This is on a debian 9 box python 2.7.13 My interpretation is that a timeout exception is thrown and that the args attribute of such an exception is an empty tuple which then causes an IndexError in line 482 of module /usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py. Does that soundplausible?
Here is the traceback: Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/pymain.py", line 101, in main Exit_Nr = process(sys.argv) File "/usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/rmtdump.py", line 249, in program process(path) File "/usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/rmtdump.py", line 184, in process of = rmt.open(rpj(rmt5lcl(rt), archive), "wb") File "/usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/ftputil.py", line 211, in open return ftpfile(ftp, fn, mode, True) File "/usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/ftputil.py", line 70, in __init__ self.cnct = self.ftp.transfercmd("%s %s" % (cmd, rfn)) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 376, in transfercmd return self.ntransfercmd(cmd, rest)[0] File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 710, in ntransfercmd conn, size = FTP.ntransfercmd(self, cmd, rest) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 339, in ntransfercmd resp = self.sendcmd(cmd) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 249, in sendcmd return self.getresp() File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 215, in getresp resp = self.getmultiline() File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 201, in getmultiline line = self.getline() File "/usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py", line 186, in getline line = self.file.readline(self.maxline + 1) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py", line 482, in readline if e.args[0] == EINTR: IndexError: tuple index out of range Locals by frame, innermost last Frame main in /usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/pymain.py at line 119 backtrace = <function backtrace at 0x7f8f3311a050> fun = <function configbackup at 0x7f8f341facf8> pn = 'rmtdump' process = <function program at 0x7f8f33195f50> Frame program in /usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/rmtdump.py at line 281 ErrInfo = IndexError('tuple index out of range',) aborted = True argv = ['/usr/local/sbin/rmtdump'] path = '/home/antoon' Frame process in /usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/rmtdump.py at line 208 ErrInfo = IndexError('tuple index out of range',) b_rt = '/home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be' backupflag = 'rwx' backupstamp = 1520450190 checkstamp = 1519846075 cleanstamp = 1 dirs = ['Archives-1.sbd', 'INBOX.sbd'] entries = ['@TODO.msf', 'Archives-1.msf', 'Archives-1.sbd', 'Archives.msf', 'Drafts-1.msf', 'Drafts.msf', 'INBOX', ... entry = 'msgFilterRules.dat' file_info = posix.stat_result(st_mode=33188, st_ino=10365097, st_dev=2058, st_nlink=1, st_uid=1000, st_gid=1000, st_ ... fileinfo = posix.stat_result(st_mode=33152, st_ino=10621705, st_dev=2058, st_nlink=1, st_uid=1000, st_gid=1000, st_ ... files = ['Junk.msf', 'Drafts.msf', 'filterlog.html', 'Drafts-1.msf', 'Archives.msf', 'junklog.html', 'msgFilterR ... filestamp = 1463826952.531162 fqpn = '/home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/msgFilterRules.dat' islink = <function islink at 0x7f8f356a6500> ismount = <function ismount at 0x7f8f356a6758> last = 1520450604.318512 ls_stamp = ['+1520450190', '1519846075', '1', '0', '0'] newfn = 'home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!2018-03-07@20_16_30-tbz' now = 1520450549 nr_of_tries = 0 of = None oldfn = 'home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' path = '/home/antoon' rt = '/home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be' st_stamp = '+1520450190:1519846075:1' stamp = '1' start = 1520450604 tf = <tarfile.TarFile object at 0x7f8f33192650> timefn = '!2018-03-07@20_16_30-tbz' tryal = 0 update = True Frame open in /usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/ftputil.py at line 211 fn = 'home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' ftp = FTPS(ant...@pardon-sleeuwaegen.be@ftp.adrive.com) mode = 'wb' self = FTPS(ant...@pardon-sleeuwaegen.be@ftp.adrive.com) Frame __init__ in /usr/local/lib/python-apps/rmtdump/ftputil.py at line 70 bound = True ch = 'b' cmd = 'STOR' cn = FTPS(ant...@pardon-sleeuwaegen.be@ftp.adrive.com) count = 1 mode = 'wb' rfn = 'home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' self = None Frame transfercmd in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 376 cmd = 'STOR home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' rest = None self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame ntransfercmd in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 710 cmd = 'STOR home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' rest = None self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame ntransfercmd in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 352 cmd = 'STOR home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' conn = <socket._socketobject object at 0x7f8f33165c20> host = '192.110.0.56' port = 62332 rest = None self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> size = None Frame sendcmd in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 249 cmd = 'STOR home/antoon/.icedove/clam9zaw.default/ImapMail/mail.priorweb.be/!ENTRY-tbz' self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame getresp in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 215 self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame getmultiline in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 201 self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame getline in /usr/lib/python2.7/ftplib.py at line 186 self = <ftplib.FTP_TLS instance at 0x7f8f33125560> Frame readline in /usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py at line 482 buf = <cStringIO.StringO object at 0x7f8f3312ebc8> buf_len = 0 e = timeout() self = <socket._fileobject object at 0x7f8f33182e50> size = 8193 -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list