Unknown error. (Unable to fetch item from backend)

[Frank616]

 Unknown error. (Unable to fetch item from backend)

I am getting the above error just after I log in to my 32 bit 12.04 install in a dialog box with the title:

Fetch Job Error - Plasma Desktop Shell

The machine appears to run alright, but something must be amiss. I've done nothing to the machine. One day it just started doing that. Recent updates have not fixed it.

Suggestions anyone?

Frank.

[Frank616]

OK, no suggestions.....

Next step: What logs do I look at to see what is happening? Does KDE maintain a log file of what it is doing as it initiates the Plasma desktop?

Thanks.

Frank.

[claydoh]

Hmm sounds like an Akonadi bug, assuming you are running KDE 4.8.x. I recall something like this. It is trying to grab email before the network is fully established, giving the error. There is nothing broken really, just an annoying message.
I don't recall a fix other than upgrading to a newer KDE.

A quick Google on the error does bring some other possibilities.

Most logs are found in/var/log, there probably is one for Akonadi. However, there are other places that logs can live.



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[Frank616]

Claydoh:

There is nothing broken really, just an annoying message.
I don't recall a fix other than upgrading to a newer KDE.

Strange that it would suddenly start doing this now, every time I reboot, when it has never done this before in the past 8 months.

A quick Google on the error does bring some other possibilities.

OK, I'll try looking again. I found nothing when I did a specific search for "that exact phrase". I got hundreds of non-related hits when I did not enclose the error message in quotations -- too many to wade through.

Most logs are found in/var/log, there probably is one for Akonadi. However, there are other places that logs can live.

Yeah, that was my understanding too. I was hoping to narrow the field, thinking that there might be a KDE specific log, or even a Plasma specific log.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see what I can find....

Isn't Akonadi part of the desktop search software? I don't use it because it works so poorly (Recoll is MUCH better). Can I just shut off Akonadi and see if that stops the messages, without hurting other parts of my install?

Frank.

PS: Oh, maybe not. Looks like it has deep hooks in KDE.

[claydoh]

no, nepomuk is the tagging and search component. Akonadi is the database and components that house your account info and stores the data about your mail, contacts, etc.


As to the bug, it wasn't universal, some had it some didn't. What triggered it I don't know.


Try narrowing your search to bugs.kde.org and forums.kde.org.

I also recall that one fix was to replace the clock on the systray as the stock one uses akonadi in the calendar bit, and runs at login. I could not locate that clock widget riding on the bus lol. The other fix was to get KDE 4.9 from the updates ppa iirc

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[Frank616]

Claydoh:

OK, appears that you have it nailed. In the forum.kde.org I found two threads that may have a bearing on this. Here is one, and here is the other. They are both connected with Akonadi.

Coincidentally, I am using Akonadi and the KDE Calendar widget to access my Google Mail calendar -- on this machine only. I've always had login errors when the Calendar widget goes to update the calendar with Google. I gave it my login credentials (as in the link immediately above), but if I am already logged in to Google in my browser, the effort by the calendar widget to log in to update fails saying that Google does not require a login. I wondered about that until I noticed that this only happens when my browser is logged in to my GMail account.

Anyway, the problems mentioned by the posters to forums.kde.org would appear to be related to my issue, and do not generate critical errors. So, I guess I'll just put up with the error message, and carry on.

Much thanks for steering me in the right direction. At least now I know. I have no idea why it began doing this NOW as I have been using this setup for several months, but at least I know that it isn't that important. I use this machine for real work, so I don't want it going south on me.

Thanks.

Frank.