Krita won't run, other graphics programs missing icons, many problems

[jeffjot]

Enthused about Manjaro starting out but finding a number of graphics programs that ran fine on Linux Mint are not running on the OS.
The first is Kolourpaint installed off the system package manager, which loaded, but all of the icons on the left toolbox are white-on-white, and invisible no matter what is tried.

Next I tried deepin-draw 5.8.0.20-2, and had the same issue. All the icons are invisible. When I launch the program as root, they are visible… but this of course is never recommended.
I next tried Krita 4.4.1-8, looking for another alternative, off the Package Mangaer. This installed, but when I launch the program, I just get “Krita closed unexpectedly”. If I try starting it from the command line, I get:

KCrash: crashing… crashRecursionCounter = 2
KCrash: Application Name = krita path = /usr/bin pid = 86817
KCrash: Arguments: /usr/bin/krita
KCrash: Attempting to start /usr/lib/drkonqi
QSystemTrayIcon::setVisible: No Icon set
qt.qpa.xcb: QXcbConnection: XCB error: 5 (BadAtom), sequence: 552, resource id: 0, major code: 20 (GetProperty), minor code: 0

I then tried installing Krita directly off this Manjaro page, using the sudo snapd command:

Install Krita on Manjaro Linux using the Snap Store | Snapcraft

followed the prompts, and the program would not run. Instead I got a “Run configure hook of core snap if present” error.

So, I found this page. Albeit the wrong OS, but least it was Linux and the same error.

Never ending "Run configure hook of core snap if present"

The gist of what I got from this was to remove the ‘snap’ command and reinstall, and then try re-installing Krita.
I uninstalled ‘snap’, but now snap won’t re-install using Pacman.
So I then tried installing snap from the Package Manager. It installed, but off the command line, ‘snap’ is now no longer found. I appear to have simply lost it for good.

One of the drawbacks I’m finding is so many linux articles use “sudo apt-get”, but this command is not compatible with Manjaro, so you don’t have access to a lot of Linux packages. I understand pacman, but does Manjaro keep its own completely separate package list? Or is there a way to access the rest of the linux software.

I now have Krita installed from the Package Manager, but it simply says, “Krita Closed Unexpectedly” whenever launched from the menu.
arrrghhhh…

[Tomek]

@jeffjot

The first is Kolourpaint installed off the system package manager, which loaded, but all of the icons on the left toolbox are white-on-white, and invisible no matter what is tried.

Probably you have set icons for dark themes, so go to system settings and change theme to dark or icons for light.

@jeffjot

So I then tried installing snap from the Package Manager. It installed, but off the command line, ‘snap’ is now no longer found. I appear to have simply lost it for good.

You need also install pamac-snap-plugin for full support in pamac.

[jeffjot]

None of these options worked. Can you tell me what commands you are saying to type? thanks

[realmain]

I find it weird that Krita isn’t working for you… I have it installed on 4 different computers (all running different configs of Manjaro), and never ran into that issue.

What version of Manjaro are you running? I assume you downloaded the ISO from the main website.

@jeffjot

None of these options worked. Can you tell me what commands you are saying to type? thanks

It’s pamac-snap-plugin, not pacman-snap-plugin. It is a plugin for pamac, not a plugin for pacman. pacman doesn’t have snap support, but pamac does. pamac is a package manager created by the Manjaro Team that has both a CLI & GUI.

sudo pacman -Syu pamac-snap-plugin

Also, never use pacman -S, always use pacman -Syu to prevent partial upgrades.

I actually wonder if this was your issue. That you’re partially upgrading your packages, causing other applications to break. The only time pacman -S can be used if you 100% know that everything is in sync and upgraded already on your computer.

Did you run sudo pacman -Syu after you installed Manjaro?

@jeffjot

I uninstalled ‘snap’, but now snap won’t re-install using Pacman.

Did you try to install it via sudo pacman -Syu snapd?

The package is snapd not snap.

@jeffjot

One of the drawbacks I’m finding is so many linux articles use “sudo apt-get”, but this command is not compatible with Manjaro, so you don’t have access to a lot of Linux packages. I understand pacman, but does Manjaro keep its own completely separate package list? Or is there a way to access the rest of the linux software.

Actually, from my personal experience, Manjaro and Arch-based Distros in general have more packages available than any other distro when using the official Repo and AUR. It’s one of the reasons why I started using Manjaro.

1. You can check if Manjaro has a package in it’s repo using the branch compare on the website or using pamac or any other package manager on Manjaro itself.

2. If the package doesn’t exist within Manjaro repo, you can check if AUR has the package.

3. If it doesn’t exist in Manjaro repo or AUR, then you can look at flatpak, snap, or appimage.

[jeffjot]

sudo pacman -Syu pamac-snap-plugin>>>
This worked, bingo.

