# Error while enabling auth\_state persistance for GenericOAuthenticator

**URL:** <https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746>\
**Category:** The Littlest JupyterHub\
**Tags:** jupyterhub, help-wanted\
**Created:** [August 21, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746 "2024-08-21T13:40:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![greg\_hqs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@greg\_hqs](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/greg_hqs)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746/1 "2024-08-21T13:40:29Z")

</div>

### Bug description

Unable to enable auth\_state for GenericOAuthenticator by adding` c.GenericOAuthenticator.enable_auth_state = True` into the  
file `jupyterhub_config.d/awscognito.py`  
It throws error ` traitlets.config.configurable.MultipleInstanceError: An incompatible sibling of 'JupyterHub' is already instantiated as singleton: JupyterHub` and fails to start.

### How to reproduce

Add the following config for Generic Authenticator  
`jupyterhub_config.d/awscognito.py`

```auto
c.GenericOAuthenticator.client_id = "client_id"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.client_secret = "client_secret"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.oauth_callback_url = "https://oauth_callback/link"

c.GenericOAuthenticator.authorize_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/authorize"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.token_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com//oauth2/token"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.userdata_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/userInfo"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.logout_redirect_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/logout?client_id=client_id&logout_uri=https://mysite.com/"

c.GenericOAuthenticator.login_service = "AWS Cognito"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.username_key = "username"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.userdata_method = "POST"
c.Authenticator.allow_all = True
c.Authenticator.admin_users = {'uuid1', 'uuid2', 'uuid3'}
c.GenericOAuthenticator.enable_auth_state = True

```

and reload jupyterhub via `tljh-config reload`

#### Expected behaviour

auth\_state to be persisted and Jupyterhub be started successfully

#### Actual behaviour

Jupyter hub refuses to start with the error log

```auto
systemd[1]: Started jupyterhub.service.
python3[52364]: [I 2024-08-21 11:39:56.775 JupyterHub app:2885] Running JupyterHub version 4.1.5
python3[52364]: [I 2024-08-21 11:39:56.776 JupyterHub app:2915] Using Authenticator: oauthenticator.generic.GenericOAuthenticator-16.3.1
python3[52364]: [I 2024-08-21 11:39:56.776 JupyterHub app:2915] Using Spawner: tljh.user_creating_spawner.UserCreatingSpawner
python3[52364]: [I 2024-08-21 11:39:56.776 JupyterHub app:2915] Using Proxy: jupyterhub_traefik_proxy.fileprovider.TraefikFileProviderProxy-1.1.0
python3[52364]: [I 2024-08-21 11:39:56.789 JupyterHub app:1683] Loading cookie_secret from /opt/tljh/state/jupyterhub_cookie_secret
python3[52364]: [W 2024-08-21 11:39:56.873 JupyterHub configurable:214] Config option `userdata_method` not recognized by `GenericOAuthenticator`. Did you mean one of: `userdata_params, userdata_token_method, userdata_url`?
python3[52364]: [E 2024-08-21 11:39:56.920 JupyterHub app:3408]
python3[52364]: Traceback (most recent call last):
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 3405, in launch_instance_async
python3[52364]: await self.initialize(argv)
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 2932, in initialize
python3[52364]: await self.init_users()
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 1957, in init_users
python3[52364]: ck = crypto.CryptKeeper.instance()
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 583, in instance
python3[52364]: inst = cls(*args, **kwargs)
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 119, in __init__
python3[52364]: self._load_config(self.config)
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 687, in __get__
python3[52364]: return t.cast(G, self.get(obj, cls)) # the G should encode the Optional
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 635, in get
python3[52364]: default = obj.trait_defaults(self.name)
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1897, in trait_defaults
python3[52364]: return t.cast(Sentinel, self._get_trait_default_generator(names[0])(self))
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1241, in __call__
python3[52364]: return self.func(*args, **kwargs)
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/crypto.py", line 93, in _config_default
python3[52364]: return JupyterHub.instance().config
python3[52364]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
python3[52364]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 592, in instance
python3[52364]: raise MultipleInstanceError(
python3[52364]: traitlets.config.configurable.MultipleInstanceError: An incompatible sibling of 'JupyterHub' is already instantiated as singleton: JupyterHub
python3[52364]:     
systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Consumed 1.341s CPU time.
systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.

