[BUG] TiddlyWeb shouldn't sync $:/StoryList to the client

[linonetwo]

Describe the bug

In readonly client-server setup, the wiki may sync $:/StoryList to the client, redirect the client to another tiddler by overwriting client's $:/StoryList

Expected behavior

Don't send $:/StoryList to the client, each client should have its own $:/StoryList.

To Reproduce

1. open https://wiki.onetwo.ren/#GoogleEarthVR:GoogleEarthVR
2. it loads
3. it get the $:/StoryList on background
4. it goes to https://wiki.onetwo.ren/#Index:Index by it self

Screenshots

No response

TiddlyWiki Configuration

• 5.3.5
• TiddlyWeb

Additional context

The server is started by

tiddlywiki D:\wiki\linonetwo-wiki --listen port=5217 host=0.0.0.0 root-tiddler=$:/core/save/lazy-all gzip=yes readers=(anon) writers=林一二 username=林一二 password=XhJOxxxxxxxxxxxxx anon-username=林一二 --setfield [[$:/plugins/flibbles/relink]] [[$:/plugins/flibbles/relink-markdown]] [[$:/plugins/flibbles/relink-titles]] [[$:/plugins/kixam/datepicker]] [[$:/plugins/kixam/moment]] [[$:/plugins/kookma/commander]] [[$:/plugins/kookma/refnotes]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/flow-chart]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/zx-script]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/github-external-image]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/markdown-transformer]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/source-control-management]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/slate-write]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/open-in-external-app]] [[$:/plugins/oflg/fishing]] [[$:/plugins/oflg/fishing-analysis]] [[$:/plugins/oflg/fishing-catchfish]] [[$:/plugins/oflg/fishing-zh-Hans]] [[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/dynannotate]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/sub-wiki]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/tw-mobile-sync]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/tw-calendar]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/tw-whiteboard]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/tw-react]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/super-tag]] [[$:/plugins/oeyoews/tiddlywiki-codemirror-6]] [[$:/plugins/linonetwo/hyper-table]] [[$:/plugins/BTC/TiddlyFlex]] [[$:/plugins/oeyoews/mermaid]] [[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/katex]] text text/plain

where password is random generated and masked here. I use random password to make it a readonly blog site.

[jrbntt]

I was able to reproduce this with a very specific combination of options:

• Wiki is loaded read only
• $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer has a value of "yes"

The $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer Tiddler in particular is crucial. If I set it to "no", then the read only client only opens whatever is specified by the URL (either the value of $:/DefaultTiddlers or the Tiddler specified in the URL hash).

Comparing when I use the wiki logged in via HTTP Basic Authentication versus anonymous, the anonymous access issues a HTTP GET for $:/StoryList near the end of the page load that is not present when authenticated. However, I'm not currently sure why this happens.

If you do not require the $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer value of "yes", then changing this to "no" will function as a work around for your immediate issue.

EDIT: The "why it happens" seems a bit obvious after I stepped away for a few minutes. It's even in the description for $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer, which I read an hour or so ago, but apparently didn't fully understand. Here's the relevant part:

Engaging sync of system tiddlers means that tiddlers such as $:/StoryList and $:/HistoryList get synced

The part I failed to grasp on first read was that "sync" doesn't just apply when the client is saving; it also applies when the client is fetching. The server route in core/modules/server/routes/get-tiddlers-json.js modifies the client request to filter out system tiddlers if $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer is "no". Since $:/StoryList is a system tiddler, if $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer is "yes", then it will be returned by the filter.

Possible fix is to add another conditional in that route that checks $:/status/IsReadOnly and modifies the filter to remove any system tiddlers that shouldn't be retrieved for Read Only mode.

[Jermolene]

Thanks @jrbntt for the very clear explanation, which is quite correct. Not syncing system tiddlers by default is a very crumbly hack but it has worked reasonably well for us so far. The development of MWS in #7915 will hopefully finally fix this sort of thing properly.

[linonetwo]

Thank you @jrbntt , this is the correct answer, a feature, not a bug. After deleting $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer tiddler, my blog return normal.

I remember a bad implementation in previous version of my "command palette plugin" introduce this setting, and I remove it afterwards, but forget to delete this config tiddler from my wiki.

[jrbntt]

@linonetwo Glad that this resolved the problem.

The idea I floated about modifying the filter for System tiddlers in case of $:/status/IsReadOnly seems a little dangerous, in retrospect. Assuming someone has turned on $:/config/SyncSystemTiddlersFromServer intentionally, they're probably using it for some custom edge case that removing $:/StoryList from the returned tiddlers might break.