Gnome-software fails to start & closes abruptly on ubuntuMATE 20.04

Support & Help Requests
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#1

I recently made a clean install of ubuntuMATE 20.04 on my computer and everything was working fine.

However, yesterday I opened the Gnome software program to browse some applications. The first time it opened as expected, but from the second time on, whenever I click the icon on the menu the program only appears on the lower panel and after 10 seconds it disappears, as if it was trying to open but failed. Curiously, when I run gnome-software from the boutique or from the terminal, it works, but when I do so from the menu it doesn't.

I tried reinstalling it from both the terminal and the software boutique and rebooting, but it shows the same bad behavior as before. It may be useful to include a picture of the output gnome-software shows when run from the terminal:

gnome-software_misbehavior

Also, I checked the command on the menu used to open this program and it shows "gnome-software %U". I don't know the meaning of %U, but I tried to run it without it by editing the menu and nothing changed, so I restored it as it was.

Edit:
As requested here are the last contents of my .xession-errors file:

session-errors

Most of its content is this repeated several time.

#2

Please post the contents of your .xsession-errors file. This file is located in your home directory. It is a hidden file so to view it you must instruct your file manager to show hidden files. In Caja -- the MATE file manager (probably no news to you) -- press Ctrl-H.

1 Like
#3

I discovered almost the same issue, as Sapemi reported. I also started with a clean install of ubuntu MATE 20.04.

After installing gnome-software /var/log/apt/history.log shows what has been installed:

gnome-software:amd64 (3.36.1-0ubuntu0.20.04.0), 
libappstream-glib8:amd64 (0.7.16-1ubuntu1, automatic), 
apt-config-icons:amd64 (0.12.10-2, automatic), 
gnome-software-common:amd64 (3.36.1-0ubuntu0.20.04.0, automatic)

Starting gnome-software in Mate Terminal looks pretty much like Sapemi reported:

11:36:02:0910 GLib-GIO g_app_info_get_name: assertion 'G_IS_APP_INFO (appinfo)' failed 11:36:07:0580 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0580 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0580 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:07:0581 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:08:0218 Gs plugin appstream took 5,0 seconds to do setup 11:36:08:0224 Gs enabled plugins: desktop-categories, fwupd, os-release, packagekit, packagekit-local, packagekit-offline, packagekit-proxy, packagekit-refine-repos, packagekit-refresh, packagekit-upgrade, packagekit-url-to-app, appstream, desktop-menu-path, hardcoded-blacklist, modalias, odrs, packagekit-refine, rewrite-resource, packagekit-history, provenance, systemd-updates, generic-updates, provenance-license, icons, key-colors, key-colors-metadata 11:36:08:0224 Gs disabled plugins: dpkg, dummy, repos 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0524 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0525 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0525 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:26:0525 XbSilo xb_builder_node_unlink: assertion 'XB_IS_BUILDER_NODE (self)' failed 11:36:27:0365 Gs Only 0 apps for popular list, hiding 11:36:27:0367 Gs Only 0 apps for recent list, hiding 11:36:27:0370 Gs hiding category audio-video featured applications: found only 0 to show, need at least 9 11:36:27:0371 Gs hiding category productivity featured applications: found only 0 to show, need at least 9 11:36:29:0926 Gs CSS parse error 1:107: Using one color stop with linear-gradient() is deprecated.

gnome-software opens the graphical interface as expected, but closing the window only closes the window, gnome-software itself doesn't terminate ! It is necessary to terminate the job with ctrl-C. Otherwise it runs and runs and runs .... :

ps -elf | grep gnome-software
0 S randalf    64285    1847  6  80   0 - 289960 poll_s 02:26 pts/0   00:00:06 gnome-software
0 S randalf    64781    1847  0  80   0 -  2353 pipe_w 02:28 pts/0    00:00:00 grep --color=auto gnome-software
#4

regarding .xsessions-errors
I have cleaned¹ .xsessions-errors prior starting gnome-software. But after closing (killing) gnome-software .xsession-errors is still empty !!!

Maybe this is no substantial problem. But I'm in doubt. I will not use gnome-software until an explanation is found.

cleaned¹:

mv .xsession-errors .xsession-errors.1
touch .xsession-errors