```

### Your personal set up

- OS:  
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS using the-littlest-jupyterhub

- Version(s):  
Jupyterhub: 5.1.0  
Python 3.12.3

- Dependencies

```auto
aiohttp==3.9.5
aiosignal==1.3.1
alembic==1.13.2
annotated-types==0.7.0
arrow==1.3.0
async-generator==1.10
attrs==23.2.0
backoff==2.2.1
bcrypt==4.1.3
certifi==2024.7.4
certipy==0.1.3
cffi==1.16.0
charset-normalizer==3.3.2
cryptography==42.0.8
escapism==1.0.1
fqdn==1.5.1
frozenlist==1.4.1
greenlet==3.0.3
idna==3.7
isoduration==20.11.0
Jinja2==3.1.4
jsonpointer==3.0.0
jsonschema==4.23.0
jsonschema-specifications==2023.12.1
jupyter-events==0.10.0
jupyter-telemetry==0.1.0
jupyterhub==5.1.0
jupyterhub-firstuseauthenticator==1.0.0
jupyterhub-idle-culler==1.3.1
jupyterhub-ldapauthenticator==1.3.2
jupyterhub-nativeauthenticator==1.2.0
jupyterhub-systemdspawner==1.0.1
jupyterhub-tmpauthenticator==1.0.0
jupyterhub-traefik-proxy==1.1.0
ldap3==2.9.1
Mako==1.3.5
MarkupSafe==2.1.5
multidict==6.0.5
oauthenticator==16.3.1
oauthlib==3.2.2
onetimepass==1.0.1
packaging==24.1
pamela==1.1.0
passlib==1.7.4
pluggy==1.5.0
prometheus_client==0.20.0
pyasn1==0.6.0
pycparser==2.22
pycurl==7.45.3
pydantic==2.8.2
pydantic_core==2.20.1
PyJWT==2.8.0
pyOpenSSL==24.1.0
python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
python-json-logger==2.0.7
PyYAML==6.0.1
referencing==0.35.1
requests==2.32.3
rfc3339-validator==0.1.4
rfc3986-validator==0.1.1
rpds-py==0.19.0
ruamel.yaml==0.17.40
ruamel.yaml.clib==0.2.8
six==1.16.0
SQLAlchemy==2.0.31
the-littlest-jupyterhub @ git+https://github.com/jupyterhub/the-littlest-jupyterhub.git@fc8e19b1b5663f58f0e7b089903d1d1769db06b8
toml==0.10.2
tornado==6.4.1
traitlets==5.14.3
types-python-dateutil==2.9.0.20240316
typing_extensions==4.12.2
uri-template==1.3.0
urllib3==2.2.2
webcolors==24.6.0
yarl==1.9.4

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![manics](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/discourse.jupyter.org/manics/32/85_2.png) [@manics](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/manics)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746/2 "2024-08-21T16:24:03Z")

</div>

> [@greg\_hqs](#):
>
> `python3[52364]: [W 2024-08-21 11:39:56.873 JupyterHub configurable:214] Config option `userdata\_method`not recognized by`GenericOAuthenticator`. Did you mean one of: `userdata\_params, userdata\_token\_method, userdata\_url`?`

This is a problem. There’s no `userdata_method` parameter in  
[https://oauthenticator.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reference/api/gen/oauthenticator.generic.html](https://oauthenticator.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reference/api/gen/oauthenticator.generic.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![greg\_hqs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@greg\_hqs](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/greg_hqs)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 8:19am UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746/3 "2024-08-22T08:19:05Z")

</div>

Thank you for looking into this.  
I have removed the offending line `c.GenericOAuthenticator.userdata_method = "POST"` from the `jupyterhub_config.d/awscognito.py` config and reloaded. The warning doesn’t come up in the logs anymore. Alias, the same error continues. This is the log now

