Synaptic does not start

[Wolf Rogner]

$ sudo synaptic
No protocol specified
Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused

(synaptic:4791): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: :0

syslog:

Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.ControlCenter.SearchProvider'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.Nautilus'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.Calculator.SearchProvider'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.Calendar'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.Gnote'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Activating service name='org.gnome.seahorse.Application'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.Calculator.SearchProvider'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.ControlCenter.SearchProvider'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.Gnote'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b gnome-shell[1629]: Received error from DBus search provider gnote.desktop: Gio.DBusError: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: No such interface 'org.gnome.Shell.SearchProvider2' on object at path /org/gnome/Gnote/SearchProvider
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.Nautilus'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.seahorse.Application'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b dbus-daemon[1595]: Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.Calendar'
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b org.gnome.Nautilus[1595]: sys:1: PyGIWarning: Nautilus was imported without specifying a version first. Use gi.require_version('Nautilus', '3.0') before import to ensure that the right version gets loaded.
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b org.gnome.Nautilus[1595]: sys:1: Warning: g_key_file_load_from_file: assertion 'file != NULL' failed
Sep 15 17:27:53 mbpr13b nautilus[6114]: Could not establish a connection to Tracker: Failed to load SPARQL backend: Key file does not have group “DomainOntology”
Sep 15 17:27:57 mbpr13b gnome-shell[1629]: clutter_actor_is_visible: assertion 'CLUTTER_IS_ACTOR (self)' failed
Sep 15 17:27:57 mbpr13b synaptic.desktop[6195]: No protocol specified
Sep 15 17:27:57 mbpr13b synaptic.desktop[6195]: Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Sep 15 17:27:57 mbpr13b synaptic[6196]: cannot open display: :0

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: synaptic 0.84.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-11.12-generic 4.13.1
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-11-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Sep 15 17:23:12 2017
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-09-05 (10 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha amd64 (20170902)
SourcePackage: synaptic
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Wolf Rogner (war-rsb)]

If I start synaptic from command line:

$ synaptic
Gtk-Message: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
[xcb] Extra reply data still left in queue
[xcb] This is most likely caused by a broken X extension library
[xcb] Aborting, sorry about that.
synaptic: ../../src/xcb_io.c:568: _XReply: Assertion `!xcb_xlib_extra_reply_data_left' failed.
Aborted

[dino99 (9d9)]

See lp:1713313 and the ubuntuforums thread about it.

[Wolf Rogner (war-rsb)]

Thanks for the redirect.

I read through the thread of 1713313 and even tried some of the mitigating suggestions. None worked.

And: I have a similarly set up machine (a MBPR15 instead of MBPR13) where the issue does not show.

Next I want to compare source versions to figure out whether I have not come across the issue yet or it is not existing in the other machine.

Are you absolutely sure about suggested reason policy-kit (as suggested in 1713313)?

Wayland was there before and it worked. So why not now?

Btw. The issue appeared after this upgrade:

