feat: Don't reset key-contact status if Chat-User-Avatar header is absent (#7002)

This prepares for sending self-status only together with self-avatar in encrypted messages. The idea
is that self-status normally doesn't change frequently, so it's not a problem to re-send the whole
profile. Self-status is rather a biography, it even goes to "NOTE:" in vCards, so it's not a contact
status at a particular moment like "online" or "busy", and to see it one should go to the contact
profile.

Don't check for "Chat-Version" header though. So if a non- Delta Chat key-contact removes footer,
its "status" remains, but this shouldn't be a problem.

For unencrypted messages self-status will still be always attached except MDNs, reactions and
SecureJoin messages, so that it's visible as the message footer in other MUAs.

Author: iequidoo

src/chat.rs

@@ -3719,12 +3719,12 @@ pub(crate) async fn add_contact_to_chat_ex(
     Ok(true)
 }
 
-/// Returns true if an avatar should be attached in the given chat.
+/// Returns whether profile data should be attached when sending to the given chat.
 ///
-/// This function does not check if the avatar is set.
+/// This function does not check if the avatar/status is set.
 /// If avatar is not set and this function returns `true`,
 /// a `Chat-User-Avatar: 0` header should be sent to reset the avatar.
-pub(crate) async fn shall_attach_selfavatar(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> Result<bool> {
+pub(crate) async fn should_attach_profile(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId) -> Result<bool> {
     let timestamp_some_days_ago = time() - DC_RESEND_USER_AVATAR_DAYS * 24 * 60 * 60;
     let needs_attach = context
         .sql
@@ -3739,8 +3739,8 @@ pub(crate) async fn shall_attach_selfavatar(context: &Context, chat_id: ChatId)
                 let mut needs_attach = false;
                 for row in rows {
                     let row = row?;
-                    let selfavatar_sent = row?;
-                    if selfavatar_sent < timestamp_some_days_ago {
+                    let profile_sent = row?;
+                    if profile_sent < timestamp_some_days_ago {
                         needs_attach = true;
                     }
                 }

src/chat/chat_tests.rs

@@ -1531,23 +1531,23 @@ async fn test_create_same_chat_twice() {
 }
 
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
-async fn test_shall_attach_selfavatar() -> Result<()> {
+async fn test_should_attach_profile() -> Result<()> {
     let mut tcm = TestContextManager::new();
     let alice = &tcm.alice().await;
     let bob = &tcm.bob().await;
 
     let chat_id = create_group(alice, "foo").await?;
-    assert!(!shall_attach_selfavatar(alice, chat_id).await?);
+    assert!(!should_attach_profile(alice, chat_id).await?);
 
     let contact_id = alice.add_or_lookup_contact_id(bob).await;
     add_contact_to_chat(alice, chat_id, contact_id).await?;
-    assert!(shall_attach_selfavatar(alice, chat_id).await?);
+    assert!(should_attach_profile(alice, chat_id).await?);
 
     chat_id.set_selfavatar_timestamp(alice, time()).await?;
-    assert!(!shall_attach_selfavatar(alice, chat_id).await?);
+    assert!(!should_attach_profile(alice, chat_id).await?);
 
     alice.set_config(Config::Selfavatar, None).await?; // setting to None also forces re-sending
-    assert!(shall_attach_selfavatar(alice, chat_id).await?);
+    assert!(should_attach_profile(alice, chat_id).await?);
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ async fn test_profile_data_on_group_leave() -> Result<()> {
     tokio::fs::write(&file, bytes).await?;
     t.set_config(Config::Selfavatar, Some(file.to_str().unwrap()))
         .await?;
-    assert!(shall_attach_selfavatar(t, chat_id).await?);
+    assert!(should_attach_profile(t, chat_id).await?);
 
     remove_contact_from_chat(t, chat_id, ContactId::SELF).await?;
     let sent_msg = t.pop_sent_msg().await;

src/config.rs

@@ -758,6 +758,16 @@ impl Context {
         let better_value;
 
         match key {
+            Config::Selfstatus => {
+                // Currently we send the self-status in every appropriate message, but in the future
+                // (when most users upgrade to "feat: Don't reset key-contact status if
+                // Chat-User-Avatar header is absent") we want to send it periodically together with
+                // the self-avatar. This ensures the correct behavior after a possible Core upgrade.
+                self.sql
+                    .execute("UPDATE contacts SET selfavatar_sent=0", ())
+                    .await?;
+                self.sql.set_raw_config(key.as_ref(), value).await?;
+            }
             Config::Selfavatar => {
                 self.sql
                     .execute("UPDATE contacts SET selfavatar_sent=0;", ())

src/headerdef.rs

@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ pub enum HeaderDef {
     ChatGroupNameTimestamp,
     ChatVerified,
     ChatGroupAvatar,
+
+    /// If present, contact's avatar and status should be applied from the message.
+    /// "Chat-User-Avatar: 0" means that the contact has no avatar. Contact's status is transferred
+    /// in the message footer.
     ChatUserAvatar,
+
     ChatVoiceMessage,
     ChatGroupMemberRemoved,
     ChatGroupMemberAdded,

src/mimefactory.rs

@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ impl MimeFactory {
     pub async fn from_msg(context: &Context, msg: Message) -> Result<MimeFactory> {
         let now = time();
         let chat = Chat::load_from_db(context, msg.chat_id).await?;
-        let attach_profile_data = Self::should_attach_profile_data(&msg);
+        let can_transfer_profile = Self::can_transfer_profile(&msg);
         let undisclosed_recipients = chat.typ == Chattype::OutBroadcast;
 
