Need help configuring my rootless .kube file (CHDIR error)

[dexterdy]

I am trying to set up nextcloud. I am following this tutorial and decided to make a kubernetes file and a kube file for easier management and so I could put the config files up on my github.

The kubernetes configuration works, but I cannot get the .kube file to work. Here is my file:

The .kube file

[Unit]
Description=quadlet that starts the nextcloud kubernetes pod

[Kube]
AutoUpdate=registry
Yaml=/${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud.yaml

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/${HOME}/nextcloud-app
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/podman kube play /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud-redis-secrets.yaml
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/podman kube play /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud-db-secrets.yaml
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Here is the output of podman-system-generator --user --dryrun

The generated service file

quadlet-generator[2530]: Error occurred resolving path "/etc/containers/systemd/users": lstat /etc/containers/systemd: no such file or directory
quadlet-generator[2530]: Error occurred resolving path "/etc/containers/systemd/users/1001": lstat /etc/containers/systemd: no such file or directory
quadlet-generator[2530]: Loading source unit file /home/nextcloud/.config/containers/systemd/nextcloud.kube
---nextcloud.service---
[Unit]
Description=quadlet that starts the nextcloud kubernetes pod
SourcePath=/home/nextcloud/.config/containers/systemd/nextcloud.kube
RequiresMountsFor=%t/containers

[X-Kube]
AutoUpdate=registry
Yaml=/${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud.yaml

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/${HOME}/nextcloud-app
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/podman kube play /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud-redis-secrets.yaml
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/podman kube play /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud-db-secrets.yaml
Restart=always
KillMode=mixed
Environment=PODMAN_SYSTEMD_UNIT=%n
Type=notify
NotifyAccess=all
SyslogIdentifier=%N
ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman kube play --replace --service-container=true --annotation=io.containers.autoupdate=registry /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud.yaml
ExecStopPost=/usr/bin/podman kube down /${HOME}/nextcloud-app/nextcloud.yaml

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Here is my repo with the kubernetes file in it and a short readme.

No matter what I do, I get errors in the logs like these:

Logs

Jun 28 08:54:29 scardex-pods (podman)[1892]: nextcloud.service: Changing to the requested working directory failed: No such file or directory
Jun 28 08:54:29 scardex-pods (podman)[1892]: nextcloud.service: Failed at step CHDIR spawning /usr/bin/podman: No such file or directory
░░ Subject: Process /usr/bin/podman could not be executed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░ 
░░ The process /usr/bin/podman could not be executed and failed.
░░ 
░░ The error number returned by this process is ERRNO.
Jun 28 08:54:29 scardex-pods systemd[1720]: nextcloud.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=200/CHDIR
░░ Subject: Unit process exited
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░ 
░░ An ExecStopPost= process belonging to unit UNIT has exited.
░░ 
░░ The process' exit code is 'exited' and its exit status is 200.
Jun 28 08:54:29 scardex-pods systemd[1720]: nextcloud.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░ 
░░ The unit UNIT has entered the 'failed' state with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 28 08:54:29 scardex-pods systemd[1720]: Failed to start nextcloud.service - quadlet that starts the nextcloud kubernetes pod.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has finished with a failure.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 188 and the job result is failed.

here is a full log for this run.

I have tried using the SetWorkingDirectory=Yaml option, which doesn't change anything. I thought it might be the ${HOME}, but it used to work even with that in it. What am I doing wrong here?

[dexterdy]

Welp, I struggled for two evenings on this, but I just figured it out after posting this: ${HOME} is not seen as absolute path and /${HOME} is a non-existent folder. Replacing with the specifier %h, which I just learned exist, fixes the problem!