Systemd unit file escaping issue

Question

I am wanting to generate a secret key for a django project, that runs using podman run --new, so it generates a new container from scratch when the machine is restarted. I have the following bash code, which runs correctly in a terminal, but I cannot get it to work inside a systemd unit file.

sed -i "s/SECRET_KEY=.*/SECRET_KEY='$(echo $(chars='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789!@#$%^&*(-_=+)'; python -c "import secrets; print(''.join(secrets.choice('${chars}') for i in range(50)))") | sed -e 's/[\/&]/\\&/g')'/" /filepath/env_file

I get the same error which is

sed: -e expression #1, char 111: unterminated `s' command

I am guessing that I might need to escape the replacement string a bit better in the sed -e command, such that the replacement string to the earlier sed -i won't have conflicting characters that signal an end of string or similar, but I am stumped on how to get it working. I have been escaping apostrophes and quotation marks all afternoon.... :( It is always character 111 that seems to be awry, so maybe I am wrong. I have tried the command systemd-escape but with no luck.

So, any help gratefully appreciated.

Maybe the tip: You can still do what you want, but you'll need more backslashes from stackoverflow.com/a/45850218/757777 could work? — Erik Sjölund
– Erik Sjölund, Commented Apr 29, 2022 at 16:02
thanks, but I am still seeing backslashes and apostrophes everytime I close my eyes. It is worth understanding properly though, so I'll give it a go as soon as I get a spare moment... — miller the gorilla
– miller the gorilla, Commented May 1, 2022 at 17:29

miller the gorilla · Accepted Answer · 2022-04-29 14:54:01Z

0

I don't think it is possible to do, because systemd doesn't run the execstart command in bash, so one has to put the command in a bash -c but then the environment isn't set for the python import, I don't think.

I ended up placing the command in a script with locked down permissions, and calling it from the unit.

answered Apr 29, 2022 at 14:54

miller the gorilla

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