Snap Store won't install. Error "cannot perform the following tasks..."

[Flávio Vivório Salles]

One day snaps were working fine and then I can’t even install anything and the Ubuntu Software won’t even work. I reinstalled snapd and snap-store but it won’t be reinstalled for some reason I don’t know. Here’s what I tried:

I tried reinstalling it with this command: sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoclean && sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade && sudo apt dist-upgrade && sudo apt install snapd -y && sudo snap install snap-store This is the output:

Obter:1 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 snapd amd64 2.48+20.04 [28,6 MB]
Obtidos 28,6 MB em 1min 10s (411 kB/s)
sh: 0: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
sh: 0: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
sh: 0: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
A seleccionar pacote anteriormente não seleccionado snapd.
(A ler a base de dados ... 330713 ficheiros e directórios actualmente
 instalados.)
A preparar para desempacotar .../snapd_2.48+20.04_amd64.deb ...
A descompactar snapd (2.48+20.04) ...
A instalar snapd (2.48+20.04) ...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.app
armor.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.apparmor.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.aut
oimport.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.autoimport.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.cor
e-fixup.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.core-fixup.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.rec
overy-chooser-trigger.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.recovery-ch
ooser-trigger.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.see
ded.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.seeded.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/cloud-final.service.wants/snapd.s
eeded.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.seeded.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/snapd.ser
vice → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/timers.target.wants/snapd.snap-re
pair.timer → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.snap-repair.timer.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/sockets.target.wants/snapd.socket
 → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.socket.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/final.target.wants/snapd.system-s
hutdown.service → /lib/systemd/system/snapd.system-shutdown.service.
snapd.failure.service is a disabled or a static unit, not starting it
.
snapd.snap-repair.service is a disabled or a static unit, not startin
g it.
A processar 'triggers' para mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
A processar 'triggers' para gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
A processar 'triggers' para man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
A processar 'triggers' para dbus (1.12.16-2ubuntu2.1) ...
A processar 'triggers' para desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu3) ...

I guess that maybe there is a problem here:
snapd.failure.service is a disabled or a static unit, not starting it.
snapd.snap-repair.service is a disabled or a static unit, not starting it.

After I install snapd I try to install the Snap Store. Here’s the output:
$ sudo snap install snap-store error: cannot perform the following tasks: Run configure hook of "snap-store" snap if present (run hook "configure": ----- Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/65-nonlatin.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'selector' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/65-nonlatin.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/65-nonlatin.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version' Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/65-nonlatin.conf", line 8: unknown element "description" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 4: unknown element "its:rules" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 5: unknown element "its:translateRule" Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'translate' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'selector' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/69-unifont.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version' Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 4: unknown element "its:rules" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 5: unknown element "its:translateRule" Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'translate' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'selector' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version' Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/70-no-bitmaps.conf", line 8: unknown element "description" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 4: unknown element "its:rules" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 5: unknown element "its:translateRule" Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'translate' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'selector' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version' Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 4: unknown element "its:rules" Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 5: unknown element "its:translateRule" Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'translate' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 5: invalid attribute 'selector' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'xmlns:its' Fontconfig error: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/90-synthetic.conf", line 6: invalid attribute 'version' /usr/share/fonts: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 7 dirs /usr/share/fonts/FontBase: /usr/share/fonts/FontBase: error scanning /usr/share/fonts/X11: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 4 dirs /usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1: caching, new cache contents: 8 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/X11/encodings: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 1 dirs /usr/share/fonts/X11/encodings/large: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc: caching, new cache contents: 89 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/X11/util: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/cMap: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/cmap: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/opentype: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 3 dirs /usr/share/fonts/opentype/malayalam: caching, new cache contents: 7 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/opentype/noto: caching, new cache contents: 28 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/opentype/urw-base35: caching, new cache contents: 35 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 48 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Gargi: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Gubbi: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Nakula: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Navilu: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Sahadeva: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/Sarai: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/abyssinica: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/arphic: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu: caching, new cache contents: 6 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/droid: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-beng-extra: caching, new cache contents: 6 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-deva-extra: caching, new cache contents: 3 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-gujr-extra: caching, new cache contents: 5 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-guru-extra: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-kalapi: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-orya-extra: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-telu-extra: caching, new cache contents: 2 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/fonts-yrsa-rasa: caching, new cache contents: 10 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/freefont: caching, new cache contents: 12 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/kacst: caching, new cache contents: 15 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/kacst-one: caching, new cache contents: 2 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lao: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/liberation: caching, new cache contents: 16 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/liberation2: caching, new cache contents: 12 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-assamese: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-bengali: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-devanagari: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-gujarati: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-kannada: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-malayalam: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-oriya: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-punjabi: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-tamil: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-tamil-classical: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/lohit-telugu: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/malayalam: caching, new cache contents: 10 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts: caching, new cache contents: 60 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/noto: caching, new cache contents: 2 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/padauk: caching, new cache contents: 4 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/pagul: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/samyak: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/samyak-fonts: caching, new cache contents: 3 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/sinhala: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/tibetan-machine: caching, new cache contents: 1 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/tlwg: caching, new cache contents: 58 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-khmeros-core: caching, new cache contents: 2 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ubuntu: caching, new cache contents: 14 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/type1: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 2 dirs /usr/share/fonts/type1/gsfonts: caching, new cache contents: 35 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/share/fonts/type1/urw-base35: caching, new cache contents: 35 fonts, 0 dirs /usr/local/share/fonts: caching, new cache contents: 0 fonts, 0 dirs /var/snap/snap-store/common/fontconfig: cleaning cache directory /var/cache/fontconfig: not cleaning unwritable cache directory /snap/snap-store/518/gnome-platform/usr/bin/fc-cache: failed -----)