Probably you have set icons for dark themes, so go to system settings and change theme to dark or icons for light.

Amazingly, under System Settings–> Themes–> Icons, this did the trick. Not sure how I missed this.
I changed the Icon color and they appear to be showing. Not as colorful as they were under Mint, but who cares. At least I can see which is which. Fantastic.

What version of Manjaro are you running? I assume you downloaded the ISO from the main website.>>

I’m using Manjaro Cinnamon:
DISTRIB_ID=ManjaroLinux
DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.2.1
DISTRIB_CODENAME=Nibia
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=“Manjaro Linux”

Did you try to install it via sudo pacman -Syu snapd?>>
This worked also.

You guys are on a roll.
If I can get Krita working I’ll be in business.
Strangely, it does not work when installed off the Package Manager.

The other application I’ve been trying to find is devilspie2.

I see it here under ArchLinux:
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/devilspie2/

But I don’t see any instructions on the page anywhere how it is actually installed.
There are source files listed to download, but no procedure given to install the software.
How are archlinux packages installed?

[jeffjot]

Uninstalled Krita with Package Installer and tried off this website.
Failed with an error message: "error: too early for operation, device not yet seeded or device model not acknowledged:

[realmain]

Btw, you need to work on your quoting

You can highlight text and click on “quote” to quote the comments.

@jeffjot

How are archlinux packages installed?

That isn’t an Arch Linux Package. It’s a user built PKGBUILD. You build the package yourself on your computer from the PKGBUILD, though some of them are prebuilt bin, which is nice on slower computers.

If you don’t know what AUR is, please read about it before using it:

• Arch User Repository - Manjaro
• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository

Remember to always read the comments of the package on AUR before installing it.

You can view the PKGBUILD to see if there are any issues with trust or malware too, because it’s user created, not distro managed.

To use AUR, you need an AUR helper to make it easier. yay and pacaur are popular ones, but there are plenty more.

That being said, you are on Manjaro and have pamac, which also can build AUR packages, and works really well actually.

You can either use the GUI after turning it on, or use the CLI and type pamac build devilspie2

@jeffjot

If I can get Krita working I’ll be in business.
Strangely, it does not work when installed off the Package Manager.

So, when you install the package via sudo pacman -Syu krita or pamac install krita, after krita installs and you launch it, it still has the same issue with it crashing? Did you also try restarting your computer?

@jeffjot

Uninstalled Krita with Package Installer and tried off this website.
Failed with an error message: "error: too early for operation, device not yet seeded or device model not acknowledged:

Now that you have pamac-snap-plugin installed, try using the pamac GUI to install the snap package to see if it works. You have to go into pamac settings and enable the Snap toggle, which is easy.

If you want to try to flatpak of Krita instead, you can install pamac-flatpak-plugin to enable it in pamac.

[jeffjot]

This worked:

pamac search -a devilspie2
pamac build devilspie2

That simple. It appears ‘devilspie’ installation instructions are everywhere on the web, but nobody uses it lol. Only the ‘2’ version if that.
Its ‘pacman’ and ‘pamac’, not ‘pacman’ and ‘pacmac’
How I ended up with pacmac idk

I’ll try the other two command lines for krita and reboot

[realmain]

Just don’t forget, pacman and pamac are 2 different package managers.

pacman is an arch-based package manager that Manjaro also supports, since Manjaro is arch-based. It is CLI

pamac is a package manager built by the Manjaro Team. It is both a CLI and GUI package manager.

[jeffjot]

dr. Konqi strikes again

Appears the application won’t run on this version of Manjaro, either using pamac command line, or Package Manager.

[realmain]

I just installed it on 2 of my computers (KDE and Openbox variants) and it worked without issues. I don’t know why it’s having issues on your end.

The only other options is to use the snap, flatpak, or appimage versions which are all self contained.

Someone more knowledgeable will have to help with the in repo one for you.

[jeffjot]

This—

Now that you have pamac-snap-plugin installed, try using the pamac GUI to install the snap package to see if it works. You have to go into pamac settings and enable the Snap toggle, which is easy.
If you want to try to flatpak of Krita instead, you can install pamac-flatpak-plugin to enable it in pamac.

There is a flip option in the pamac gui, three dots–> Preferences to enable flatpak and snapd files in the search. Then a newer version of Krita appeared (4.4.2). Uninstalled the old one and tried that, and it works. Woohoo!!

Yes thats a great thing to know. There are way more packages available through the GUI after checking those settings.
I think we’re at 100%, got everything. thanks folks!