create_task.py: migrate REST /api/v2.0 -> midclt (removed in TrueNAS 26.04)

The tool created cloud_backup tasks via POST /api/v2.0/cloud_backup, which is deprecated
and removed in TrueNAS 26.04. It now calls the middleware directly with midclt
(cloudsync.credentials.query / cloud_backup.query / cloud_backup.create), so it runs on
the TrueNAS host with no host address or API key. --host/--api-key/--insecure are kept
accepted-but-ignored for compatibility. Dropped the ssl/urllib HTTP client. v0.2.0.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,76 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## v0.2.0 — 2026-07-08
+
+### Changed
+
+- **`create_task.py` now uses the TrueNAS middleware via `midclt` instead of the
+  deprecated `/api/v2.0` REST API**, which is removed in TrueNAS 26.04. Practical
+  effects:
+  - Run the script **on the TrueNAS host** — it uses the local middleware socket, so
+    it no longer needs a host address or API key.
+  - `--host`, `--api-key`, and `--insecure` are accepted but **ignored** (a deprecation
+    note is printed); they will be removed in a future release.
+  - `list-credentials` → `cloudsync.credentials.query`, `list-tasks` →
+    `cloud_backup.query`, `create` → `cloud_backup.create`.
+- Dropped the `ssl`/`urllib` HTTP client; no TLS certificate handling is needed anymore.
+
+## v0.1.0 — 2026-07-08
+
+### Added
+
+- `create --cache-path PATH` — sets the restic cache directory on the task.
+  Without a cache path, TrueNAS runs restic with `--no-cache`, which re-reads all
+  repository metadata from the provider on every run and is glacially slow on
+  large repos (a 564 GB dataset estimated **55 days** to a first backup). Tasks
+  created without `--cache-path` now print a warning explaining the consequence.
+
+## v0.0.4 — 2026-07-06
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Backend patch inactive after every reboot.** PREINIT initshutdownscripts
+  are executed by middlewared itself (`ix-preinit.service` runs
+  `midclt call initshutdownscript.execute_init_tasks PREINIT`, ordered after
+  `ix-zfs.service` pool import). By the time `apply.sh` patched `b2.py` and
+  `restic.py` in the overlay, the running middlewared had already imported the
+  stock modules and never re-imports — so S3/B2 support silently reverted on
+  every reboot until something restarted middlewared. `install.sh` masked the
+  bug because it restarts middlewared explicitly.
+
+  Fix: when `apply.sh` detects it was invoked by middlewared (boot context),
+  it now schedules a single detached restart via a transient systemd unit
+  (`truecloud-mw-restart`, ordered after `multi-user.target` and
+  `ix-postinit.service`) so the patched modules are loaded once boot settles.
+  The restart is never synchronous — `apply.sh` is a child of middlewared's
+  own job runner, and later `ix-*` boot units still need midclt. Manual runs
+  of `apply.sh` never trigger a restart.
+
+- **`TypeError: string indices must be integers` when creating a B2 task on
+  TrueNAS 24.10 (Electric Eel)** (#1). The credential schema differs between
+  releases: on 24.10 `credentials["provider"]` is the type string (`"B2"`)
+  with the account/key in `credentials["attributes"]`, while 25.04+ moved
+  them into a provider dict. The injected `get_restic_config` only handled
+  the 25.04+ shape. It now detects the schema and reads the credentials from
+  the right place on both; `create_task.py list-credentials` and `list-tasks`
+  got the same treatment.
+
+- **`create_task.py verify` false-positive after reboot.** `verify` trusted
+  `hook_status.json`, which only records that the files were patched on disk —
+  not that the running process loaded them. `verify` now also compares the
+  middlewared main-process start time against `patched_at` and reports FAIL
+  (with recovery instructions) when the process predates the patch.
+
+### Changed
+
+- README and script comments no longer claim PREINIT runs "before middlewared
+  starts"; the boot ordering and the deferred restart are now documented.
+- `recover.sh` and `uninstall.sh` cancel a still-queued deferred restart
+  before performing their own, and their re-enable instructions now include
+  the required `systemctl restart middlewared`.
+
+---
+
 ## v0.0.3 — 2026-06-22
 
 ### Fixed

README.md

@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ see [Native support](#if-truenas-adds-native-support) below.
 
