"Don't know how to handle 'file:///home/<username>/Downloads/<filename>.flatpakref'"

[Jeb E.]

After installing Flatpak and the plugin for GNOME Software, Flatpaks downloaded from the Flatpak website (flathub.org/apps) are not able to be opened in the GNOME Software Center, with the program giving me the following error:
"Don't know how to handle 'file:///home/<username>/Downloads/<filename>.flatpakref'."

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gnome-software 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-22.24-generic 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-22-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Jun 10 07:44:30 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-06-09 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
InstalledPlugins:
 gnome-software-plugin-flatpak 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
 gnome-software-plugin-limba N/A
 gnome-software-plugin-snap 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-software
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

-----
>>> IDENTICAL BUG IN GNOME'S GITLAB: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/issues/400/ <<<

[shock99er (shocker-tiscali)]

Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS with Gnome as DE.

In my case every time I start Gnome Software center a pop up window appears with the message:

"Impossibile gestre <'file:///home/<username>", which translated into English is similar to your message.

Shock99er

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

@shock99er: yours is probably a different issue.

@Jeb: I'm seeing a slightly different problem. Note that after installing gnome-software-plugin-flatpak, you'll need to kill the running instance of gnome-software for it to reload the flatpak plugin (`killall gnome-software`). When I do that and download the gimp flatpak from https://flathub.org/apps/details/org.gimp.GIMP, gnome-software then complains that runtime "org.gnome.Platform" is not available.

This looks similar to bug #1754864, although not exactly the same issue. In this case, I think the problem is that gnome-software doesn't know where to find the GNOME platform runtime, because it is missing the corresponding flatpakrepo file.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

@Jeb: can you confirm that after killing and restarting gnome-software, you're seeing the same issue I describe?

[Jeb E. (jebeld17)]

@olivier.tilloy, unfortunately my system is not in the same exact state as
it was in early June, so I cannot provide an answer knowing nothing else to
the system has happened between then and now.

As far as I remember, rebooting the system nor the Software Center resolved
the issue, at that time.

Whe it comes to actually working though, Software Center now opens the
files okay, but it takes an excessive amount of time to "load" the
information on-screen about the package being installed. (I assume that
would be a different bug?)

Thank you for helping me out and your contributions to the community! 😊

Reply from:
Sep 6, 2018, 11:21 AM Olivier Tilloy <email address hidden> wrote:

> @Jeb: can you confirm that after killing and restarting gnome-software,
> you're seeing the same issue I describe?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1776069
>
> Title:
> "Don't know how to handle
> 'file:///home/<username>/Downloads/<filename>.flatpakref'"
>
> Status in GNOME Software:
> Confirmed
> Status in gnome-software package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> After installing Flatpak and the plugin for GNOME Software, Flatpaks
> downloaded from the Flatpak website (flathub.org/apps) are not able to be
> opened in the GNOME Software Center, with the program giving me the
> following error:
> "Don't know how to handle
> 'file:///home/<username>/Downloads/<filename>.flatpakref'."
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
> Package: gnome-software 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-22.24-generic 4.15.17
> Uname: Linux 4.15.0-22-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
> Architecture: amd64
> CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
> Date: Sun Jun 10 07:44:30 2018
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-06-09 (0 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64
> (20180426)
> InstalledPlugins:
> gnome-software-plugin-flatpak 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
> gnome-software-plugin-limba N/A
> gnome-software-plugin-snap 3.28.1-0ubuntu4
> ProcEnviron:
> PATH=(custom, no user)
> XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: gnome-software
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> -----
> >>> IDENTICAL BUG IN GNOME'S GITLAB:
> https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/issues/400/ <<<
>
>
>

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

@Jeb: so if I understand correctly the issue as initially reported cannot be reproduced any longer? Can it be closed?

Regarding the excessive amount of time to load the information on screen, please file a separate bug indeed. Thanks!

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Do you still see the issue in newer Ubuntu series?

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

This issue has sat with a status of 'Incomplete' for more than two years now without any response from the reporter so it is being closed as 'Invalid'. (The upstream GNOME issue was closed due to no activity in this report).

Please feel free to re-open this bug report if this is still an issue when using a currently supported release of Ubuntu and tell us in which release you still experience this issue.