Problem installing an app. Please help

User Support
,
1

Hello. Ive had some trouble installing an application. I have tried a lot of different things, I will explain.
So basically, this app is supposed to support Fedora and Debian virtual machines, it does not specifically mention Qubes, it mentiones “VMWare or Virtualbox.” I just cannot get the app to open when I install it.
So far, I have tried to directly install it onto the AppVM qubes, the problem is that the installer places a ‘.desktop’ file onto the desktop, and I can only open it with a text editor. I can’t get that file to execute as a GUI application even though I have went into the actual .desktop file and made sure that it’s designed to be opened as a GUI application rather than a terminal application, and it seemingly has the correct information in that file. I checked the file permissions and they appear to be correct, its listed as an executable, and it has RWX permission. It will only open in text editor though.

When that didn’t work, I moved onto a Template, to see if I could get the application to launch by placing it into the actual /usr/share/applications file and adding the application to the ‘applications’ list in the settings on the VM’s. I did that, and still it didn’t work. I have a feeling that there is a problem with the permissions keeping this from opening. And I don’t know if this makes a difference but when I go to the location where all of the files are actually installed, not the desktop file, the actual files the installer places onto the machine, there is something about “not a shared library file” when I try to run some of the files. The uninstaller there will run fine but I have no idea where I should go from here.

If anyone has any information that you think could help me I would truly appreciate it, I will also try to be very specific if there needs to be more information. Aside from installing this app, these VM’s are fresh installations of Debian 11 or Fedora 37. My final idea would be to somehow get VirtualBox or VMWare working on this, or a Windows Qube for the app.

Thanks for reading.

This is the latest version of Qubes.

My computers dependencies do fit the requirements for the application.

2

The desktop file is not the application executable, but a descriptive file that tells the OS about the application.

You want to launch the application; for that you must know the application executable name. You can check inside the desktop file in the line beginning with “Exec=” what the application executable name is. You could try running the command in that line from a terminal, but it’s not guaranteed to work; otherwise try running the executable directly.

You can do this in an AppVM after installing the application there, but be aware that once you reboot that AppVM the application is likely gone; for persistence you need to install it (properly) in a template and then you should only use it in an AppVM based on that template instead of running it in the template. Note that after you install in the template you must shut down the template and then start (or restart) the AppVM based on that template within which you want to run the application.

1 Like
3

Gotya, I tried doing that and it still wouldnt open, which is weird because the uninstall file will open, same as the installer. But the actual application file wont. I will assume its not compatible. Thanks for your reply!

4

Did you try to install the app in a StandaloneVM? Did you check this guide?

Also, if your app requires virtualization, then on Qubes it means you need nested virtualization, which is somewhat_complicated or impossible.