 ## What is actually patched
 
-**Nothing in TrueNAS's persistent database or configuration is modified.**
-On every boot, `patch/apply.sh` runs as a PREINIT script before middlewared
-starts. It mounts a writable
+**Nothing in TrueNAS's persistent database or configuration is modified**
+(other than the boot-hook entry itself). On every boot, `patch/apply.sh` runs
+as a PREINIT script. It mounts a writable
 [overlayfs](https://docs.kernel.org/filesystems/overlayfs.html) over the
 relevant directories in `/usr/` (upper layer in `/run` tmpfs), then patches
 `b2.py` and `restic.py` inside that overlay. The overlay is volatile — it
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ exists only for the current boot — but the PREINIT script recreates it
 automatically on every subsequent boot. Nothing in `/usr/` is written to
 directly.
 
+PREINIT scripts are executed *by* middlewared, which by then has already
+imported the stock modules — so after patching, `apply.sh` schedules a single
+detached middlewared restart (transient systemd unit `truecloud-mw-restart`,
+ordered after `multi-user.target`) that loads the patched modules once boot
+completes. Expect one middlewared restart shortly after every boot; the UI
+and API are briefly unavailable while it happens, and running services are
+not affected.
+
 | Layer | What changes | Technique |
 |---|---|---|
 | **Backend** | `B2RcloneRemote` gains `get_restic_config()` — skipped automatically if TrueNAS already provides one on the class. `restic.py` URL builder is fixed: strips the stray leading slash and converts the slash separator to a colon (`b2:bucket:path`), which is the format restic 0.16.x expects. URL wrapper is a no-op if the URL is already correctly formed. | File patch applied inside the overlayfs upper layer |
@@ -83,14 +91,46 @@ support and the reason is logged to `apply.log` in your repo root.
 
 ## How persistence works
 
-TrueNAS SCALE updates replace `/usr/` entirely. The patch survives by keeping
-this repository on a **persistent ZFS pool** (your data pool, not `/tmp` or a
-system path) and registering a **PREINIT initshutdownscript** in the TrueNAS
-database. On every boot, `patch/apply.sh` runs before `middlewared` starts. It
-mounts a writable [overlayfs](https://docs.kernel.org/filesystems/overlayfs.html)
-over the relevant directories (upper layer in `/run`, recreated each boot), then
-patches `b2.py` and `restic.py` directly in that overlay and re-patches the UI
-bundle. No extra configuration is needed.
+Two different things must survive two different events:
+
+| Event | What would be lost | What makes it survive |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Reboot** | The overlay holding the patched files lives in `/run` (tmpfs) and vanishes | The PREINIT hook re-runs `apply.sh` on every boot and schedules one middlewared restart to load the result |
+| **TrueNAS update** | `/usr/` is replaced entirely; custom files in `/etc/` are wiped with the new boot environment | This repo lives on your **data pool**, and the hook registration lives in the **TrueNAS config database** — both survive updates. The first boot after an update is just a normal boot |
+
+### What happens on every boot
+
+1. **middlewared starts** with the stock (unpatched) modules. This is
+   unavoidable: PREINIT scripts are executed *by* middlewared
+   (`ix-preinit.service` → `midclt call initshutdownscript.execute_init_tasks`),
+   so nothing registered there can run before it.
+2. **Pools import** (`ix-zfs.service`), making `/mnt/<pool>` — and this
+   repository — available.
+3. **`apply.sh` runs** (`ix-preinit.service`): mounts the writable overlay
+   (upper layer in `/run`), patches `b2.py` and `restic.py` on disk inside it,
+   patches the UI bundle, and writes `apply.log` and `hook_status.json`.
+4. **A deferred restart is scheduled.** The middlewared that is running
+   imported the stock modules in step 1 and never re-imports, so the on-disk
+   patch alone is not enough. `apply.sh` detects it was invoked by middlewared
+   and creates a transient systemd unit (`truecloud-mw-restart`, via
+   `systemd-run --no-block`, ordered after `multi-user.target`) — detached and
+   deferred so it cannot disrupt the remainder of the boot sequence.
+5. **Once boot completes, middlewared restarts once** and imports the patched
+   modules from the overlay. S3/B2 backup support is now active until the next
+   reboot, when the cycle repeats.
+
+What you will observe: one middlewared restart shortly after every boot (a
+brief web UI/API blip; running services are unaffected). Between steps 3
+and 5 there is a short window — typically well under a minute — where the UI
+already shows S3/B2 (the JS bundle is read from disk per request) but the
+backend is still stock. A backup job that fires inside that window fails once
+with `NotImplementedError` and succeeds on its next run; see
+[Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) if it persists beyond boot.
+
+Manual runs of `bash patch/apply.sh` never trigger the restart — that only
+happens in boot context. `install.sh` and `recover.sh` perform their own
+explicit restarts instead, which is why a manual re-apply must be followed by
+`systemctl restart middlewared`.
 