```auto
Aug 22 08:09:26 systemd[1]: Started jupyterhub.service.
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [I 2024-08-22 08:09:28.207 JupyterHub app:3307] Running JupyterHub version 5.1.0
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [I 2024-08-22 08:09:28.208 JupyterHub app:3337] Using Authenticator: oauthenticator.generic.GenericOAuthenticator-16.3.1
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [I 2024-08-22 08:09:28.208 JupyterHub app:3337] Using Spawner: tljh.user_creating_spawner.UserCreatingSpawner
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [I 2024-08-22 08:09:28.208 JupyterHub app:3337] Using Proxy: jupyterhub_traefik_proxy.fileprovider.TraefikFileProviderProxy-1.1.0
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [I 2024-08-22 08:09:28.222 JupyterHub app:1837] Loading cookie_secret from /opt/tljh/state/jupyterhub_cookie_secret
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: [E 2024-08-22 08:09:28.406 JupyterHub app:3873]
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: Traceback (most recent call last):
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 3870, in launch_instance_async
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: await self.initialize(argv)
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 3354, in initialize
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: await self.init_users()
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 2114, in init_users
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ck = crypto.CryptKeeper.instance()
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 583, in instance
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: inst = cls(*args, **kwargs)
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 119, in __init__
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: self._load_config(self.config)
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 687, in __get__
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: return t.cast(G, self.get(obj, cls)) # the G should encode the Optional
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 635, in get
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: default = obj.trait_defaults(self.name)
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1897, in trait_defaults
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: return t.cast(Sentinel, self._get_trait_default_generator(names[0])(self))
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1241, in __call__
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: return self.func(*args, **kwargs)
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/jupyterhub/crypto.py", line 93, in _config_default
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: return JupyterHub.instance().config
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.12/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 592, in instance
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: raise MultipleInstanceError(
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]: traitlets.config.configurable.MultipleInstanceError: An incompatible sibling of 'JupyterHub' is already instantiated as singleton: JupyterHub
Aug 22 08:09:28 python3[4281]:     
Aug 22 08:09:28 systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Aug 22 08:09:28 systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Aug 22 08:09:28 systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Consumed 1.605s CPU time.
Aug 22 08:09:28 systemd[1]: jupyterhub.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.

```

This how the `jupyterhub_config.d/awscognito.py` would look like now

```auto
c.GenericOAuthenticator.client_id = "client_id"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.client_secret = "client_secret"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.oauth_callback_url = "https://oauth_callback/link"

c.GenericOAuthenticator.authorize_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/authorize"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.token_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com//oauth2/token"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.userdata_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/userInfo"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.logout_redirect_url = "https://awsname.auth.region.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/logout?client_id=client_id&logout_uri=https://mysite.com/"

c.GenericOAuthenticator.login_service = "AWS Cognito"
c.GenericOAuthenticator.username_key = "username"
c.Authenticator.allow_all = True
c.Authenticator.admin_users = {'uuid1', 'uuid2', 'uuid3'}
c.GenericOAuthenticator.enable_auth_state = True

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![manics](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/discourse.jupyter.org/manics/32/85_2.png) [@manics](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/manics)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746/4 "2024-08-22T13:15:56Z")

</div>

It’s a strange bug, I’ve opened an issue:

