Release Candidate 1.5.4-rc1

# Summary
This is a release candidate. Please report if you use it even if there are no new problems.

This version is set to be released with Debian 13 (Trixie) this early summer and will remain available for the long lifetime of that Debian version.
EncFS, used for encrypted profiles, has been marked as deprecated and is  schedule for removal in 2026. The Smart & Auto remove GUI has been reorganized and renamed into "Remove & Retention", with improvements to the user manual section. Its behavior remains unchange. An offset minute can now be configured for hourly schedule options. Some config file fields have been moved to a newly introduced state file. License and copyright information is now provided in machine-readable SPDX format, following the REUSE standard.

# Contributors
This version received extensive support from contributors (in alphabetical order):

 - @bremnere
 - David Gibbs @fallingrock
 - graysky @graysky2
 - Samuel More @mooresamuel
 - Iván Rodríguez @ivanrdgz03
 - Peter Sevens @sevens
 - David Wales @daviewales
 - Dylan Wilson @dylan-wilson-usq
 - Also not to be forgotten are the many people who supported the project by testing it, providing feedback, reporting issues, and analyzing problems.

# Known major issues open
- qt_probing.py may hang with high CPU usage when running Back In Time as root via cron (#1592)
- File permissions handling and therefore possible non-differential backups (#988 & #994)

# Changelog
* Changed: More clear and intense warning about EncFS deprecation and removal (#1904)
* Changed: Updated desktop entry files
* Changed: Move several values from config file into new introduce state file ($XDG_STATE_HOME/backintime.json)
* Changed: Completed license information to conform the REUSE.software and SPDX standards.
* Breaking Change: Auto-remove rules "Free inodes" and "Free space" disabled by default (#1976)
* Fix!: Smart-remove rule "Keep one snapshots per week or the last week" use calendar weeks
* Fix: The width of the fourth column in files view is now saved
* Fix: Snapshot compare copy symlink as symlink (#1902) (Peter Sevens @sevens)
* Fix: Crash when comparing a snapshot with a symlink pointing to a nonexistent target (Peter Sevens @sevens)
* Fix: Crash (KeyError) opening language setup dialog with unknown locale/language
* Feature: Open user manual (local if available otherwise online) via Help menu
* Feature: Toolbar context menu to display the buttons in different combinations with icons and text (#1105, #2002) (Samuel Moore @s4moore)
* Feature: Add offset minutes to hourly schedules (David Gibbs @fallingrock)
* Doc: Remove & Retention (formally known as Auto-/Smart-Remove) with improved GUI and user manual section (#2000)

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:
       value: |
-        👉 Ask **support questions** in the GNU/Linux community or on our [mailing list](https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/bit-dev.python.org). Please respect the limited ressources of the maintenance team.
+        👉 Ask **support questions** in the GNU/Linux community or on our [mailing list](https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/bit-dev.python.org). Please respect the limited resources of the maintenance team.
         👉 Provide the output of the console command `backintime --diagnostics`, to help us diagnose the problem quickly.        
         👉 Please specify as precisely as you can the package or installation source where you got _Back In Time_ from.
         👉 As an **alternative** fell free to use our [mailing list](https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/bit-dev.python.org) for every topic about _Back In Time_.

.travis.yml

@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ before_install:
   # install screen, and util-linux (provides flock) for test_sshtools
   - sudo apt-get install -y sshfs screen util-linux libdbus-1-dev
 
-jobs:
-  exclude:
-    - python: "3.9"
-    - python: "3.10"
-    - python: "3.11"
-    - python: "3.12"
+# jobs:
+#   exclude:
+#     - python: "3.9"
+#     - python: "3.10"
+#     - python: "3.11"
+#     - python: "3.12"
 
 install:
   - pip install -U pip

CHANGES

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Back In Time
 
-Version 1.6.0-dev (development of upcoming release)
+Version 1.5.4-rc1 (Release Candidate 1)
 * Changed: More clear and intense warning about EncFS deprecation and removal (#1904)
 * Doc: Remove & Retention (formally known as Auto-/Smart-Remove) with improved GUI and user manual section (#2000)
 * Changed: Updated desktop entry files

