element-web: "Cannot reach homeserver" after homeserver restart

(Disclaimer: I am a Synapse admin and I am here describing a problem encountered by many of my users.)

Description

When the used homeserver restarts (eg. when upgrading), element-desktop says that it cannot reach the homeserver (as expected), but keeps saying that even after the homeserver finished restarting (not expected).

Then, if the element-desktop user completely disconnects from the homeserver, and tries to log in once again, she now repeatedly get the error “cannot reach homeserver”. Restarting element-destkop or the computer does not solve the problem.

If another client is used on the same computer (eg. element-web or Nheko), it works perfectly. In fact, all users of the homeserver who were not using Element did not even notice a problem.

Workaround: deleting .config/Element solves the problem.

Steps to reproduce

  • Connect to a homeserver with Element-desktop
  • Have the homeserver restart
  • Try to re-login into the homeserver with Element-desktop

The error “cannot reach homeserver” appears.

Logs being sent: no (I have to ask)

Version information

  • Platform: desktop
  • OS: Ubuntu
  • Version: 1.7.7

About this issue

  • Original URL
  • State: open
  • Created 4 years ago
  • Comments: 29 (5 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

Problem still present as of today—encountered by some of my users after the homeserver restarterd to upgrade to synapse 1.45.1.

Since no one else is joining this discussion, I suppose this must be a problem specific to my homeserver somehow. Yet, client-wise, the problem only happens with Element-web, and not with other clients such as Element-android, Fractal, Nheko, etc. Therefore I cannot help but think that somehow there must be a small problem in Element-web.

I’ve never done any Element-web dev. If I were to investigate this problem (eg. using a debugger), any suggestion on how/where to start?

Quick update: I’m still getting new users encountering this issue, with a synapse homesever recently upgraded to 1.29.0. The last user was using Element desktop 1.7.22.