Yesterday, opening a report on Ubuntu 26.04 from my desktop shortcut started crashing my Gnucash 5.17 flatpak install. I don't use reports much so I hadn't noticed it was even happening.
Running in a terminal window using the "--env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1" option displayed the error "Error 71 (Protocol error) dispatching to Wayland display" which I've never seen before and running it with the alternative "env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1" option displayed the same error. After a bit of googling of the "Error 71 (Protocol error) dispatching to Wayland display" error I found a further option which worked - "__NV_DISABLE_EXPLICIT_SYNC=1". So just another option to try if the first 2 better known options don't work for you. There is an explanation of each of these options on the yaak.app webpage at https://yaak.app/docs/troubleshooting/linux-graphics-issues for those that want to know more. Cheers David H. On Mon, 26 Oct 2026 at 01:31, Adrien Monteleone < [email protected]> wrote: > Julie, > > Check David H's suggestion concerning the About dialog. I keep > forgetting that one. It takes the mystery out, thankfully! > > Once you have a grasp of what files you want to preserve and which type > of installation you want to stick with, then you'll know where to place > them and move on. > > Also take note of Tommy's answer above about creating a symbolic link > from the known good location to the other so you don't have to move > files around. Take special note too, that Tommy linked the GNC_DATA_HOME > folder itself, not individual files. That way, only one link is needed > and everything in it is visible to both types of installations. > > With reference to the flatpak version of the Exec command, I have this > on an Nvidia machine and it works: > > Exec=flatpak run --env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1 > --env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 org.gnucash.GnuCash > "/home/user_foo/.../my_book.gnucash" > > Here's how that breaks down: > > `flatpak run org.gnucash.GnuCash` > > is the actual command, which executes 'flatpak' and tells it to 'run' > 'org.gnucash.GnuCash' which is the official, full name of the flatpak > version of GnuCash, but inserted after "run" are: > > '--env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING_MODE=1` > > and, > > `env=WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1` > > which are the switches for 'run' that set environment variables to work > around the Nvidia problems. I already had the first one in there and > left it in just in case a future update for the Nvidia driver might > necessitate it again. There might be a cleaner way to do this, and > indeed, we can set the environment variables outside of this file rather > than having the command invoke it every time. > > The last part within the "" is the direct path to the book file I want. > I think there is a variable that can be used here instead to open the > last used file. (which is the GnuCash default way of doing things) But > this installation is for a family member's business and they only have > the one file. I discovered however that I needed to specify the full > path including "/home/user_foo/" because the shortcut "~/" didn't work. > GnuCash kept telling me it couldn't find the file. Yet if I clicked File > > Open, it brought me right to it! (specifying the full path, just > works without File > Open) > > In conversational English that translates to: > > "Hey flatpak, run GnuCash, but do it in a special environment, and > please, tell GnuCash to open specific file for me when it starts up." > > ---- > As for which version to use, that is mostly a personal preference with a > caveat: > > At some point in the near future, (end of March 2027) 6.0 is planned to > be released. (though it may be held back and another 5.x released > depending on 6.x Roadmap progress) > > It is generally not recommended to open books between two major versions > back and forth. (5.x and 6.x in this case) The last minor version is > usually okay, but still not a 'best practice'. (5.18? and 6.0) Thus, if > you keep one machine on flatpak it will eventually hit 6.0 and beyond, > while the other machine will be stuck on 5.5 until you upgrade the > underlying Operating System, and even then, you'll only get the newer > version of GnuCash that is in that new OS version's repository, which > could still be older than 6.0. > > This is a good reason to use flatpaks. They allow you to stay more up to > date for specific applications, but keep the underlying operating system > on a long term support release cycle. > > There's otherwise nothing inherently bad about staying on an older > version on both machines, save you won't benefit from any bug fixes from > newer versions until you update. You also get the benefit of perhaps > experiencing occasionally newly introduced bugs! > > No path is perfect. There are always tradeoffs. > > Whichever route you choose, I recommend doing the same on both machines > so they stay in-sync as long as you keep them otherwise equally up to date. > > > Regards, > Adrien > > On 10/25/26 12:52 AM, Julie G wrote: > > Fumes is right. This takes "it" out of me. But i do feel empowered > when i > > accomplish Stuff :-D > > So i managed to change the "exec=" line in the environment version such > > that my NVIDIA card no longer freezes my desktop. My laptop works (no > > NVIDIA) and runs the flatpak version. I wouldn't mind running the > flatpak > > version on the desktop because it can find the reports wherever they are > > already. While this might be great, it would only work if i managed to > > successfully change the "Exec=" line. > > > > Conversely, if i run the environment version, it 1) might not be possible > > to use the company file on both (?) And 2) it would mean either copying > the > > saved reports file/s to the needed location or recreating them. > > > > I've effectively identified what would be required of me with each > > scenario. It comes down to which option would be the easiest, and the > > version compatibility question. I don't actually work on the company > file > > all that often on the laptop, so that isn't a deal breaker. Conversely, > if > > i settle on the environment version, i could install that on the laptop > > too, and that would solve that. > > > > The remaining question is whether i can figure out where to copy the > saved > > reports file/s. If i can, i guess i'd go that route (environment on > > both). Otherwise, i'd punt to plan b. > > > > Is my logic sound? > > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > [email protected] > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list [email protected] To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
