But it performed another backup at startup the next day, and fell back into the same behaviour.

---

It seems like the 'missed backup' check isn't working properly, or maybe it has a different idea of when a backup should have occurred the previous day? Personally I would expect a backup to always happen at 6pm (if possible) whether or not a 'catchup' one ran earlier, but as I understand it the scheduler is aiming for 'one per day' instead? The 'missed backup' check doesn't seem like it's checking if one ran the previous day though, and even when the backup ran when it was supposed to, it still seems to have been considered 'missed'.

Reproduction

• I tried to reproduce the issue.
• I was able to reproduce the issue.

OS

Fedora Linux 43 (6.17.10), KDE 6.5.3

Version of Vorta

0.10.2

What did you install Vorta with?

Distribution package

Version of Borg

1.4.2

Logs

2025-12-09 22:49:41,232 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-09 22:49:41,235 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-09 22:49:41,236 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-10 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:27,308 - vorta.i18n - DEBUG - Loading translation failed for ['en-Latn-GB', 'en-GB', 'en-Latn', 'en'].
2025-12-10 09:46:27,508 - vorta.views.source_tab - DEBUG - Added item number 0 from 1
2025-12-10 09:46:27,787 - root - INFO - Using NetworkManagerMonitor NetworkStatusMonitor implementation.
2025-12-10 09:46:27,810 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:27,811 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Catching up by running job for Default (1)
2025-12-10 09:46:27,813 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Starting background backup for Default
2025-12-10 09:46:27,814 - vorta.notifications - DEBUG - notification not suppressed
2025-12-10 09:46:28,778 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - No module named 'objc'
2025-12-10 09:46:29,020 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring
2025-12-10 09:46:29,021 - vorta.borg.borg_job - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring keyring to store passwords.
2025-12-10 09:46:29,036 - vorta.keyring.kwallet - DEBUG - Retrieved password for repo /mnt/nas_backup/gatito
2025-12-10 09:46:29,561 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Preparation for backup successful.
2025-12-10 09:46:29,562 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site 1
2025-12-10 09:46:29,596 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:29,610 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg create --list --progress --info --log-json --json --filter=AM -C lz4 --exclude-from /tmp/tmpde430l5y /mnt/nas_backup/gatito::gatito-2025-12-10-094629 /home/me
2025-12-10 09:46:29,619 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:29,620 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:29,649 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:29,650 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:29,787 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site default
2025-12-10 09:46:29,787 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: default
2025-12-10 09:46:29,798 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg --version
2025-12-10 09:46:30,343 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: default
2025-12-10 09:46:30,343 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: default
2025-12-10 09:46:30,343 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 09:46:30,348 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:30,350 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:31,248 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Creating archive at "/mnt/nas_backup/gatito::gatito-2025-12-10-094629"
2025-12-10 09:46:48,691 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,691 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,692 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,692 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:48,779 - vorta.notifications - DEBUG - notification not suppressed
2025-12-10 09:46:48,780 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Backup creation successful.
2025-12-10 09:46:48,782 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Doing post-backup jobs for Default
2025-12-10 09:46:48,783 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - No module named 'objc'
2025-12-10 09:46:48,784 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring
2025-12-10 09:46:48,784 - vorta.borg.borg_job - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring keyring to store passwords.
2025-12-10 09:46:48,790 - vorta.keyring.kwallet - DEBUG - Retrieved password for repo /mnt/nas_backup/gatito
2025-12-10 09:46:48,793 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,793 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,795 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - No module named 'objc'
2025-12-10 09:46:48,796 - vorta.keyring.abc - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring
2025-12-10 09:46:48,796 - vorta.borg.borg_job - DEBUG - Using VortaKWallet5Keyring keyring to store passwords.
2025-12-10 09:46:48,798 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg prune --list --info --log-json --keep-hourly 2 --keep-daily 7 --keep-weekly 4 --keep-monthly 2 --keep-yearly 0 -a gatito-* --keep-within 10H /mnt/nas_backup/gatito
2025-12-10 09:46:48,800 - vorta.keyring.kwallet - DEBUG - Retrieved password for repo /mnt/nas_backup/gatito
2025-12-10 09:46:48,803 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,804 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Finished background task for profile Default
2025-12-10 09:46:48,804 - vorta.notifications - DEBUG - notification not suppressed
2025-12-10 09:46:48,807 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:48,808 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:49,232 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Keeping archive (rule: within #1):           gatito-2025-12-10-094629             Wed, 2025-12-10 09:46:31 [c86c3360c08d4b3a52cc675dee2ddc944bad1686037e874181ea4950c6d1291d]
2025-12-10 09:46:49,233 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Keeping archive (rule: hourly #1):           gatito-2025-12-09-152301             Tue, 2025-12-09 15:23:02 [e53044892922c30192b45e93314f3b805a0b39fe8bd4f38454343797f90e399a]
2025-12-10 09:46:49,233 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Keeping archive (rule: hourly #2):           gatito-2025-12-08-185944             Mon, 2025-12-08 18:59:44 [195d67cca4dcb9abd029d0324d5e0e1bdb17ac0c30976e43ce8fcde4f333eecf]
2025-12-10 09:46:49,426 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:49,426 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:49,428 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:49,429 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:46:49,429 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg list --info --log-json --json /mnt/nas_backup/gatito
2025-12-10 09:46:50,126 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,127 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,127 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,128 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:05,697 - vorta.i18n - DEBUG - Loading translation failed for ['en-Latn-GB', 'en-GB', 'en-Latn', 'en'].
2025-12-10 09:48:05,885 - vorta.views.source_tab - DEBUG - Added item number 0 from 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,118 - root - INFO - Using NetworkManagerMonitor NetworkStatusMonitor implementation.
2025-12-10 09:48:06,138 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,139 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,153 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,154 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,163 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,163 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,207 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,208 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,213 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg --version
2025-12-10 09:48:06,493 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,493 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,494 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 09:48:06,495 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,496 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 10:03:05,820 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 10:03:05,826 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 10:03:05,828 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 10:18:05,919 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 10:18:05,925 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 10:18:05,926 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00

