open-webui: doesn't work anymore

[pinage404]

Nixpkgs version

• Unstable (25.11)

Describe the bug

I used Open WebUI since a while

I used to use the package from the unstable channel because the project move fast

Until the version 0.6.16 everything was great

Starting from the version 0.6.18, it ask me to create an account

I rollbacked to 0.6.16, it seems to have removed all my data, configuration, conversation history, downloaded models... everything 😢

Steps to reproduce

1. use Open WebUI 0.6.16

   {
     services.open-webui.enable = true;
     services.open-webui.package = # package 0.6.16
   }

2. upgrade Open WebUI to 0.6.18

3. open logs journalctl --follow --pager-end --unit open-webui.service

4. see the error

Expected behaviour

Open WebUI should works

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output

| ERROR    | open_webui.routers.auths:signup:665 - Signup error: (sqlite3.OperationalError) attempt to write a readonly database

Additional context

No response

System metadata

• system: "x86_64-linux"
• host os: Linux 6.12.40, NixOS, 25.05 (Warbler), 25.05.20250801.59e6964
• multi-user?: yes
• sandbox: yes
• version: nix-env (Nix) 2.28.4
• nixpkgs: /nix/store/086lky2c6izqghqcslgwdjmgc9jkshg0-source

Notify maintainers

@drupol
@shivaraj-bh

---

Note for maintainers: Please tag this issue in your pull request description. (i.e. Resolves #ISSUE.)

I assert that this issue is relevant for Nixpkgs

• I assert that this is a bug and not a support request.
• I assert that this is not a duplicate of an existing issue.
• I assert that I have read the NixOS Code of Conduct and agree to abide by it.

Is this issue important to you?

Add a 👍 reaction to issues you find important.

[drupol]

I'm looking for people to help with the maintenance of this program. I don't use it much these last days so my time on this is very limited.

[shivaraj-bh]

I'm looking for people to help with the maintenance of this program. I don't use it much these last days so my time on this is very limited.

I can take a look this week.

[vkraven]

I experienced this too (full data loss plus sqlite complaining that the db is read only). Looks like /var/lib/private/open-webui/webui.db got wiped.

[newAM]

I don't know the root cause, but I have a fix.

Setting these environment variables to better match the upstream defaults worked for me. I deleted my entire state directory while debugging (on purpose), I'm not sure if that is a necessary step too.

services.open-webui.environment = {
  FRONTEND_BUILD_DIR = "${config.services.open-webui.stateDir}/build";
  DATA_DIR = "${config.services.open-webui.stateDir}/data";
  STATIC_DIR = "${config.services.open-webui.stateDir}/static";
};

These will override the service defaults:

nixpkgs/nixos/modules/services/misc/open-webui.nix

Lines 92 to 93 in 94def63

	STATIC_DIR = ".";
	DATA_DIR = ".";

I would open a pull-request but I have no idea how to handle existing installations without data loss.

I attempted lossless solutions such as setting the database path explicitly with DATABASE_URL = "sqlite:///webui.db"; and DATABASE_URL = "sqlite:///${config.services.open-webui.stateDir}/webui.db";, but those did not work.

[drupol]

Do you mind testing this? #431395

[74k1]

Quite unfortunate about the webui.db being lost. I suppose now I know what to back up 😉.

The PR seems to have fixed the read-only issue for me.

LFG! 😄

[pinage404]

I've upgraded (nix flake update, it upgraded to the revision c2ae88e026f9525daf89587f3cbee584b92b6134)

It wiped the DB (i exported before upgrading)

When i try to create an account it fails

août 07 22:56:41 framework-16 open-webui[75208]: 2025-08-07 22:56:41.834 | ERROR    | open_webui.routers.auths:signup:665 - Signup error: (sqlite3.OperationalError) attempt to write a readonly database
août 07 22:56:41 framework-16 open-webui[75208]: [SQL: INSERT INTO user (id, name, email, role, profile_image_url, last_active_at, updated_at, created_at, api_key, settings, info, oauth_sub) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)]
août 07 22:56:41 framework-16 open-webui[75208]: [parameters: ('e78a20ac-a19d-4087-a4ed-72c44597cd4b', 'pinage404', 'pinage404+open-webui_localhost@gmail.com', 'admin', 'data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAGQAAABkCAYAAABw4pVUAAAHJElEQVR4Xu2cz4tcRRDHe4ZJsomCQWIu3rKJ5qjobeMPxItHMXgQCUEUBC+CXvwfFAVPglEh5OBBRRR ... (2240 characters truncated) ... kkIKi00ZWIcjegDQXVZJpchAQ+bZQpGyV4lXfM6mUTKO0FAgIY1iBp5JPLWqAAkCUUokaecDxZWkhACRgpOmlnXkRf7JECCR+0fApB2+V3kBYj774CGd2xP8JSvz/4tpAzAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==', 1754600201, 1754600201, 1754600201, None, 'null', 'null', None)]
août 07 22:56:41 framework-16 open-webui[75208]: (Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/e3q8) - {}

[74k1]

Salut

Just to let everyone here know, I went ahead and contacted @pinage404 directly to try to solve his issue.

The steps outlined in #431395 (comment) seem to have worked for them. 👍

@drupol / @shivaraj-bh
Would it be a good idea to add something like a preStart script to the NixOS module for everyone below 0.6.18, so that they won't have to experience data losses?

[drupol]

I won't have the time to upgrade this for the next 2 to 3 weeks, so please go ahead and I'll review the PR at best effort.

[yuannan]

works for me now 👍