Start-Date: 2017-09-15 11:42:10
Commandline: aptdaemon role='role-commit-packages' sender=':1.176'
Install: ubuntu-wallpapers-artful:amd64 (17.10.0-0ubuntu1, automatic)
Upgrade: gnome-control-center-data:amd64 (1:3.25.92.1-0ubuntu3, 1:3.26.0-0ubuntu1), libqpdf18:amd64 (7.0~b1-0ubuntu1, 7.0~b1-3), libcups2:amd64 (2.2.4-6ubuntu1, 2.2.4-7), gnome-session-common:amd64 (3.25.90-0ubuntu4, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), gir1.2-mutter-1:amd64 (3.25.91+20170902~ce515c5-1ubuntu1, 3.26.0-1), gvfs-backends:amd64 (1.33.91-0ubuntu1, 1.34.0-0ubuntu1), gnome-control-center:amd64 (1:3.25.92.1-0ubuntu3, 1:3.26.0-0ubuntu1), gvfs-bin:amd64 (1.33.91-0ubuntu1, 1.34.0-0ubuntu1), libgirepository-1.0-1:amd64 (1.53.2-4, 1.54.0-1), gnome-software-plugin-snap:amd64 (3.25.91-1ubuntu5, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), ubuntu-wallpapers-zesty:amd64 (17.04.1-0ubuntu1, 17.10.0-0ubuntu1), libgd3:amd64 (2.2.5-1, 2.2.5-2), libgs9:amd64 (9.21~dfsg+1-0ubuntu2, 9.21~dfsg+1-0ubuntu3), gnome-desktop3-data:amd64 (3.25.91.1-0ubuntu2, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), language-selector-common:amd64 (0.178, 0.179), libarchive13:amd64 (3.2.2-2, 3.2.2-3.1), virtualbox-guest-additions-iso:amd64 (5.1.26-1, 5.1.28-1), gnome-software:amd64 (3.25.91-1ubuntu5, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), libmutter-1-0:amd64 (3.25.91+20170902~ce515c5-1ubuntu1, 3.26.0-1), ubuntu-session:amd64 (3.25.90-0ubuntu4, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), libgtksourceview-3.0-common:amd64 (3.24.3-1, 3.24.4-1), virtualbox-dkms:amd64 (5.1.26-dfsg-2, 5.1.28-dfsg-1), cups-server-common:amd64 (2.2.4-6ubuntu1, 2.2.4-7), isc-dhcp-common:amd64 (4.3.5-3ubuntu1, 4.3.5-3ubuntu2), gir1.2-freedesktop:amd64 (1.53.2-4, 1.54.0-1), gdm3:amd64 (3.25.90.1-0ubuntu4, 3.26.0-1ubuntu1), cups-common:amd64 (2.2.4-6ubuntu1, 2.2.4-7), virtualbox-ext-pack:amd64 (5.1.26-1, 5.1.28-1), virtualbox:amd64 (5.1.26-dfsg-2, 5.1.28-dfsg-1), gir1.2-gdm-1.0:amd64 (3.25.90.1-0ubuntu4, 3.26.0-1ubuntu1), gir1.2-nautilus-3.0:amd64 (1:3.25.92-0ubuntu1, 1:3.26.0-0ubuntu1), mutter-common:amd64 (3.25.91+20170902~ce515c5-1ubuntu1, 3.26.0-1), libllvm3.9:amd64 (1:3.9.1-13ubuntu4, 1:3.9.1-13ubuntu6), gir1.2-gnomedesktop-3.0:amd64 (3.25.91.1-0ubuntu2, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), deja-dup:amd64 (36.0-0ubuntu1, 36.1-0ubuntu1), libgdm1:amd64 (3.25.90.1-0ubuntu4, 3.26.0-1ubuntu1), cups-filters:amd64 (1.17.5-0ubuntu1, 1.17.5-1), gvfs-libs:amd64 (1.33.91-0ubuntu1, 1.34.0-0ubuntu1), gvfs-fuse:amd64 (1.33.91-0ubuntu1, 1.34.0-0ubuntu1), nautilus:amd64 (1:3.25.92-0ubuntu1, 1:3.26.0-0ubuntu1), libnautilus-extension1a:amd64 (1:3.25.92-0ubuntu1, 1:3.26.0-0ubuntu1), libgnome-desktop-3-12:amd64 (3.25.91.1-0ubuntu2, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), adwaita-icon-theme:amd64 (3.25.91-0ubuntu1, 3.26.0-0ubuntu1), cups-ppdc:amd64 (2.2.4-6ub...

[dino99 (9d9)]

With a wayland session (now default), all you need is :
- open a terminal
- then copy/paste & execute: xhost +si:localuser:root

then you will be able to use synaptic

If you open a X11 session (i use lightdm here), then no problem.

note: if wayland/xwayland has been activated a while back, that issue has only appeared with the 3.25.92 'gnome & the likes' version

[Wolf Rogner (war-rsb)]

After further investigation I do agree that this is NOT an Synaptic issue.

However, your view about the cause is wrong I fear.

I do run Gnome 3.26 already.

I have a machine that is set up identically and synaptic works fine there.

I currently investigate why I cannot su root and call xhost even though access rights are set correctly.

Thanks for the hint though.

[Vincent Gerris (vgerris)]

thanks for the workaround:

It's reported here too:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=856469

It seems like a bug to me, the app should just start without any terminal work.