 ---
 
@@ -147,28 +187,34 @@ Check [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) to see what changed between versions.
 ## Creating a task via CLI
 
 If the UI still shows only Storj after refreshing (e.g. the JS bundle pattern
-changed in a new TrueNAS version), create tasks directly via the REST API:
+changed in a new TrueNAS version), create tasks directly. Run this **on the
+TrueNAS host** — it talks to the local middleware via `midclt`, so it needs no
+host address or API key:
 
 ```bash
 # Replace /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch with your clone path
 
 # List your cloud credentials to find the right ID
-python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py \
-    --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> list-credentials
+python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py list-credentials
 
 # Create a task with a B2 credential (id=3)
-python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py \
-    --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> create \
+python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py create \
     --name "tank-to-b2" \
     --path /mnt/tank/data \
     --credential 3 \
     --bucket my-bucket \
     --folder backups/tank \
     --password "restic-repo-password" \
+    --cache-path /mnt/tank/.restic-cache \
     --keep-last 14
 ```
 
-Get an API key from **System → API Keys → Add**.
+> **Always pass `--cache-path`.** Without it TrueNAS runs restic with `--no-cache`,
+> which re-fetches all repo metadata from the provider every run — glacially slow
+> on large repos. Point it at a writable dir on a pool with free space.
+
+> Versions ≤ 0.1.0 used the `/api/v2.0` REST API with `--host`/`--api-key`; those
+> flags are now accepted-but-ignored (REST is removed in TrueNAS 26.04).
 
 ---
 
@@ -276,6 +322,7 @@ To re-enable the patch once you have investigated:
 ```bash
 rm /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/disabled
 bash /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/apply.sh
+systemctl restart middlewared   # manual apply.sh runs never restart for you
 ```
 
