cannot read old table for '<user>': Permission denied about incron

[wiktor2200]

apt-get purge command removes only config files which are defined as config file in dpkg metadata. For example: when you are uninstalling mysql, you have to remove /var/lib/mysql manually and it won't be removed by purge command. That's the same case.

To avoid future problems there should be some FAQ section in README or uninstallation guide or something like that. What do you think @danfruehauf? I can write some examples and more documentation of usage in the close future and create pull request if you don't mind :)

[danfruehauf]

To avoid future problems there should be some FAQ section in README or uninstallation guide or something like that. What do you think @danfruehauf? I can write some examples and more documentation of usage in the close future and create pull request if you don't mind :)

I'd always welcome more documentation. Did anyone ever say no to documentation? 😄

[MaxBenn]

I've tried purging incron... it removed incron.allow as well as all other files for that program such as the systemd symlink etc...
So I had to make a new incron.allow list.
I'm getting still the same error message... :(

Thanks & Cheers,
MaxBenn

[MaxBenn]

OK.... After digging for the Issue for more than an hour I decided to ask you guys on gitub.... Now that I've posted my question here I found the solution.

The tables are stored in the folder /etc/spool/incron/
so I had to chown the files to the user and everything is working again...
Still curious why apt-get purge didn't delete those files.

Cheers,
MaxBenn

[MaxBenn]

@wiktor2200
Thanks for oyur reply. I thought purge will do it. Anyway... I found another annoying bug. But for that I will open a new thread.
Have a good one! :D

Thanks & Cheers,
MaxBenn

[ringobowie]

Just had a similar issue (cannot read old table for 'userxyz': Permission denied) running incron on ubuntu 20.04.
Solution was to repair owner::group rights on the user table file in /var/spool/incron/ - the file was owned by 'root', group 'incron' instead of 'userxyz', group 'incron'.
Running a similar setup on a second ubuntu 20.04 box without the described behavior.