[SOLVED] 5.18.4 - Plasma Discover --- 'took really long to fetch KNSBackend'

[chimak111]

When running plasma-discover from konsole, it generates

uff:~$ plasma-discover
qrc:/qml/Feedback.qml:2:1: module "org.kde.userfeedback" is not installed
adding empty sources model QStandardItemModel(0x563c5a84be30)
invalid kns backend! "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/ksysguard.knsrc" because: "Config group not found! Check your KNS3 installation."
org.kde.plasma.discover: couldn't open file "/home/dkb/.cache/discover/featured-5.9.json" "No such file or directory"
org.kde.plasma.discover: couldn't open file "/home/dkb/.cache/discover/featured-5.9.json" "No such file or directory"
org.kde.plasma.discover: couldn't open file "/home/dkb/.cache/discover/featured-5.9.json" "No such file or directory"
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Couldn't find a category for  "fwupd-backend"
could not open to check "/home/dkb/.cache/fwupd/remotes.d/lvfs/metadata.xml.gz.asc"
Fwupd Info: saving new firmware metadata to: "/home/dkb/.cache/fwupd/remotes.d/lvfs/metadata.xml.gz"
took really long to fetch PackageKitBackend(0x563c5a841b20)
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a84a230, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/lookandfeel.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a847110, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/kwinswitcher.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8b9150, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/window-decorations.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8b2c80, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/discover_ktexteditor_codesnippets_core.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8b5f00, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/emoticons.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8ad3a0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/comic.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8c71b0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/wallpaper.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8d3080, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/ksplash.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8c5160, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/kwinscripts.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8d8710, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/kwineffect.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8d9e30, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/konsole.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8c0380, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/aurorae.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8deb60, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/plasmoids.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8db0a0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/kfontinst.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8e4190, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/gtk2_themes.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8cbd20, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/sddmtheme.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a856320, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/wallpaperplugin.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8e1fa0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/colorschemes.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8e50c0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/plasma-themes.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8e9ec0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/icons.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8f5aa0, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/gtk3_themes.knsrc")
took really long to fetch KNSBackend(0x563c5a8f1880, name = "/usr/share/knsrcfiles/xcursor.knsrc")
Could not stop all fwupd threads

^C
dkb@dkb-kuff:~$

Someone at AU is complaining about plasma-discover (in Kubuntu 19.10, plasmashell version not mentioned): 19.10: Plasma Discover takes a long time before enabling the “update all” button

(I know that running GUI apps from a terminal will produce a lot of stuff mostly relevant to developers and not to end users.)

I don't use Plasma Discover to update and so can't help the poster.

[claydoh]

This is likely exactly what the error is saying, though it is not in clear language. The New Stuff backend is the KDE Store, aka the former kde-look.org, gnome-look.org, etc. (opendesktop.org) This is the same place where the "Get New [THING]" in System Settings are sourced.
Each one of those lines in the output are for each of the look-and-feel categories available, via System Settings or Discover.

Sometimes the website/backend is wonky, suffering from some issue, and I don't think KDE is 100% in control of this (I may be wrong on this), so the message is literally saying:

"it took a very long time to fetch the data for Plasma themes"
"it took a very long time to fetch updates for window decorations"
etc etc etc.

As Discover is connecting to the same backend as System Settings, I'll wager that each of those sections, if accessed via System Settings, may take a bit to load.

The real issue for the user you are trying to help is very likely due to many factors, including:

• their location (often crappy internet)

• which Ubuntu server mirrors they are connecting to (if local AU mirrors, then notoriously bad, in my short experience over a few months at least. Plus there are not as many of them, iirc)

• The speed of the connection to any snap or flatpak servers (I find flathub to be slow at times, personally)
• the connection to The KDE Store, and any issues that they may have.

The thing to remember is that Discover as used in Kubuntu can be looking for updates for not only (1) Ubuntu packages ,(2) PPAs (which do NOT have local mirrors), (3)Snaps, and (4)flatpaks (if enabled), but also for (5+)Theme and other look-and-feel updates as well. (6)Plus the somewhat new *firmware* updates feature available in Discover, (as well as Gnome-Software). So, yeah, it can take a bit of extra time checking all of these places.

The firmware update thing is kind of cool. I got an unexpected security update for my Logitech wireless mouse/keyboard dongle a week or so back, which I had not used in well over a year or more.


Note that the warning messages as shown has zero to do with Discover itself, or even *buntu.

[chimak111]

@claydoh, thanks for taking the time to explain so thoroughly!