Proton Authenticator app not starting

User Support General
1

I have installed the Proton Authenticator App in a standalone Qube based on a fedora-42-xfce template, and in a standalone Qube based on a fedora-42 template following this guide: How to install and set up the Proton Authenticator Linux app | Proton .
After installation and selecting the Authenticator App in the Qubes Setting Applications tab, the Authenticator App shows up in the Qubes App menu.
However, when clicking on the App in the App menu nothing happens.
Suggestions very welcome.

2

Could you try to follow this section of the docs?

And provide the output?

3

running in dom0:
“$ qvm-run -a --service – X qubes.StartApp+Authenticator”
results in the output:
“$ Running ‘qubes.StartApp+Authenticator’ on X”
but without the Authenticator app startinng in X.

Running the command in the qube X:

[user@X qubes-rpc]$ qvm-run -a --service /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.StartApp Authenticator
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/usr/bin/qvm-run”, line 5, in
sys.exit(main())
~~~~^^
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py”, line 235, in main
args = parser.parse_args(args, app=app)
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/tools/init.py”, line 403, in parse_args
action.parse_qubes_app(self, namespace)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/tools/init.py”, line 174, in parse_qubes_app
namespace.domains += [app.domains[vm_name]]
~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/app.py”, line 108, in getitem
if not self.app.blind_mode and item not in self:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/app.py”, line 143, in contains
self.refresh_cache()
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/app.py”, line 72, in refresh_cache
vm_list_data = self.app.qubesd_call(
‘dom0’,
‘admin.vm.List’
)
File “/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/qubesadmin/app.py”, line 912, in qubesd_call
raise qubesadmin.exc.QubesDaemonAccessError(
‘Service call error: %s’, stderr.decode())
qubesadmin.exc.QubesDaemonAccessError: Service call error: Request refused

4

Next times, could you format you command-line commands and outputs with three backticks around? (like the following)

```
$ qvm-run ...
```

The command in X qubes-rpc should not useqvm-run, it should be:

$ /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.StartApp Authenticator
5

Ok, will do.
I ran these three commands:

[user@X ~]$ /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.StartApp ProtonAuthenticator
ProtonAuthenticator not found in /home/user/.local/share:/home/user/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share/:/usr/share/:/var/lib/snapd/desktop

[user@X ~]$ /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.StartApp Proton Authenticator
This service requires an argument

[user@X ~]$ /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.StartApp Authenticator
Authenticator not found in /home/user/.local/share:/home/user/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share/:/usr/share/:/var/lib/snapd/desktop
6

Without using any of these qubes command, are you able to start the application from a terminal in the “X” qube? Is it in the $PATH environment variable?

7

have you tried to run it in appvm terminal?
I’ve tried and it runs.
Then I’ve checked desktop files that runs it from Dom0 - it runs Authenticator.desktop file.
Then I’ve chcked template /usr/share/applications/ for it… wait for it, there is not Authenticator.desktop file, instead

Proton Authenticator.desktop

just rename it to Authenticator.desktop and it works flawlessly

PS: Qubes OS desktop handling routine don’t like spaces in .desktop files I gues, because it should recognize .desktop file as Proton Authenticator.desktop but it does as Authenticator.desktop

PS2: Wrong handling of desktop entries with space in name · Issue #9834 · QubesOS/qubes-issues · GitHub

1 Like
8

Thank you parulin and KitsuneNoBaka.
Problem solved.

1 Like
9

I opened this issue but completely forgot about it! :sweat_smile: Thanks!

1 Like