Meson based build creates invalid systemd unit file

[Narrat]

Decided to build a new package with the new build system in place.
And after a restart I noticed that dunst won't display anymore.

$ notify-send test
GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner: Could not activate remote peer 'org.freedesktop.Notifications': activation request failed: unit is invalid

Looking at the user unit file it contains two exec lines (and both of them are wrong for the generated package):

[Unit]
Description=Dunst notification daemon
Documentation=man:dunst(1)
PartOf=graphical-session.target

[Service]
Type=dbus
BusName=org.freedesktop.Notifications
ExecStart=##PREFIX##/bin/dunst
ExecStart=bin/dunst
Slice=session.slice

So two one issues:

1. Both lines already there in dunst.systemd.service.in.
   I suppose it is due to keep supporting both build systems? But doesn't help if the unit file gets invalidated

2) If --bindir is unset it should respect the value of --prefix as a fallback (like it is done in the Makefile. Could be circumvented with explicitly setting bindir, but shouldn't be necessary. (And not that much of a problem, as /bin symlinks to /usr/bin, but still?)
Edit: I must have mixed up the files. Looking at the installed user unit file contains the right path to the command

How was it built?

With a PKGBUILD to create a package for an Arch distribution. Essential commands used in said PKGBUILD:

arch-meson ${_pkgname} build
meson compile -C build

arch-meson being a wrapper and setting the following options:

  --prefix        /usr \
  --libexecdir    lib \
  --sbindir       bin \
  --buildtype     plain \
  --auto-features enabled \
  --wrap-mode     nodownload \
  -D              b_pie=true \

[bynect]

I think the first ExecStart line should have been removed. Sorry to have missed that

[Narrat]

I think the first ExecStart line should have been removed. Sorry to have missed that

Seems like that. Building via the old way creates the same wrong unit file

[bynect]

@Narrat I commited the line removal.

[Narrat]

Can confirm f6ba641 fixes the invalid unit file error (appearing with Makefile and meson built dunst)

But I did notice something additional.
I thought I reported this error against a meson built package... But that wasn't the case when I tested the new commit and had a different error...
And checking the contents of the packages verified that. When building via the Makefile the dbus file is being installed as org.knopwob.dunst.service. Opposed to dunst.service with meson. (Deliberate renaming?). And the package for the initial report had the reverse tld...

So there is an additional issue only happening with meson. The systemd service won't be properly named on install.
https://github.com/dunst-project/dunst/blob/master/meson.build#L96
Using @BASENAME@ will install the unit file as dunst.systemd.service, which doesn't match the dbus unit which specifies dunst.service
For comparison the Makefile: https://github.com/dunst-project/dunst/blob/master/Makefile#L254

I assume output should explicitly declare dunst.service instead of using @BASENAME@

I'm sorry for this mess of an issue :D
And I need to verify again the part with bindir from the initial post. But that wouldn't be that tragic, as nowadays bin symlinks to usr/bin.

[Narrat]

Looking at the files in /usr/share/dbus-1/services it seems the reverse tld naming is a convention

[bynect]

mmh I didn't notice that. probably we should just do as you say and put the fix on meson.
I had an half idea on changing the service location to org.dunstproject.dunst to be consistent with the other service but for now this is ok

[Narrat]

Hmm... not respecting bindir or using prefix for replacing @bindir@ seems to be a problem.

Using a patch to match the name of the systemd unit file and running dunst still fails:

$ notify-send test
GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner: Could not activate remote peer 'org.freedesktop.Notifications': activation request failed: unit is invalid

Looking at both, the dbus and systemd file, shows the binary path with bin/dunst. Although it should have been /usr/bin/dunst (meson setup --bindir /usr/bin --prefix /usr build). And adjusting it manually to /usr/bin/dunst fixes the problem.
Need to take a look where the replacement comes from.