[cincodenada]

I'm taking a peek at this, and I think part of the issue is here: https://github.com/borgbase/vorta/blob/996aa8c9da27076f8b2b68f5382486cdbdf420b9/src/vorta/scheduler.py#L283C1-L288C38

Where it calculates "next run" time for fixed times by taking the current time, setting the time to the desired fixed time, and then adding a day. This implicitly assumes that the last run was a scheduled run, or at the very least happened "yesterday" relative to the day you want it to run. This explains why the run is being set for the next day. Elsewhere the code is smarter about this, so I'll open a PR to use that same logic here.

I'm still not sure why the "missed run" detection triggers, so I'm still looking into that.

[cincodenada]

Okay, so I noticed something very strange in your logs:

2025-12-10 09:46:29,619 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:29,620 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00

Which pointed me to the definite bug here: a race condition is causing Vorta to briefly operate as if the fixed time was midnight. It is this phantom midnight run that Vorta is seeing as "missed" and re-running. Once run, it dutifully schedules the next run, which under the current logic, is "tomorrow at 6pm" - thus, no runs happen until it starts up the next morning, at which point another phantom midnight run appears and the cycle starts over again.

I'm not sure how generally reproducible this is, as it is a race condition, but I was able to reproduce it fairly easily - I've opened #2316 to address this part of the issue separately.

That said, there is a second part of the issue here, and I agree with you on this:

Personally I would expect a backup to always happen at 6pm (if possible) whether or not a 'catchup' one ran earlier

I think that is the most reasonable user expectation, and I would like if that was the behavior too! I have a PR in progress to do exactly that, which I can put up separately if the project devs think that's a reasonable change.

[arcticcacti]

Thanks for taking a look!

Oh yeah, I saw that 00:00:00 job and wondered if I should mention it - I just assumed it was doing some housekeeping or something, and the schedule update that ran every 15 mins after that just mentioned the 6pm job. I actually had more than one of those in another log, and the computer was on at midnight and nothing happened (that I can tell anyway):

2025-12-10 09:46:50,126 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,127 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,127 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:46:50,128 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:05,697 - vorta.i18n - DEBUG - Loading translation failed for ['en-Latn-GB', 'en-GB', 'en-Latn', 'en'].
2025-12-10 09:48:05,885 - vorta.views.source_tab - DEBUG - Added item number 0 from 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,118 - root - INFO - Using NetworkManagerMonitor NetworkStatusMonitor implementation.
2025-12-10 09:48:06,138 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,139 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,153 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,154 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 00:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,163 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,163 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 09:48:06,207 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Add job for site default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,208 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Start job on site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,213 - vorta.borg.borg_job - INFO - Running command /usr/bin/borg --version
2025-12-10 09:48:06,493 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - Finish job for site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,493 - vorta.borg.jobs_manager - DEBUG - No more jobs for site: default
2025-12-10 09:48:06,494 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 09:48:06,495 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 09:48:06,496 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-10 10:03:05,820 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 10:03:05,826 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 10:03:05,828 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00

...

2025-12-10 23:56:26,410 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-10 23:56:26,419 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-10 23:56:26,421 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00
2025-12-11 00:11:26,410 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Refreshing all scheduler timers
2025-12-11 00:11:26,415 - vorta.scheduler - INFO - Setting timer for profile 1
2025-12-11 00:11:26,416 - vorta.scheduler - DEBUG - Scheduling next run for 2025-12-11 18:00:00

So the backup completed, a minute later it scheduled three times, and then it looks normal. And everything looks as expected at midnight (though I shut down about 5 mins after that last log entry). Just mentioning in case it's important!

I think that is the most reasonable user expectation, and I would like if that was the behavior too! I have a PR in progress to do exactly that, which I can put up separately if the project devs think that's a reasonable change.

Nice, I hope so! I think making it an option at least would be a good idea, but as a default I feel like if someone's scheduling backups at a specific time, it's safer to assume they want a snapshot of that moment rather than an earlier time. Like you wouldn't want to lose a day's work because the backup ran in the morning instead of the end of the day as expected.

Should I close this since you're handling it in the other issue? And thanks again!

[m3nu]

The task schedule could surely use some work. I don't know how it works myself. Was added by a former maintainer who since moved on. As you can see keeping it maintainable and understandable to everyone is a big benefit with any change.

[cincodenada]

Okay, thanks for the background, @m3nu! I've been getting a little familiar with the scheduling code in the last couple days, and just pushed #2317 to fix the 00:00 issue. I have done a little work towards making same-day runs happen as well, hopefully will have that up soon too.

[m3nu]

I just cleaned up tests a bit. They should be faster and more relevant now. Some UI tests can be a bit flaky.