For some reason I don’t understand I am able to install some apps. So I installed hello-world. Here’s the output of snap version:

snap 2.48+20.04
snapd 2.48+20.04
series 16
ubuntu 20.04
kernel 5.4.0-58-generic

I also collected the output of the following commands: apt-cache policy snapd and "dpkg -l "snap*". Here’s the output:

snapd:
  Installed: 2.48+20.04
  Candidate: 2.48+20.04
  Tabela de Versão:
 *** 2.48+20.04 500
        500 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.45.1+20.04.2 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages
     2.44.3+20.04 500
        500 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages

and

sh: 0: getcwd() failed: No such file or directory
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait>
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Nome Versão Arquitectura Descrição
+++-==============-============-============-=======================>
un snap <nenhuma> <nenhuma> (sem descrição disponív>
un snap-confine <nenhuma> <nenhuma> (sem descrição disponív>
ii snapd 2.48+20.04 amd64 Daemon and tooling that>
un snapd-xdg-open <nenhuma> <nenhuma> (sem descrição disponív>
lines 1-9/9 (END)

System info:

Ubuntu version: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
Linux Kernel version: 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64 GNU/Linux
Intel® Core™ i3-8130U CPU @ 2.20GHz × 4

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report, it seems snapd is in a broken state, reassigning there. Did you try disabling snapd in the past by changing system units?

[Ian Johnson (anonymouse67)]

I added back snap-store-desktop because the error message here says that the configure hook of the snap-store-desktop is what is failing:

```
Run configure hook of "snap-store" snap if present (run hook "configure": ----- Fontconfig error
```

the configure hook is shipped as part of the snap-store snap, not as part of snapd. I am betting that the underlying cause of the configure hook failure is something related to fonts on your system, but I don't know enough about the configure hook in the snap-store snap to know what could go wrong there, but it's possible that configure hook is generated by the snapcraft extension in which case maybe this is a snapcraft bug.

[Flávio Vivório Salles (flaviovivorio)]

Hello! Answering your question: "Did you try disabling snapd in the past by changing system units?" - no I don't remember doing that. I rarely did something with anything related to snaps. I only install and uninstall snaps through Ubuntu Software.

I don't really understand what does the installed fonts have to do with it.

Here's how I fixed this issue:

1. I installed Flatpak (sudo apt install flatpak)
2. I installed the Gnome Software Center plugin (sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak)

For some reason it fixed the Ubuntu app store and now I can install Snap packages and Flatpak packages using the same Gnome Software Center. It is not exactly what I was looking for, but it's working.