 ---
@@ -330,6 +377,36 @@ If one or more entries show `[FAIL]`:
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
+**Backups fail with `NotImplementedError` after a reboot**
+
+The traceback ends in `rclone/base.py` → `raise NotImplementedError` and
+contains no `_tc_` frames: the running middlewared is executing stock code.
+Either the deferred restart never fired, or the patch never landed on disk
+this boot. Diagnose in this order:
+
+```bash
+# Did apply.sh run this boot, at which version, and did it schedule the restart?
+tail -40 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/apply.log
+
+# Full check — compares the running process against the patch timestamp
+python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py verify
+
+# Did the deferred restart unit run, fail, or never get created?
+systemctl status truecloud-mw-restart.service
+journalctl -u truecloud-mw-restart.service --no-pager | tail -20
+```
+
+- `verify` reports the process started **before** the patch → the restart
+  didn't happen. `systemctl restart middlewared` fixes it immediately; the
+  journal output above tells you why it was missed.
+- `apply.log` shows the kill switch is active → `rm .../disabled`, then
+  `bash install.sh`.
+- `apply.log` has no entry for this boot → the hook didn't run; re-run
+  `bash install.sh` to re-register it.
+- `apply.log` header shows `[v0.0.3]` or older → update:
+  `git pull && bash install.sh` (v0.0.4 fixed patches not loading after
+  reboot).
+
 **Apply log** (check after each reboot or install):
 ```bash
 cat /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/apply.log
@@ -339,9 +416,10 @@ cat /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/apply.log
 ```bash
 python3 /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/create_task.py verify
 ```
-Reads `hook_status.json` written by `apply.sh` at boot. Reflects whether the
-overlay patches to `b2.py` and `restic.py` were applied successfully. Does not
-require `--host` or `--api-key`.
+Reads `hook_status.json` written by `apply.sh` at boot **and** checks that the
+running middlewared process started *after* the patches were applied — an
+on-disk patch that middlewared has not loaded yet is reported as FAIL with
+instructions. Does not require `--host` or `--api-key`.
 
 **Middlewared log:**
 ```bash
@@ -356,9 +434,7 @@ grep -c 'STORJ_IX.*S3.*B2' \
     | grep -v ':0'
 ```
 
-**`create_task.py` SSL error connecting to TrueNAS**
-`create_task.py` talks to the **TrueNAS API**, not your S3 endpoint, and
-verifies its TLS certificate. If your NAS uses a self-signed certificate,
-pass `--insecure` — but be aware this disables certificate verification for
-the API call that transmits your TrueNAS API key. Adding your NAS certificate
-to your system's trust store is safer.
+**`create_task.py` — "midclt not found" or permission errors**
+`create_task.py` now talks to the local middleware via `midclt`, so run it **on
+the TrueNAS host** (not remotely) as a user with middleware access (root). There
+is no HTTPS/API-key call anymore, so there is no TLS certificate to configure.

install.sh

@@ -10,13 +10,15 @@
 #
 # What this does:
 #   1. Registers a PREINIT initshutdownscript so patch/apply.sh re-runs on
-#      every boot before middlewared starts.
+#      every boot. At boot, apply.sh re-patches the overlay and schedules a
+#      one-time deferred middlewared restart to load the patched modules
+#      (PREINIT runs after middlewared starts, so a restart is required).
 #   2. Applies the patches immediately (no reboot required).
 #   3. Restarts middlewared so the backend change takes effect now.
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-VERSION="0.0.3"
+VERSION="0.0.4"
 
 # The directory containing install.sh is the permanent install location.
 PATCH_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"

patch/apply.sh

@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # patch/apply.sh — registered as a TrueNAS PREINIT initshutdownscript.
 #
-# Runs on every boot BEFORE middlewared starts, so patches land before
-# the first Python process for middlewared is created.
+# PREINIT scripts are executed BY middlewared itself (ix-preinit.service runs
+# `midclt call initshutdownscript.execute_init_tasks PREINIT`, ordered after
+# ix-zfs.service pool import). So when this script runs at boot, middlewared
+# is already up and has already imported the stock modules — the on-disk
+# patch alone cannot reach the running process.
 #
 # TrueNAS updates replace /usr/ entirely; this script re-applies two patches:
 #
 #   1. Backend — b2.py and restic.py are patched directly in the overlay.
+#      On a boot run, a single detached middlewared restart is scheduled
