[chttpd_auth_lockout] max_lifetime = -1 always makes the Elixir integration tests fail

[JobayerAhmmed]

I am trying to run Elixir integration tests by setting [chttpd_auth_lockout] max_lifetime = -1 in local.ini file. But everytime it fails.

My question -

1. Is this expected behavior of CouchDB?
2. Or, this is a bug because max_lifetime is related to locking out the database, which should not affect starting the database.

Steps:

1. Install required dependencies for CouchDB
   • Erlang OTP 27.2
   • Elixir 1.18.1
   • Node 18
   • libicu-dev libssl-dev libmozjs-91-dev build-essential pkg-config python3 python3-venv openjdk-11-jdk erlang-reltool
2. Build CouchDB 3.4.2 from source till make release
3. Run Elixir integration test: make elixir

When I run make elixir, it always fails to start the node and gives the following error in the terminal -

* creating /home/userme/.mix/elixir/1-18/rebar3
* creating /home/userme/.mix/archives/hex-2.1.1
Resolving Hex dependencies...
Resolution completed in 0.024s
Unchanged:
  bunt 1.0.0
  credo 1.7.11
  excoveralls 0.18.3
  file_system 1.1.0
[33m  httpotion 3.2.0 RETIRED![0m
[33m    (deprecated) Not really maintained, please check out Tesla [0m
  jason 1.4.4
  junit_formatter 3.4.0
  ssl_verify_fun 1.1.7
Failed to start all the nodes. Check the dev/logs/*.log for errors.
make: *** [Makefile:260: elixir] Error 1

The dev/logs/node1.log file contains -

[error] 2025-04-28T04:38:35.205700Z node1@127.0.0.1 <0.249.0> -------- CRASH REPORT Process  (<0.249.0>) with 0 neighbors exited with reason: bad return value {invalid_option,{max_lifetime,-1}} at gen_server:init_it/6(line:2222) <= proc_lib:init_p_do_apply/3(line:329); initial_call: {ets_lru,init,['Argument__1']}, process_label: undefined, ancestors: [couch_primary_services,couch_sup,<0.240.0>], message_queue_len: 0, links: [<0.243.0>], dictionary: [], trap_exit: false, status: running, heap_size: 233, stack_size: 29, reductions: 52
[error] 2025-04-28T04:38:35.205784Z node1@127.0.0.1 <0.249.0> -------- CRASH REPORT Process  (<0.249.0>) with 0 neighbors exited with reason: bad return value {invalid_option,{max_lifetime,-1}} at gen_server:init_it/6(line:2222) <= proc_lib:init_p_do_apply/3(line:329); initial_call: {ets_lru,init,['Argument__1']}, process_label: undefined, ancestors: [couch_primary_services,couch_sup,<0.240.0>], message_queue_len: 0, links: [<0.243.0>], dictionary: [], trap_exit: false, status: running, heap_size: 233, stack_size: 29, reductions: 52
[error] 2025-04-28T04:38:35.206083Z node1@127.0.0.1 <0.240.0> -------- Error starting Apache CouchDB:

    {error,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,couch_primary_services,{shutdown,{failed_to_start_child,couch_lockout_lru,{bad_return_value,{invalid_option,{max_lifetime,-1}}}}}}}}


Runtime terminating during boot (terminating)
[error] 2025-04-28T04:38:35.209252Z node1@127.0.0.1 <0.243.0> -------- Supervisor couch_primary_services had child couch_lockout_lru started with ets_lru:start_link(couch_lockout_lru, [{max_objects,10000},{max_lifetime,-1}]) at undefined exit with reason bad return value {invalid_option,{max_lifetime,-1}} in context start_error

Crash dump is being written to: erl_crash.dump...done

The documentation of [chttpd_auth_lockout] max_lifetime says the following -

The maximum duration of the lockout period, measured in milliseconds. Changes to this setting are only picked up at CouchDB start or restart time.

[jaydoane]

Hi,

The reason for the failure is explicit in the error message:

{bad_return_value,{invalid_option,{max_lifetime,-1}

So the value -1 is not a valid option.

Have you tried any other values?

[JobayerAhmmed]

Yes, I have tried other non-negative values. And they work correctly.

[big-r81]

Hi,

as Jay correctly outlined, max_lifetime needs to be a non-negative integer value or undefined!

max_lifetime :: non_neg_integer() | undefined,

What do you want to achieve with a setting of -1?

[JobayerAhmmed]

I was trying to run integration tests with different max_lifetime values to check whether they work or not.

[rnewson]

and now you know :)