Apps launch from command line but not from App Launcher

[CrashTestDummy]

Hi, any help will be gratefully received.

I've recently upgraded my wife's Linux box from 15.04 to 15.10 and I'm having great problems with launching TV programmes (VLC, Kaffeine, etc). If I click on the app in the launcher the programme tries to start, but all I get is a whirling icon on the system tray and then nothing. If I use the command line the programme launches with no error.

I've checked that the command in the KDE Menu Editor is correct. Anybody got any ideas? The whining from the other room about not being able to watch TV on it is doing my head in.

[Snowhog]

Remove the App Launcher from the Panel. Go to K Menu > Applications and launch the app from there, and then on the Panel, right-click on the running app and select to have an icon (?) when not running.

[CrashTestDummy]

I'm not sure what you mean by removing the App Launcher from the panel. The only option I have is to remove the panel completely. I've tried changing the Launcher to the Application Menu style to no avail. I've tried launching the Apps from the Applications tab to no effect.

[LinkBot]

Debugging

If I click on the app in the launcher the programme tries to start, but all I get is a whirling icon on the system tray and then nothing. If I use the command line the programme launches with no error...

Have you tried from the Konsole ? - https://techbase.kde.org/Development...plasmawindowed

plasmawindowed

...and run for example:

plasmawindowed org.kde.plasma.kickoff

which will launch the Kickoff Application Launcher in a separate window.

Do you get any error messages, in the Konsole?

[CrashTestDummy]

Have you tried from the Konsole ? - https://techbase.kde.org/Development...plasmawindowed

I'll give it a go and get back, but my wife won't be able to use the konsole to launch apps all the time. This has to be made to work with a click of the mouse, I'm afraid to say.

Do you get any error messages, in the Konsole?

I'm assuming you mean when I launch from the command line? No.

[LinkBot]

I'm assuming you mean when I launch from the command line? No.

What I mean:

1) Start a terminal/konsole.
2) Execute at the konsole: plasmawindowed org.kde.plasma.kickoff
3) A Kickoff will/should start windowed - click it
4) Pick the VLC etc. and try to start it

The Konsole should show something.

At here:

$ plasmawindowed org.kde.plasma.kickoff
unversioned plugin detected, may result in instability
unversioned plugin detected, may result in instability
requesting config for "Application Launcher" without a containment!
trying to show an empty dialog
QQuickItem::ungrabMouse(): Item is not the mouse grabber.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
Overwriting existing old cached entry due to collision.
QQuickItem::ungrabMouse(): Item is not the mouse grabber.
Opening item with URL "/usr/share/applications/vlc.desktop"
Recent app added "vlc.desktop" 1
More than the maximal 5 services added. Removing "dolphin4.desktop" from queue.
...

At this stage the VLC is starting. If there are problems the konsole should show them.

[LinkBot]

More of debug

The ~/.xsession-errors should show the same information as the application launched from the terminal/konsole.

When I launch the VLC from the Kicoff ( https://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/Kickoff ) the ~/.xsession-errors get:

no winId: probably startup taskQQuickItem::ungrabMouse(): Item is not the mouse grabber.
QQuickItem::ungrabMouse(): Item is not the mouse grabber.
Opening item with URL "/usr/share/applications/vlc.desktop"
Duplicate entry added. Removing existing entry from queue.
Recent app added "vlc.desktop" 2
[00000000009b2158] core libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
plasma.engine.mpris2: MPRIS service "org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.vlc" just came online
ST : DBus service "org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.*" appeared. Loading "org.kde.plasma.mediacontroller"
systemtray: ST new task "org.kde.plasma.mediacontroller"
systemtray: Loading applet: "org.kde.plasma.mediacontroller" 26
unversioned plugin detected, may result in instability
<Unknown File>: QML Plasmoid: Cannot anchor to an item that isn't a parent or sibling.
<Unknown File>: QML Plasmoid: Cannot anchor to an item that isn't a parent or sibling.
<Unknown File>: QML Plasmoid: Cannot anchor to an item that isn't a parent or sibling.
<Unknown File>: QML Plasmoid: Cannot anchor to an item that isn't a parent or sibling.
plasma.engine.mpris2: Enabling stop action
plasma.engine.mpris2: Disabling stop action
plasma.engine.mpris2: Props fetch for "vlc" finished; adding

The debug information what/where is controlled by the kdebugdialog5

$ kdebugdialog5 --help

Usage: kdebugdialog5 [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options]

A dialog box for setting preferences for debug output

Generic options:
--help Show help about options
--help-qt Show Qt specific options
--help-kde Show KDE specific options
--help-all Show all options
--author Show author information
-v, --version Show version information
--license Show license information
-- End of options

Options:
--fullmode Show the fully-fledged dialog instead of the default list dialog
--on <area> Turn area on
--off <area> Turn area off

An older version of the doc: KDebugDialog - Controlling KDE's Debugging Output: http://docs.huihoo.com/kde/userguide/kdebugdialog.html

[CrashTestDummy]

What I mean:

1) Start a terminal/konsole.
2) Execute at the konsole: plasmawindowed org.kde.plasma.kickoff
3) A Kickoff will/should start windowed - click it
4) Pick the VLC etc. and try to start it

The Konsole should show something.

At here:



At this stage the VLC is starting. If there are problems the konsole should show them.

Thank you, now I understand :-) I'm just a plain old user, not a coder.

[claydoh]

I'll assume that App Launcher is the K-menu, because that is what it calls itself when you right-click on it

Is the icon you click on the Favorites section there, or is it the ones located under the various categories, such as Applications >> Multimedia >> Media Player (VLC Media Player)? If they run from the subsections just fine, you may just have to remove them from the Favorites, and re-add them back.