+#      (Step 3) so the patched modules actually get loaded.
 #
 #   2. Angular JS bundle — Widens the TrueCloud Backup credential dropdown
-#                          from Storj-only to include S3 and B2.
+#                          from Storj-only to include S3 and B2. Served from
+#                          disk per request, so no restart is needed for it.
 #
 # Design principle: every step is independently fail-safe.
 # A failed patch logs a warning and continues; middlewared always starts.
@@ -18,7 +24,7 @@
 # Derive PATCH_DIR from this script's location (parent of the patch/ directory).
 PATCH_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
 LOG="$PATCH_DIR/apply.log"
-VERSION="0.0.3"
+VERSION="0.0.4"
 
 # Rotate log at 512 KB to avoid unbounded growth on a system volume.
 # Keep two prior generations (.1 and .2) so the last three boots are always available.
@@ -41,7 +47,7 @@ fi
 
 # Mounts a writable overlayfs on $1 using /run (tmpfs) for the upper/work dirs
 # when the directory is read-only.  The overlay is volatile per boot; this
-# PREINIT script recreates it on every boot before middlewared starts.
+# PREINIT script recreates it on every boot.
 # Returns 0 if the directory is now writable, 1 if it could not be made so.
 _ensure_writable() {
     local dir="$1" tag="$2"
@@ -180,6 +186,11 @@ B2_BLOCK = """
 # TRUECLOUD_PATCH — added by truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/apply.sh
 def _tc_get_restic_config(task):
     p = task["credentials"]["provider"]
+    if not isinstance(p, dict):
+        # TrueNAS <= 24.10: provider is the type string ("B2") and the
+        # account/key live in the credential's attributes dict. 25.04+
+        # moved them into a provider dict.
+        p = task["credentials"]["attributes"]
     return "", {"B2_ACCOUNT_ID": p["account"], "B2_ACCOUNT_KEY": p["key"]}
 
 B2RcloneRemote.get_restic_config = staticmethod(_tc_get_restic_config)
@@ -310,6 +321,37 @@ fi
 
 "$PYTHON" "$PATCH_DIR/patch/patch_ui.py" || echo "WARNING: patch_ui.py exited non-zero; UI dropdown may still show Storj only."
 
+# ── Step 3: deferred middlewared restart (boot runs only) ─────────────────────
+# At boot this script is spawned by middlewared, which already imported the
+# stock modules — the backend patch is on disk but not in the process. Schedule
+# ONE detached restart for after boot settles. Never restart synchronously
+# here: this script is a child of middlewared's own job runner, and the later
+# ix-* boot units still need midclt to answer.
+# Boot context is detected by the parent process being middlewared; manual
+# runs (install.sh, recovery) never trigger a restart.
+
+echo "--- deferred restart ---"
+
+if ! grep -aq middlewared "/proc/$PPID/cmdline" 2>/dev/null; then
+    echo "Manual run (parent is not middlewared) — no restart scheduled."
+elif [ "$_b2_ok" != "1" ] || [ "$_restic_ok" != "1" ]; then
+    echo "Backend patch incomplete — no restart scheduled (nothing new to load)."
+else
+    # A failed unit from an earlier attempt this boot would block systemd-run.
+    systemctl reset-failed truecloud-mw-restart.service 2>/dev/null
+    if systemd-run --no-block --collect --unit=truecloud-mw-restart \
+           --property=Type=oneshot \
+           --property=After=multi-user.target \
+           --property=After=ix-postinit.service \
+           systemctl try-restart middlewared; then
+        echo "OK: Scheduled deferred middlewared restart (unit: truecloud-mw-restart)."
+        echo "    Backend patch becomes active once boot completes."
+    else
+        echo "WARNING: Could not schedule deferred restart — backend patch is on disk but NOT loaded."
+        echo "  Activate manually: systemctl restart middlewared"
+    fi
+fi
+
 # ── Done ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 echo "=== done ==="

patch/create_task.py

@@ -3,22 +3,24 @@
 create_task.py — create TrueNAS TrueCloud Backup tasks with S3 or B2 credentials.
 
 The TrueNAS UI normally restricts the credential dropdown to Storj only.
-This script bypasses that restriction by calling the REST API directly.
+This script bypasses that restriction by talking to the TrueNAS middleware
+directly via `midclt` (the /api/v2.0 REST API is removed in TrueNAS 26.04).
 
 Compatible providers (after the truecloud-patch backend patch is applied):
   S3     — any S3-compatible endpoint (AWS, Wasabi, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, …)
   B2     — Backblaze B2 native API
   STORJ_IX — Storj (unchanged, always worked)
 
-Requires a TrueNAS API key: UI → System → API Keys → Add.
+Run this ON the TrueNAS host — it uses the local middleware socket via `midclt`,
+so no host address or API key is needed.
 
