Universal Blue•2d ago

Unable to use Fuzzel launcher via Distrobox

I'm trying to install and use the Fuzzel launcher. I am installing it in an Arch container. It installs correctly (via pacman -S fuzzel). I can export it. The app runs from the host. When I try to use it to actually launch an app though, the launcher disappears but the app never launches. I'm wondering if anyone has a workaround or maybe just an understanding why it fails. I tried filing an issue first with fuzzel, and they suggested I try here. Check there for more details.

20 Replies

termdisc•2d ago

sometimes the exported distrobox shortcut uses the wrong target app. can you upload the contents of ~/.local/share/applications/<fuzzel shortcut>? I'm trying to install this to an arch box, but it isn't working for me to check this for you

📦[outphase@temparch ~]$ fuzzel
 err: wayland.c:2374: compositor is missing support for the Wayland layer surface protocol
 err: fdm.c:132: no such FD: 6
📦[outphase@temparch ~]$ distrobox-export -a fuzzel
Error: cannot find any desktop files.
Error: trying to export a non-installed application.

📦[outphase@temparch ~]$ fuzzel
 err: wayland.c:2374: compositor is missing support for the Wayland layer surface protocol
 err: fdm.c:132: no such FD: 6
📦[outphase@temparch ~]$ distrobox-export -a fuzzel
Error: cannot find any desktop files.
Error: trying to export a non-installed application.

after installing via sudo pacman -S fuzzel although my issue may be a gnome-specific thing

RadDevon•2d ago

I had to export a binary even though the command starts a GUI, so maybe that's the issue with the export. Not sure why you can't run it from the container though. Oh, maybe you're on X11? I think Fuzzel may only work with Wayland.

termdisc•2d ago

it's a gnome-specific thing. gnome doesn't support the wayland layer surface protocol

RadDevon•2d ago

Contents of the shortcut:

#!/bin/sh
# distrobox_binary
# name: arch
if [ -z "${CONTAINER_ID}" ]; then
        exec "/usr/bin/distrobox-enter"  -n arch  --  '/usr/bin/fuzzel'  "$@"
elif [ -n "${CONTAINER_ID}" ] && [ "${CONTAINER_ID}" != "arch" ]; then
        exec distrobox-host-exec '/home/raddevon/.local/bin/fuzzel' "$@"
else
        exec '/usr/bin/fuzzel' "$@"
fi

#!/bin/sh
# distrobox_binary
# name: arch
if [ -z "${CONTAINER_ID}" ]; then
        exec "/usr/bin/distrobox-enter"  -n arch  --  '/usr/bin/fuzzel'  "$@"
elif [ -n "${CONTAINER_ID}" ] && [ "${CONTAINER_ID}" != "arch" ]; then
        exec distrobox-host-exec '/home/raddevon/.local/bin/fuzzel' "$@"
else
        exec '/usr/bin/fuzzel' "$@"
fi

termdisc•2d ago

can you give an example of the way you're trying to invoke it? I got it loaded up in a VM running bazzite kde now also have it exported out. I just need an idea of what you're trying to do and how

RadDevon•2d ago

Sure. I'm invoking with the bare command (fuzzel) which should invoke as an app launcher, listing all the .desktop files. That does work. I see the GUI, but no matter which app I select (arrow to select and enter), the GUI goes away but the app never launches.

termdisc•2d ago

I see. it all depends on how fuzzel finds its app targets. if it's searching ~/.local/share/applications for example, it won't work because it's trying to access it from the container side because anything in that folder is installed to the host

RadDevon•2d ago

It lists the .desktop files, so I'm assuming it uses the paths in those.

termdisc•2d ago

that would be an issue because those desktop files are pointing to apps that are not installed within the container but the container wouldn't be able to interpret them otherwise so if a .desktop is pointing to /usr/bin/myCoolApp, fuzzel inside the container will try to run /usr/bin/myCoolApp within the container, which wouldn't exist it wouldn't be able to launch an app that is installed outside of the container

RadDevon•2d ago

Makes sense. And the export doesn't really do anything to help with that then. So, if it's passing that path to xdg-open, it would pass it to the binary on the container which would then fail to open it.

termdisc•2d ago

that would be my guess yes

RadDevon•2d ago

OK, cool. Thank you for taking a look at it!

termdisc•2d ago

this may be a good candidate for layering in the package with rpm-ostree, even if it is out of date

RadDevon•2d ago

I don't think there's an RPM for it yet sadly, but I'll take another look. I also wanted to install Espanso, and had the same problem there: no RPM for the Wayland version.

termdisc•2d ago

or maybe nix unstable, but I don't know if using nix would recreate the same problem

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Unable to use Fuzzel launcher via Distrobox