Exporting all tasks as JSON

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 91 views

Syncing with AWS S3 Produces 'Failed to Synchronize with Server: Error While Unsealing Encrypted Value' Error

Taskwarrior is a powerful task management tool that allows users to manage their tasks across multiple devices. One of the key features of Taskwarrior is its ability to sync tasks across devices using a variety of backends, including AWS S3. However, some users have reported encountering a sync issue with Taskwarrior using the new AWS S3 backend, resulting in a 'failed to synchronize with server: error while unsealing encrypted value' error. In this article, we will explore the steps to reproduce this error, the setup of the devices, and the usage pattern of the user. We will also discuss a previous occurrence of this error and a workaround that was effective, but we will also aim to understand the root cause of the issue and provide a solution to avoid having to reset everything again.

The user has reported that running task sync fails on 2 out of 3 devices with the following error message:

failed to synchronize with server: error while unsealing encrypted value

The user has also reported that running task sync on the 1 out of 3 devices works without problems. No config changes have occurred in the meantime.

The user has a setup of three devices that they sync between:

MacBook M1: Taskwarrior v3.3.0 (Syncs fine)
Android: Taskwarrior v3.3.0 using termux (Sync error occurs here - when encountering the error for the first time, this was the only device where syncing worked)
Linux Container: Taskwarrior v3.3.0 (Sync error occurs here)

The user is using an AWS S3 bucket as the sync server.

The user primarily modifies tasks on their phone and MacBook. The Linux container continuously syncs with the S3 backend to fetch tasks and render HTML reports. This setup worked without issues for over a month before this error appeared (again).

The user encountered this error once before and resolved it by:

Exporting all tasks as JSON: The user exported all tasks as JSON to ensure that they had a backup of their task data.
Deleting the entire S3 bucket content: The user deleted the entire S3 bucket content to start fresh.
Deleting all local SQLite databases: The user deleted all local SQLite databases to ensure that they were starting from a clean slate.
Re-importing the task data: The user re-imported the task data from the JSON file.
Restarting the sync process on all devices: The user restarted the sync process on all devices.

This workaround was effective, but the user would like to understand the root cause of the issue and avoid having to reset everything again.

To debug this issue, the user is willing to share their S3 bucket data and SQLite tables privately. This could help identify the root cause of the issue and provide a solution to avoid having to reset everything again.

There are several possible causes of this issue, including:

Encryption issues: The error message suggests that there may be an issue with encrypting or decrypting values. This could be due to a bug in the Taskwarrior code or an issue with the AWS S3 backend.
Sync issues: The issue may be related to the syncing process itself, such as a problem with the S3 bucket or the SQLite databases.
Configuration issues: The issue may be related to the configuration of the Taskwarrior setup, such as a problem with the sync server or the devices.

In conclusion, the user is experiencing a sync issue with Taskwarrior using the new AWS S3 backend, resulting in a 'failed to synchronize with server: error while unsealing encrypted value' error. The user has reported that running task sync fails on 2 out of 3 devices with this error message. The user has also reported that running task sync on the 1 out of 3 devices works without problems. No config changes have occurred in the meantime. The user is willing to share their S3 bucket data and SQLite tables privately to help debug the issue. Possible causes of this issue include encryption issues, sync issues, and configuration issues.
Syncing with AWS S3 Produces 'Failed to Synchronize with Server: Error While Unsealing Encrypted Value' Error - Q&A

A: The error message 'failed to synchronize with server: error while unsealing encrypted value' is a cryptic error message that suggests there is an issue with encrypting or decrypting values during the syncing process. This error message is specific to the Taskwarrior setup using the new AWS S3 backend.

A: There are several possible causes of this error, including:

Encryption issues: The error message suggests that there may be an issue with encrypting or decrypting values. This could be due to a bug in the Taskwarrior code or an issue with the AWS S3 backend.
Sync issues: The issue may be related to the syncing process itself, such as a problem with the S3 bucket or the SQLite databases.
Configuration issues: The issue may be related to the configuration of the Taskwarrior setup, such as a problem with the sync server or the devices.

A: To troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following steps:

Check the Taskwarrior logs: Check the Taskwarrior logs to see if there are any error messages that can provide more information about the issue.
Check the S3 bucket: Check the S3 bucket to see if there are any issues with the bucket or the objects within it.
Check the SQLite databases: Check the SQLite databases to see if there are any issues with the databases or the data within them.
Check the configuration: Check the configuration of the Taskwarrior setup to see if there are any issues with the sync server or the devices.

A: Yes, you can share your S3 bucket data and SQLite tables privately to help debug the issue. This can provide more information about the issue and help identify the root cause.

A: The workaround for this issue is to:

Export all tasks as JSON: Export all tasks as JSON to ensure that you have a backup of your task data.
Delete the entire S3 bucket content: Delete the entire S3 bucket content to start fresh.
Delete all local SQLite databases: Delete all local SQLite databases to ensure that you are starting from a clean slate.
Re-import the task data: Re-import the task data from the JSON file.
Restart the sync process on all devices: Restart the sync process on all devices.

A: Yes, you can avoid having to reset everything again by identifying the root cause of the issue and fixing it. This can be done by debugging the issue and identifying the cause of the error message.

A: To prevent this issue from happening again in the future, you can:

Regularly back up your task data: Regularly back up your task data to ensure that you have a backup in case of an issue.
Monitor the Taskwarrior logs: Monitor the Taskwarrior logs to see if there are any error messages that can provide more information about the issue.
Check the S3 bucket and SQLite databases regularly: Check the S3 bucket and SQLite databases regularly to ensure that there are no issues with the bucket or the databases.
Check the configuration regularly: Check the configuration of the Taskwarrior setup regularly to ensure that there are no issues with the sync server or the devices.