Edit: Just to confirm: The paths are fine for both files if build with the Makefile

[Narrat]

Log:

$  meson setup --bindir /usr/bin --prefix /usr build
The Meson build system
Version: 1.7.1
Source dir: /tmp/dunst
Build dir: /tmp/dunst/build
Build type: native build
Project name: dunst
Project version: 1.9.2
C compiler for the host machine: cc (gcc 14.2.1 "cc (GCC) 14.2.1 20250207")
C linker for the host machine: cc ld.bfd 2.44
Host machine cpu family: x86_64
Host machine cpu: x86_64
Found pkg-config: YES (/usr/bin/pkg-config) 2.4.3
Run-time dependency cairo found: YES 1.18.4
Run-time dependency glib-2.0 found: YES 2.84.0
Run-time dependency gio-2.0 found: YES 2.84.0
Run-time dependency gdk-pixbuf-2.0 found: YES 2.42.12
Run-time dependency pangocairo found: YES 1.56.3
Run-time dependency x11 found: YES 1.8.12
Run-time dependency xinerama found: YES 1.1.5
Run-time dependency xext found: YES 1.3.6
Run-time dependency xrandr found: YES 1.5.4
Run-time dependency xscrnsaver found: YES 1.2.4
Run-time dependency systemd found: YES 257
Run-time dependency libnotify found: YES 0.8.6
Library rt found: YES
Library m found: YES
Run-time dependency wayland-client found: YES 1.23.1
Did not find CMake 'cmake'
Found CMake: NO
Run-time dependency wayland-protocols found: NO (tried pkgconfig and cmake)
Run-time dependency wayland-cursor found: YES 1.23.1
Configuring dunst.service using configuration
Configuring dunst.systemd.service using configuration
Program pod2man found: YES (/usr/bin/core_perl/pod2man)
Configuring dunst.1.pod using configuration
Build targets in project: 6

dunst 1.9.2

    X11 support                  : YES
    Wayland support              : NO
    Man pages                    : YES
    Dunstify                     : YES
    Install systemd service units: YES

  User defined options
    bindir                       : /usr/bin
    prefix                       : /usr

Found ninja-1.12.1 at /usr/bin/ninja

$  meson compile -C build
INFO: autodetecting backend as ninja
INFO: calculating backend command to run: /usr/bin/ninja -C /tmp/dunst/build
ninja: Entering directory `/tmp/dunst/build'
[26/26] Linking target src/dunst

$  cat build/dunst.service 
[D-BUS Service]
Name=org.freedesktop.Notifications
Exec=bin/dunst
SystemdService=dunst.service

$  cat build/dunst.systemd.service 
[Unit]
Description=Dunst notification daemon
Documentation=man:dunst(1)
PartOf=graphical-session.target

[Service]
Type=dbus
BusName=org.freedesktop.Notifications
ExecStart=bin/dunst
Slice=session.slice

User defined options are recognized, the files end up with a default value?

[Narrat]

It currently seems options from the command line (User defined options) are only available later on? The binaries get installed in the right place, so it seems to be considered. But setting up the build dir uses the default.
I injected two message() into the meson.build. One checking bindir from conf_data and one for get_option('bindir')
And downgraded meson back to 1.6.x (just to make sure the rather recent 1.7.x wasn't the cause)

$  meson setup --bindir /usr/bin --prefix /usr build5
zsh: correct 'build5' to 'build' [nyae]? n
The Meson build system
Version: 1.6.1
Source dir: /tmp/dunst
Build dir: /tmp/dunst/build5
Build type: native build
Project name: dunst
Project version: 1.9.2
C compiler for the host machine: cc (gcc 14.2.1 "cc (GCC) 14.2.1 20250207")
C linker for the host machine: cc ld.bfd 2.44
Host machine cpu family: x86_64
Host machine cpu: x86_64
Found pkg-config: YES (/usr/bin/pkg-config) 2.4.3
(...)
Message: -> bin
Message: -> bin
Configuring dunst.service using configuration
Configuring dunst.systemd.service using configuration
Program pod2man found: YES (/usr/bin/core_perl/pod2man)
Configuring dunst.1.pod using configuration
Build targets in project: 6

dunst 1.9.2

    X11 support                  : YES
    Wayland support              : NO
    Man pages                    : YES
    Dunstify                     : YES
    Install systemd service units: YES

  User defined options
    bindir                       : /usr/bin
    prefix                       : /usr

Found ninja-1.12.1 at /usr/bin/ninja

And as can be seen it defaults to bin. Whereas later it is correct. But at that stage the template files already had their variables replaced.
I have no idea on how to fix that as I don't really know meson.

Sidenote: Project version in meson.build is kinda out of sync :P