         let from_addr = context.get_primary_self_addr().await?;
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ impl MimeFactory {
             if let Some(override_name) = msg.param.get(Param::OverrideSenderDisplayname) {
                 (override_name.to_string(), Some(config_displayname))
             } else {
-                let name = match attach_profile_data {
+                let name = match can_transfer_profile {
                     true => config_displayname,
                     false => "".to_string(),
                 };
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ impl MimeFactory {
                             } else {
                                 addr
                             };
-                            let name = match attach_profile_data {
+                            let name = match can_transfer_profile {
                                 true => authname,
                                 false => "".to_string(),
                             };
@@ -451,14 +451,18 @@ impl MimeFactory {
             .split_ascii_whitespace()
             .map(|s| s.trim_start_matches('<').trim_end_matches('>').to_string())
             .collect();
-        let selfstatus = match attach_profile_data {
+        let should_attach_profile = Self::should_attach_profile(context, &msg).await;
+        // TODO: (2025-08) Attach self-status in every message for compatibility with older
+        // versions. Should be replaced with
+        // `should_attach_profile || !is_encrypted && can_transfer_profile`.
+        let selfstatus = match can_transfer_profile {
             true => context
                 .get_config(Config::Selfstatus)
                 .await?
                 .unwrap_or_default(),
             false => "".to_string(),
         };
-        let attach_selfavatar = Self::should_attach_selfavatar(context, &msg).await;
+        let attach_selfavatar = should_attach_profile;
 
         ensure_and_debug_assert!(
             member_timestamps.is_empty()
@@ -551,7 +555,7 @@ impl MimeFactory {
         }
     }
 
-    fn should_attach_profile_data(msg: &Message) -> bool {
+    fn can_transfer_profile(msg: &Message) -> bool {
         msg.param.get_cmd() != SystemMessage::SecurejoinMessage || {
             let step = msg.param.get(Param::Arg).unwrap_or_default();
             // Don't attach profile data at the earlier SecureJoin steps:
@@ -566,14 +570,14 @@ impl MimeFactory {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn should_attach_selfavatar(context: &Context, msg: &Message) -> bool {
-        Self::should_attach_profile_data(msg)
-            && match chat::shall_attach_selfavatar(context, msg.chat_id).await {
+    async fn should_attach_profile(context: &Context, msg: &Message) -> bool {
+        Self::can_transfer_profile(msg)
+            && match chat::should_attach_profile(context, msg.chat_id).await {
                 Ok(should) => should,
                 Err(err) => {
                     warn!(
                         context,
-                        "should_attach_selfavatar: cannot get selfavatar state: {err:#}."
+                        "should_attach_profile: chat::should_attach_profile: {err:#}."
                     );
                     false
                 }
@@ -638,7 +642,7 @@ impl MimeFactory {
                     return Ok(format!("Re: {}", remove_subject_prefix(last_subject)));
                 }
 
-                let self_name = match Self::should_attach_profile_data(msg) {
+                let self_name = match Self::can_transfer_profile(msg) {
                     true => context.get_config(Config::Displayname).await?,
                     false => None,
                 };

src/receive_imf.rs

@@ -908,8 +908,11 @@ pub(crate) async fn receive_imf_inner(
         }
     }
 
-    // Ignore footers from mailinglists as they are often created or modified by the mailinglist software.
-    if let Some(footer) = &mime_parser.footer {
+    if let Some(footer) = mime_parser.footer.as_ref().filter(|footer| {
+        !footer.is_empty() || mime_parser.user_avatar.is_some() || !mime_parser.was_encrypted()
+    }) {
+        // Ignore footers from mailinglists as they are often created or modified by the mailinglist
+        // software.
         if !mime_parser.is_mailinglist_message()
             && from_id != ContactId::UNDEFINED
             && context
@@ -923,7 +926,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn receive_imf_inner(
             if let Err(err) = contact::set_status(
                 context,
                 from_id,
-                footer.to_string(),
+                footer.clone(),
                 mime_parser.was_encrypted(),
                 mime_parser.has_chat_version(),
             )

src/receive_imf/receive_imf_tests.rs

@@ -2254,6 +2254,41 @@ sig thursday",
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
+async fn test_contact_status_from_encrypted_msg() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut tcm = TestContextManager::new();
+    let alice = &tcm.alice().await;
+    let bob = &tcm.bob().await;
+
+    let alice_chat_id = alice.create_chat(bob).await.id;
+    let sent = alice.send_text(alice_chat_id, "hi").await;
+    bob.recv_msg(&sent).await;
+    alice.set_config(Config::Selfstatus, Some("status")).await?;
+    let sent = alice.send_text(alice_chat_id, "I've set self-status").await;
+    bob.recv_msg(&sent).await;
+    let bob_alice = bob.add_or_lookup_contact(alice).await;
+    assert_eq!(bob_alice.get_status(), "status");
+
+    alice
+        .set_config(Config::Selfstatus, Some("status1"))
+        .await?;
+    alice
+        .send_text(alice_chat_id, "I changed self-status")
+        .await;
+
+    // Currently we send self-status in every appropriate message.
+    let sent = alice
+        .send_text(alice_chat_id, "This message also contains my status")
+        .await;
+    let parsed_msg = bob.parse_msg(&sent).await;
+    assert!(parsed_msg.was_encrypted());
+    assert!(parsed_msg.get_header(HeaderDef::ChatUserAvatar).is_none());
+    bob.recv_msg(&sent).await;
+    let bob_alice = bob.add_or_lookup_contact(alice).await;
+    assert_eq!(bob_alice.get_status(), "status1");
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn test_chat_assignment_private_classical_reply() {
     for outgoing_is_classical in &[true, false] {