Changing server_notices_mxid_avatar_url does not change notices user avatar image

[ptman]

Description

The server notices user (and room) avatar doesn't work. Instead riot shows an S.

Steps to reproduce

server_notices:
  system_mxid_localpart: 'notices'
  system_mxid_display_name: 'Server Notices'
  system_mxid_avatar_url: 'mxc://.../...'
  room_name: 'Server Notices'

Version information

• Version: 1.12.4+bionic1
• Install method: apt
• Platform: ubuntu 18.04

[anoadragon453]

Hm, I'm unable to reproduce this locally on the release-v1.12.4 branch or develop.

Using config:

server_notices:
  system_mxid_localpart: 'notices'
  system_mxid_display_name: 'Server Notices'
  system_mxid_avatar_url: 'mxc://half-shot.uk/6fc3fb176d5246f1e7cf7d89ad4248b8'
  room_name: 'Server Notices'

And sending command:

curl -X POST -H 'Authorization: Bearer xxx' -i http://localhost:8008/_synapse/admin/v1/send_server_notice --data '{
    "user_id": "@bob:localhost",
    "content": {
        "msgtype": "m.text",
        "body": "Sup yo"
    }
}'

Things seem to work as they should:

One thing I did notice is that editing system_mxid_display_name and system_mxid_avatar_url without setting system_mxid_localpart to a new localpart doesn't change the display name or avatar url. Indeed it seems those are only set when creating a new Server Notices room with a user:

synapse/synapse/server_notices/server_notices_manager.py

Lines 125 to 139 in 28c98e5

	# apparently no existing notice room: create a new one
	logger.info("Creating server notices room for %s", user_id)
	# see if we want to override the profile info for the server user.
	# note that if we want to override either the display name or the
	# avatar, we have to use both.
	join_profile = None
	if (
	self._config.server_notices_mxid_display_name is not None
	or self._config.server_notices_mxid_avatar_url is not None
	):
	join_profile = {
	"displayname": self._config.server_notices_mxid_display_name,
	"avatar_url": self._config.server_notices_mxid_avatar_url,
	}

Is that what you're referring to?

[ptman]

Well, I was unable to check with a fresh room, but someone else did and claimed it also didn't get the avatar correctly. But shouldn't the avatar also be fixed for existing rooms?

[anoadragon453]

Well, I was unable to check with a fresh room, but someone else did and claimed it also didn't get the avatar correctly. But shouldn't the avatar also be fixed for existing rooms?

Yes, I think so, but that's a different issue to this one if I understand it correctly.

[ptman]

is there an existing issue?

[anoadragon453]

Not from what I can see. I believe there's two separate issues here:

1. Your config is being misinterpreted somehow to pull out a blank MXC url and 'S' as the displayname. There is/may be a bug somewhere.
2. MXC URL and displayname changes only take effect upon starting Synapse with a new server notices localpart

2 may be causing 1, but 2 should be a separate issue. I've gone ahead and created one for 2 here: #7494

[anoadragon453]

Going by the new title, I think #7494 may cover your issue? Please re-open if not.