> <https://github.com/jupyterhub/the-littlest-jupyterhub/issues/987>
>
> \### Bug description
> Originally reported in https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/erro…r-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746
> 
> \### How to reproduce
> 
> 1. Install TLJH
> 2. Create a custom config file in \`/opt/tljh/config/jupyterhub\_config.d\`:
> \`echo 'c.Authenticator.enable\_auth\_state = True' \> /opt/tljh/config/jupyterhub\_config.d/authstate.py\`
> 3. Run \`tljh-config reload\`, hub will fail to start
> 4. Check the logs \`sudo journalctl -u jupyterhub\`
> \`\`\`txt
> Aug 22 12:39:49 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: Started jupyterhub.service.
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[I 2024-08-22 12:39:50.825 JupyterHub app:2885\] Running JupyterHub version 4.1.6
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[I 2024-08-22 12:39:50.826 JupyterHub app:2915\] Using Authenticator: firstuseauthenticator.firstuseauthenticator.FirstUseAuthenticator
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[I 2024-08-22 12:39:50.826 JupyterHub app:2915\] Using Spawner: tljh.user\_creating\_spawner.UserCreatingSpawner
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[I 2024-08-22 12:39:50.826 JupyterHub app:2915\] Using Proxy: jupyterhub\_traefik\_proxy.fileprovider.TraefikFileProviderProxy-1.1.0
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[I 2024-08-22 12:39:50.842 JupyterHub app:1683\] Loading cookie\_secret from /opt/tljh/state/jupyterhub\_cookie\_secret
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: \[E 2024-08-22 12:39:50.996 JupyterHub app:3408\]
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: Traceback (most recent call last):
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 3405, in launch\_instance\_async
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: await self.initialize(argv)
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 2932, in initialize
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: await self.init\_users()
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/jupyterhub/app.py", line 1957, in init\_users
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: ck = crypto.CryptKeeper.instance()
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 583, in instance
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: inst = cls(\*args, \*\*kwargs)
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 119, in \_\_init\_\_
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: self.\_load\_config(self.config)
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 687, in \_\_get\_\_
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: return t.cast(G, self.get(obj, cls)) # the G should encode the Optional
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 635, in get
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: default = obj.trait\_defaults(self.name)
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1897, in trait\_defaults
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: return t.cast(Sentinel, self.\_get\_trait\_default\_generator(names\[0\])(self))
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/traitlets.py", line 1241, in \_\_call\_\_
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: return self.func(\*args, \*\*kwargs)
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/jupyterhub/crypto.py", line 93, in \_config\_default
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: return JupyterHub.instance().config
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: File "/opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/traitlets/config/configurable.py", line 592, in instance
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: raise MultipleInstanceError(
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]: traitlets.config.configurable.MultipleInstanceError: An incompatible sibling of 'JupyterHub' is already instantiated as singleton: JupyterHub
> Aug 22 12:39:50 ubuntu python3\[6450\]:     
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: jupyterhub.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: jupyterhub.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: jupyterhub.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: Stopped jupyterhub.service.
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: jupyterhub.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: jupyterhub.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
> Aug 22 12:39:51 ubuntu systemd\[1\]: Failed to start jupyterhub.service.
> \`\`\`
> 
> This can also be reproduced by running the TLJH systemd start command
> https://github.com/jupyterhub/the-littlest-jupyterhub/blob/c49fada1c8c1701aeff9f000b01503c20ba6bb25/tljh/systemd-units/jupyterhub.service#L21
> directly in a terminal:
> \`/opt/tljh/hub/bin/python3 -m jupyterhub.app -f /opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/tljh/jupyterhub\_config.py\`
> 
> Replacing \`/opt/tljh/hub/bin/python3 -m jupyterhub.app\` with \`/opt/tljh/hub/bin/python3 -m jupyterhub\` or \`/opt/tljh/hub/bin/jupyterhub\` both work
> Note you'll also need to set \`JUPYTERHUB\_CRYPT\_KEY\`, but this is not the cause of this bug
> 
> \#### Expected behaviour
> 
> 
> 
> \#### Actual behaviour
> 
> 
> 
> \### Your personal set up
> 
> Killercoda Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS VM https://killercoda.com/manics/scenario/the-littlest-jupyterhub
> 
> \<!--
> Tell us a little about the system you're using.
> Please include information about how you installed,
> e.g. are you using a distribution such as zero-to-jupyterhub or the-littlest-jupyterhub.
> --\>

A workaround for now is to modify your systemd service file `/etc/systemd/system/jupyterhub.service`:

```auto
ExecStart=/opt/tljh/hub/bin/python3 -m jupyterhub -f /opt/tljh/hub/lib/python3.8/site-packages/tljh/jupyterhub_config.py --upgrade-db

```

You’ll also need to [set the `JUPYTERHUB_CRYPT_KEY` environment variable](https://jupyterhub.readthedocs.io/en/stable/reference/api/auth.html#jupyterhub.auth.Authenticator.enable_auth_state)  
e.g. in your systemd file

```auto
Environment=JUPYTERHUB_CRYPT_KEY=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef

```

Then reload systemd, and restart JupyterHub

```sh
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
tljh-config reload

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![greg\_hqs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@greg\_hqs](https://discourse.jupyter.org/u/greg_hqs)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 8:40am UTC](https://discourse.jupyter.org/t/error-while-enabling-auth-state-persistance-for-genericoauthenticator/27746/5 "2024-08-26T08:40:25Z")

</div>

Thank you for opening the issue and for the prompt fix