README.md

@@ -36,15 +36,16 @@ More background info in [CONTRIBUTING](CONTRIBUTING.md) and
 ## Maintenance status
 
 The project is in active development since the [new team](#the-team) joined in
-summer 2022. Development is done in spare time so things need to be
+summer 2022. Development is done voluntarilly in spare time so things need to be
 prioritized. Stick with us, we all ♥️ _Back In Time_. 😁
 
 Current focus is on fixing
 [major issues](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3AHigh)
 instead of implementing new
-[features](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/labels/Feature). Read the
+[features](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/labels/Feature).
+Stabilize the code base and its test suite is also a matter. Read the
 [strategy outline](CONTRIBUTING.md#strategy-outline) for details.
-Please see  [CONTRIBUTING](CONTRIBUTING.md) if you are interested in the
+Please see [CONTRIBUTING](CONTRIBUTING.md) if you are interested in the
 development and have a look on
 [open issues](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues) especially
 those labeled as [good first issues](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/labels/GOOD%20FIRST%20ISSUE)
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ In the latest stable release:
 - [File permissions handling and therefore possible non-differential backups](#file-permissions-handling-and-therefore-possible-non-differential-backups)
 - [`qt_probing.py` may hang with high CPU usage when running BiT as `root` via `cron`](#qt_probingpy-may-hang-with-high-cpu-usage-when-running-bit-as-root-via-cron)
 
-In older releases:
+In older releases (but fixed in the latest):
 - Error: "module 'qttools' has no attribute 'initate_translator'" with EncFS when prompting the user for a password ([#1553](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1553))
 - [Tray icon or other icons not shown correctly](#tray-icon-or-other-icons-not-shown-correctly)
 - [Non-working password safe and BiT forgets passwords (keyring backend issues)](#non-working-password-safe-and-bit-forgets-passwords-keyring-backend-issues)
@@ -223,4 +224,4 @@ _Back In Time_. In that case you may not see any problems.
 See [CONTRIBUTING](CONTRIBUTING.md) file for an overview about the projects
 workflow and strategy.
 
-<sub>July 2024</sub>
+<sub>February 2025</sub>

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.6.0-dev
+1.5.4-rc1

common/man/C/backintime-askpass.1

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH backintime-askpass 1 "November 2024" "version 1.6.0-dev.a5c44451" "USER COMMANDS"
+.TH backintime-askpass 1 "February 2025" "version 1.5.4-rc1" "USER COMMANDS"
 .SH NAME
 backintime-askpass \- a simple backup tool for Linux.
 .PP

common/man/C/backintime-config.1

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH backintime-config 1 "November 2024" "version 1.6.0-dev.a5c44451" "USER COMMANDS"
+.TH backintime-config 1 "November 2024" "version 1.5.4-rc1" "USER COMMANDS"
 .SH NAME
 config \- BackInTime configuration files.
 .SH SYNOPSIS

common/man/C/backintime.1

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH backintime 1 "November 2024" "version 1.6.0-dev.a5c44451" "USER COMMANDS"
+.TH backintime 1 "February 2025" "version 1.5.4-rc1" "USER COMMANDS"
 .SH NAME
 backintime \- a simple backup tool for Linux.
 .PP

common/version.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import re
 
 # Version string regularyly used by the application and presented to users.
-__version__ = '1.6.0-dev.a5c44451'
+__version__ = '1.5.4-rc1'
 
 
 def is_release_candidate() -> bool:

doc/ENCRYPT_TRANSITION.md

@@ -9,12 +9,15 @@ General Public License v2 (GPLv2). See LICENSES directory or go to
 -->
 
 # Transition of the encryption feature in _Back In Time_
-<sub>July 2024</sub>
+<sub>February 2025</sub>
 
 This document outlines the current status of the encryption feature in _Back In
 Time_. Support for encrypted snapshot profiles is undergoing significant
 changes.
 