 Examples
 --------
 List available cloud credentials:
-    python3 create_task.py --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> list-credentials
+    python3 create_task.py list-credentials
 
 Create a task backed by a B2 credential (id=3):
-    python3 create_task.py --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> create \\
+    python3 create_task.py create \\
         --name "tank-to-b2" \\
         --path /mnt/tank/data \\
         --credential 3 \\
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ Create a task backed by a B2 credential (id=3):
         --keep-last 14
 
 Create a task using an S3-compatible credential (Wasabi, R2, etc.):
-    python3 create_task.py --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> create \\
+    python3 create_task.py create \\
         --name "tank-to-wasabi" \\
         --path /mnt/tank/data \\
         --credential 5 \\
@@ -37,55 +39,73 @@ Create a task using an S3-compatible credential (Wasabi, R2, etc.):
         --password "restic-repo-password"
 
 List existing TrueCloud Backup tasks:
-    python3 create_task.py --host 192.168.1.1 --api-key <key> list-tasks
+    python3 create_task.py list-tasks
 """
 
 import argparse
+import calendar
 import json
 import os
-import ssl
+import subprocess
 import sys
-import urllib.error
-import urllib.request
+import time
 
-__version__ = "0.0.3"
+__version__ = "0.2.0"
 
 _PATCH_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 _STATUS_FILE = os.path.join(_PATCH_DIR, "hook_status.json")
 
 
-def make_client(host, api_key, insecure=False):
-    """Return a callable that makes authenticated REST API calls."""
-    base = f"https://{host}/api/v2.0"
-    headers = {
-        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-    }
-    ctx = ssl.create_default_context()
-    if insecure:
-        ctx.check_hostname = False
-        ctx.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_NONE
-
-    def call(method, path, body=None):
-        url = base + path
-        data = json.dumps(body).encode() if body is not None else None
-        req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=data, headers=headers, method=method)
+def midclt_call(method, *args):
+    """Call a middleware method locally via `midclt`, the supported JSON-RPC transport
+    that replaces the deprecated /api/v2.0 REST API (removed in TrueNAS 26.04). Must run
+    on the TrueNAS host. Each arg is JSON-encoded (a dict for create; none for queries).
+    Exits with a clear message on failure."""
+    cmd = ["midclt", "call", method] + [json.dumps(a) for a in args]
     try:
-            with urllib.request.urlopen(req, context=ctx) as resp:
-                return json.loads(resp.read())
-        except urllib.error.HTTPError as exc:
-            detail = exc.read().decode(errors="replace")
-            print(f"HTTP {exc.code} {exc.reason}: {detail}", file=sys.stderr)
+        proc = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=120)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        print("ERROR: `midclt` not found — run this script ON the TrueNAS host.",
+              file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
-        except urllib.error.URLError as exc:
-            print(f"Connection error: {exc.reason}", file=sys.stderr)
+    except subprocess.SubprocessError as exc:
+        print(f"ERROR: midclt call failed: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
-
-    return call
+    if proc.returncode != 0:
+        print(f"ERROR: midclt {method}: {(proc.stderr or proc.stdout).strip()}",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    out = proc.stdout.strip()
+    return json.loads(out) if out else None
 
 
 # ── Sub-commands ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+def _middlewared_start_epoch():
+    """Epoch timestamp of the running middlewared main process, or None."""
+    try:
+        pid = int(subprocess.run(
+            ["systemctl", "show", "--property=MainPID", "--value", "middlewared"],
+            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10, check=True,
+        ).stdout.strip())
+        if pid <= 0:
+            return None
+        with open(f"/proc/{pid}/stat", encoding="ascii", errors="replace") as fh:
+            stat = fh.read()
+        # Field 22 (starttime, in clock ticks since boot); the comm field may
+        # contain spaces, so split after the closing paren.
+        start_ticks = float(stat.rsplit(")", 1)[1].split()[19])
+        # Base on /proc/stat btime, not uptime: starttime ticks count from the
+        # kernel boot, which uptime does not match inside containers.
+        with open("/proc/stat", encoding="ascii") as fh:
