We recently migrated a couple of instances from Seafile 12 to Seafile 13 (1 comunity and 2 pro). It all seemed to be working fine but today when I wanted to create a new Library the server returned a 500 error. When I refreshed the page the library was there. If i delete it I get an error too but the library disappears. I have not been able to find an error in any of the log files. Is this a known problem?
To pinpoint the exact cause, we need to examine the logs that capture application-level tracebacks. Please check the following log files and share any errors or “Traceback” messages found around the time you performed the action:
- logs/seahub.log
- logs/fileserver.log
- logs/seafile.log
You can also check Nginx/Caddy proxy log to identify which part return 500 HTTP response.
The error, for example happens when making a POST request to
This error apears constantly in seafile-monitor.log (next message it doesnt fit in this one)
[2026-07-10 11:26:32] Start seafevents.main
WARNING:root:Memcached has not been set up
ERROR:seafevents.db:Failed to create database tables: (pymysql.err.OperationalError) (1045, "Access denied for user 'root'@'172.21.0.3' (using password: YES)")
(Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/e3q8)
ERROR:root:Failed create tables, error: Failed to create database tables
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 143, in __init__
self._dbapi_connection = engine.raw_connection()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 3317, in raw_connection
return self.pool.connect()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 448, in connect
return _ConnectionFairy._checkout(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 1272, in _checkout
fairy = _ConnectionRecord.checkout(pool)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 712, in checkout
rec = pool._do_get()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/impl.py", line 177, in _do_get
with util.safe_reraise():
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/util/langhelpers.py", line 121, in __exit__
raise exc_value.with_traceback(exc_tb)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/impl.py", line 175, in _do_get
return self._create_connection()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 389, in _create_connection
return _ConnectionRecord(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 674, in __init__
self.__connect()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 900, in __connect
with util.safe_reraise():
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/util/langhelpers.py", line 121, in __exit__
raise exc_value.with_traceback(exc_tb)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 896, in __connect
self.dbapi_connection = connection = pool._invoke_creator(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/create.py", line 667, in connect
return dialect.connect(*cargs_tup, **cparams)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 630, in connect
return self.loaded_dbapi.connect(*cargs, **cparams) # type: ignore[no-any-return] # NOQA: E501
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 365, in __init__
self.connect()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 681, in connect
self._request_authentication()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 958, in _request_authentication
auth_packet = self._read_packet()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 782, in _read_packet
packet.raise_for_error()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/protocol.py", line 219, in raise_for_error
err.raise_mysql_exception(self._data)
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/err.py", line 150, in raise_mysql_exception
raise errorclass(errno, errval)
pymysql.err.OperationalError: (1045, "Access denied for user 'root'@'172.21.0.3' (using password: YES)")
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/pro/python/seafevents/db.py", line 92, in create_db_tables
Base.metadata.create_all(engine)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/sql/schema.py", line 5931, in create_all
bind._run_ddl_visitor(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 3267, in _run_ddl_visitor
with self.begin() as conn:
File "/usr/lib/python3.12/contextlib.py", line 137, in __enter__
return next(self.gen)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 3257, in begin
with self.connect() as conn:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 3293, in connect
return self._connection_cls(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 145, in __init__
Connection._handle_dbapi_exception_noconnection(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 2448, in _handle_dbapi_exception_noconnection
raise sqlalchemy_exception.with_traceback(exc_info[2]) from e
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 143, in __init__
self._dbapi_connection = engine.raw_connection()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 3317, in raw_connection
return self.pool.connect()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 448, in connect
return _ConnectionFairy._checkout(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 1272, in _checkout
fairy = _ConnectionRecord.checkout(pool)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 712, in checkout
rec = pool._do_get()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/impl.py", line 177, in _do_get
with util.safe_reraise():
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/util/langhelpers.py", line 121, in __exit__
raise exc_value.with_traceback(exc_tb)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/impl.py", line 175, in _do_get
return self._create_connection()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 389, in _create_connection
return _ConnectionRecord(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 674, in __init__
self.__connect()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 900, in __connect
with util.safe_reraise():
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/util/langhelpers.py", line 121, in __exit__
raise exc_value.with_traceback(exc_tb)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/pool/base.py", line 896, in __connect
self.dbapi_connection = connection = pool._invoke_creator(self)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/create.py", line 667, in connect
return dialect.connect(*cargs_tup, **cparams)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 630, in connect
return self.loaded_dbapi.connect(*cargs, **cparams) # type: ignore[no-any-return] # NOQA: E501
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 365, in __init__
self.connect()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 681, in connect
self._request_authentication()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 958, in _request_authentication
auth_packet = self._read_packet()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/connections.py", line 782, in _read_packet
packet.raise_for_error()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/protocol.py", line 219, in raise_for_error
err.raise_mysql_exception(self._data)
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/seahub/thirdpart/pymysql/err.py", line 150, in raise_mysql_exception
raise errorclass(errno, errval)
sqlalchemy.exc.OperationalError: (pymysql.err.OperationalError) (1045, "Access denied for user 'root'@'172.21.0.3' (using password: YES)")
(Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/e3q8)
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/pro/python/seafevents/main.py", line 42, in main
create_db_tables()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/pro/python/seafevents/db.py", line 95, in create_db_tables
raise RuntimeError("Failed to create database tables")
RuntimeError: Failed to create database tables
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<frozen runpy>", line 198, in _run_module_as_main
File "<frozen runpy>", line 88, in _run_code
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/pro/python/seafevents/main.py", line 82, in <module>
main()
File "/opt/seafile/seafile-server-13.0.21/pro/python/seafevents/main.py", line 46, in main
raise RuntimeError('Failed create tables, error: %s' % e)
RuntimeError: Failed create tables, error: Failed to create database tables
Analazing the error, the seafevent script is trying to connect to the db on 172.21.0.3 but the docker IP of the db is 172.21.0.4. The IP that it trys to connect to is seafile’s own IP
The 500 errors you are encountering during library creation and deletion are caused by a database connection failure in the seafevents component.
Root Cause Analysis
According to the logs, seafevents is attempting to connect to the database at 172.21.0.3, which you identified as the IP of the Seafile container itself, rather than the database container (172.21.0.4).
In Seafile 13.0, database and cache configurations have been centralized. The system is designed to read these settings from environment variables. If a legacy [DATABASE] section remains in seafevents.conf, it may conflict with the new environment-based configuration or point to outdated information.
Recommended Steps
1. Consolidate Database Configuration
Check your .env file and ensure the database connection details are correctly defined:
SEAFILE_MYSQL_DB_HOST(Should be the database container name, e.g.,db, to avoid IP changes)SEAFILE_MYSQL_DB_USERSEAFILE_MYSQL_DB_PASSWORD
Once these are verified, remove the [DATABASE] section from seafevents.conf. This allows the events service to correctly inherit the centralized configuration from the environment variables.
2. Verify Redis Configuration
The logs also show a warning regarding Memcached. In Seafile 13, Redis is the recommended backend for caching and session management. Please check your .env file to ensure Redis is correctly configured:
SEAFILE_REDIS_HOST=redis
Also, ensure that your seahub_settings.py does not contain old Memcached settings that might override the new Redis configuration.
3. Restart Services
After making these changes, restart your Docker containers to apply the new configuration:
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d
This should resolve the 500 errors by ensuring the background events service can properly connect to the database and record the necessary activity logs when libraries are modified.