+**Please note** that we have a [pending PR implementing gocryptfs for local
+encrypted profiles](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/pull/1897).
+
  * [Short summary](#short-summary)
  * [Rational](#rational)
  * [Alternatives to EncFS](#alternatives-to-encfs)
@@ -25,15 +28,17 @@ changes.
 ## Short summary
 - To realize encrypted snapshots in _Back In Time_, [EncFS] is used.
 - EncFS has known security issues and also is no longer maintained.
+- EncFS **deprecation starts in year 2025**.
 - EncFS library will be **removed** from _Back In Time_ **around the year 2029**.
   This will happen in slow and small steps with sufficient advance warnings and
   lead time.
-- In the best case, EncFS will be replaced with an alternative library
-  (expected to be [GoCryptFS]).
+- The plan is to replace EncFS with [GoCryptFS] as an alternative.
 - The current maintenance team does not have the resources to implement an
-  alternative for EncFS. So extern contributors are need to step in.
-- If GoCryptFS or another alternative will be implemented, depending on project
-  resources and contributor availability.
+  alternative for EncFS. So extern contributors are need to step in. See [meta
+  issue #1734](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1734) about the
+  current progress.
+- The replacement with an alternative happens indepeneded from from the EncFS
+  deprecation and removal process.
 
 ## Rational
 
@@ -58,26 +63,24 @@ option. In this case _Back In Time_ won't need an encryption feature anymore
 because the file system tools do take care of it. It might be an option for
 some of the affected users but [it was also
 shown](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1734#issuecomment-2151875246)
-that file system encryption is not an option in all use cases. Therefore, LUKS
-might not be the first choice solution, but is better then nothing in case the
-project won't find a contributor for replacing EncFS with GoCryptFS or
-something else.
+that file system encryption is not an option in all use cases.
 
 The project also is open for other alternative solutions.
 
 ## Planned steps of the transition process
 
 The transition is a process *not fixed* in all details and planned to take
 until the *year 2029 or 2030*. The project will try to adapt to users needs and
-other extern issues. Therefore the plan is not written in stone. The goal is to
-have slow and transparent steps in a timeline of multiple years until round
-about the year 2029 or 2030 when Debian 15 will be released. Current stable
-Debian is version 12.
+other extern issues. Therefore the plan is not written in stone.
 
 The transition is scheduled around the release cycles of Debian GNU Linux
 because Debian has very long release cycles and is the base for most of the
 distributions out there.
 
+The goal is to have slow and transparent steps in a timeline of multiple years
+until round about the year 2029 or 2030 when Debian 15 will be
+released. Current stable Debian is version 12.
+
 1. Year 2024: Clear and strong warning about the planned removing or replacement
    of EncFS ([#1735](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1734)).
    Planned for the upcoming release 1.5.0 reaching Ubuntu 24.10 ("Oracular

doc/maintain/BiT_release_process.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ General Public License v2 (GPLv2). See directory LICENSES or go to
 <https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-2.0-or-later.html>
 -->
 # How to prepare and publish a new BIT release
-<sub>August 2024</sub>
+<sub>February 2025</sub>
 
 ## Overview
 
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ using a "feature" branch and sending a pull request asking for a review.
   [#1529](https://github.com/bit-team/backintime/issues/1529)). This is related
   to the Python versions and also to the Ubuntu Distro versions.
 - `dev` version was tested (CLI in `common` and GUI in `qt`) and testers/developers agreed on "readiness to be released".
+- Consider publishing a release candidate before a full release.
 
 
 ## TLDR ;-)
 
 - Make sure we have sufficient _Credits_ to run _TravisCI_. Otherwise contact
   their support and kindly ask for new OSS credits.
-- Create a new branch in your clone for the new release candidate.
+- Create a new branch (e.g. `rc/v1.5.4`) in your clone for the new release
+  (candidate).
 - Update `VERSION` file.
 - Update `CHANGES` file.
 - Execute the script `./updateversion.sh` to update the version numbers (based on `VERSION` file) in several files.

qt/man/C/backintime-qt.1

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH backintime-qt 1 "November 2024" "version 1.6.0-dev.a5c44451" "USER COMMANDS"
+.TH backintime-qt 1 "November 2024" "version 1.5.4-rc1" "USER COMMANDS"
 .SH NAME
 backintime-qt \- a simple backup tool.
 .SH SYNOPSIS