+            btime = next(float(line.split()[1]) for line in fh
+                         if line.startswith("btime "))
+        return btime + start_ticks / os.sysconf("SC_CLK_TCK")
+    except (OSError, ValueError, IndexError, StopIteration,
+            subprocess.SubprocessError):
+        return None
+
+
 def cmd_verify():
     """Print the hook status written by apply.sh at boot."""
     if not os.path.exists(_STATUS_FILE):
@@ -115,40 +135,73 @@ def cmd_verify():
         if not ok:
             all_ok = False
 
+    # The disk status alone can false-positive: at boot the files are patched
+    # while middlewared is already running with the stock modules imported.
+    # The running process only has the patch if it started AFTER patched_at.
+    try:
+        patched_epoch = calendar.timegm(
+            time.strptime(status.get("patched_at", ""), "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"))
+    except ValueError:
+        patched_epoch = None
+    mw_start = _middlewared_start_epoch()
+
+    proc_stale = False
+    if patched_epoch is None or mw_start is None:
+        print("  [??  ] running middlewared process — could not compare start time;")
+        print("         the results above reflect the on-disk state only")
+    elif mw_start + 2 < patched_epoch:
+        proc_stale = True
+        print("  [FAIL] running middlewared process — started BEFORE the patch was applied,")
+        print("         so it is running the stock (unpatched) modules")
+    else:
+        print("  [OK  ] running middlewared process — started after the patch was applied")
+
     print()
-    if all_ok:
+    if all_ok and not proc_stale:
         print("All patches installed. Run a test backup to confirm end-to-end.")
+    elif all_ok:
+        print("The patch is on disk but not loaded. Right after boot, the deferred")
+        print("restart (unit truecloud-mw-restart) may still be pending — re-check in a")
+        print("minute. Otherwise run: systemctl restart middlewared")
+        sys.exit(1)
     else:
         print("One or more patches failed to apply.")
         print(f"Check {os.path.join(_PATCH_DIR, 'apply.log')} and journalctl -u middlewared")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-def cmd_list_credentials(client, _args):
-    creds = client("GET", "/cloudsync/credentials")
+def _provider_type(cred):
+    """Provider type string across schemas (<=24.10 plain str, >=25.04 dict)."""
+    p = (cred or {}).get("provider")
+    if isinstance(p, dict):
+        return p.get("type", "?")
+    return p or "?"
+
+
+def cmd_list_credentials(_args):
+    creds = midclt_call("cloudsync.credentials.query")
     if not creds:
         print("No cloud credentials configured.")
         return
     print(f"{'ID':>4}  {'Provider':<14}  Name")
     print("─" * 55)
     for c in sorted(creds, key=lambda x: x["id"]):
-        print(f"{c['id']:>4}  {c['provider']['type']:<14}  {c['name']}")
+        print(f"{c['id']:>4}  {_provider_type(c):<14}  {c['name']}")
 
 
-def cmd_list_tasks(client, _args):
-    tasks = client("GET", "/cloud_backup")
+def cmd_list_tasks(_args):
+    tasks = midclt_call("cloud_backup.query")
     if not tasks:
         print("No TrueCloud Backup tasks configured.")
         return
     print(f"{'ID':>4}  {'Enabled':<8}  {'Provider':<14}  Name")
     print("─" * 60)
     for t in sorted(tasks, key=lambda x: x["id"]):
-        creds = t.get("credentials") or {}
-        ptype = (creds.get("provider") or {}).get("type", "?")
+        ptype = _provider_type(t.get("credentials"))
         enabled = "yes" if t.get("enabled") else "no"
         print(f"{t['id']:>4}  {enabled:<8}  {ptype:<14}  {t.get('description', '')}")
 
 
-def cmd_create(client, args):
+def cmd_create(args):
     parts = args.schedule.split()
     if len(parts) != 5:
         print(
@@ -181,7 +234,18 @@ def cmd_create(client, args):
         "enabled": not args.disabled,
     }
 
-    result = client("POST", "/cloud_backup", body)
+    if args.cache_path:
+        body["cache_path"] = args.cache_path
+    else:
+        print(
+            "WARNING: no --cache-path given. TrueNAS will run restic with --no-cache, "
+            "which is very slow for large repositories (it re-reads all repo metadata "
+            "from the provider every run). Set --cache-path to a writable dir on a pool "
+            "with free space.",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+
+    result = midclt_call("cloud_backup.create", body)
     try:
         print(f"Created task id={result['id']}  name={result['description']!r}")
     except (KeyError, TypeError):
@@ -197,14 +261,12 @@ def main():
         epilog=__doc__.split("Examples")[1] if __doc__ and "Examples" in __doc__ else "",
     )
     p.add_argument("--version", "-V", action="version", version=f"truecloud-patch {__version__}")
-    p.add_argument("--host", default=None, metavar="HOST",
-                   help="TrueNAS hostname or IP address (required except for verify)")
-    p.add_argument("--api-key", default=None, metavar="KEY",
-                   help="TrueNAS API key — System → API Keys (required except for verify)")
-    p.add_argument("--insecure", action="store_true",
-                   help="Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed certs). "
-                        "WARNING: exposes your API key to network interception. "
-                        "Prefer adding your cert to the trust store instead.")
+    # Deprecated & ignored: the tool now uses the local middleware via `midclt` (the
+    # /api/v2.0 REST API is removed in TrueNAS 26.04), so it must run ON the TrueNAS
+    # host and needs no host/API key. Kept accepted-but-ignored for compatibility.
+    p.add_argument("--host", default=None, help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
+    p.add_argument("--api-key", default=None, help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
+    p.add_argument("--insecure", action="store_true", help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
 
     sub = p.add_subparsers(dest="cmd", required=True)
 
@@ -229,6 +291,11 @@ def main():
                    help="Snapshots to retain after each run (default: 14)")
     c.add_argument("--schedule",    default="0 2 * * *",
                    help="Cron schedule (default: '0 2 * * *' — daily at 02:00)")
+    c.add_argument("--cache-path",  default="", metavar="PATH",
+                   help="restic cache directory (e.g. /mnt/pool/.restic-cache). "
+                        "STRONGLY recommended: without it TrueNAS runs restic with "
+                        "--no-cache, which re-fetches all repo metadata from the "
+                        "provider every run and is extremely slow on large repos.")
     c.add_argument("--transfer-setting",
                    choices=["DEFAULT", "PERFORMANCE", "FAST_STORAGE"],
                    default="DEFAULT",
@@ -246,16 +313,17 @@ def main():
         cmd_verify()
         return
 
-    if not args.host or not args.api_key:
-        p.error("--host and --api-key are required for this command")
+    if args.host or args.api_key or args.insecure:
+        print("NOTE: --host/--api-key/--insecure are deprecated and ignored; this tool "
+              "now uses the local middleware (midclt) and must run on the TrueNAS host.",
+              file=sys.stderr)
 
-    client = make_client(args.host, args.api_key, args.insecure)
     if args.cmd == "list-credentials":
-        cmd_list_credentials(client, args)
+        cmd_list_credentials(args)
     elif args.cmd == "list-tasks":
-        cmd_list_tasks(client, args)
+        cmd_list_tasks(args)
     elif args.cmd == "create":
-        cmd_create(client, args)
+        cmd_create(args)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

recover.sh

@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 # To re-enable the patch after investigating:
 #   rm /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/disabled
 #   bash /mnt/tank/truenas-truecloud-patch/patch/apply.sh
+#   systemctl restart middlewared
 
-VERSION="0.0.3"
+VERSION="0.0.4"
 
 PATCH_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
@@ -51,6 +52,10 @@ for _tag in mw ui; do
 done
 [ "$_any" -eq 0 ] && echo "  No overlays active."
 
+# Cancel a deferred boot restart if one is still queued — we restart ourselves.
+systemctl stop truecloud-mw-restart.service 2>/dev/null
+systemctl reset-failed truecloud-mw-restart.service 2>/dev/null
+
 echo "Restarting middlewared ..."
 if systemctl restart middlewared; then
     echo ""
@@ -68,3 +73,4 @@ echo ""
 echo "To re-enable the patch once you have investigated:"
 echo "  rm $PATCH_DIR/disabled"
 echo "  bash $PATCH_DIR/patch/apply.sh"
+echo "  systemctl restart middlewared"

uninstall.sh

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
-VERSION="0.0.3"
+VERSION="0.0.4"
 
 PATCH_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 _HOOK_COMMENT='TrueCloud provider patch (S3/B2)'
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ if [ "$_restore_failed" -eq 1 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Cancel a deferred boot restart if one is still queued — we restart ourselves.
+systemctl stop truecloud-mw-restart.service 2>/dev/null || true
+systemctl reset-failed truecloud-mw-restart.service 2>/dev/null || true
+
 echo "Restarting middlewared ..."
 if systemctl restart middlewared; then
     echo ""