Joplin blank and can't close

[Lew]

Desktop version: can't say which one because Joplin won't start up normally!
Instead it shows a white screen with just the name Joplin in the top bar and no menu or anything else and also no way of closing this.
This also means I cannot follow the instructions for debugging, as suggested on the website.
Syncing with Android phone Joplin 2.8.1 (which does still work!)
LinuxMint_Cinnamon 21.1

The problem started when I clicked on New Profile; I don't know what a profile stands for in Joplin and wanted to find out
I have used Joplin a bit in the past but had it aside for a while, but there are quite a few notes I don't want to lose.

[dpoulton]

If this is being caused by a profile (which is like creating an additional, separate notes user within Joplin) you could try deleting it to see if Joplin then starts properly.

See this post:

How can i delete a profile

@colego welcome to the forum. I do not use this feature but I have had a look to see how the profile can be deleted. I could not find a way to do it using Joplin itself so it seems that the profile has to be manually deleted from Joplin's configuration files. When dealing with configuration files I would always recommend making a backup of your Joplin data just in case something goes wrong. These files are stored at ~/.config/joplin-desktop on Linux systems and C:\users\<username>\.config\jop…

[Lew]

@dpoulton

you could try deleting it to see if Joplin then starts properly.

First of all, thanks for the link but looking in ~/.config I see not one but 3 folders:

• joplin
• Joplin
• joplin-desktop

Perhaps it's important to mention that before changing anything?

[dpoulton]

@Lew

Perhaps it's important to mention that before changing anything?

It says:

These files are stored at ~/.config/joplin-desktop on Linux systems and C:\users<username>.config\joplin-desktop on Windows systems.

So it looks like I did mention it

EDIT

After re-reading your post, if you were just checking that there may be other folders in .config with Joplin in their title then, yes there is and that's OK. The only one you need to look at is the one that holds all your note data and config info which is ~/.config/joplin-desktop.

If you are concerned about deleting files and folders you could, as a minimum, not delete anything but just rename profiles.json to something like profiles.old, and restart Joplin.

[dpoulton]

Remember this is only being suggested as you were testing out profiles when this problem occurred. It is still possible that there will not be any profile related files or folders in your joplin-desktop directory and this error is due to something else.

[Lew]

I renamed profiles.json to profiles_BACKUP.json and also the folder profile-05dwfbew to profile-05dwfbew_BACKUP

Still Joplin remained blank and wouldn't close, so I rebooted the whole system and then restarted Joplin, but again it came up blank and without possibility to close it.

[dpoulton]

I hoped you weren't going to say that.

You say that your mobile client still works and syncs, so that's good.

Another thing you could try if you haven't used Joplin in a while is to shut down Joplin / reboot and run the AppImage install script again to put you on the latest version. Profiles appeared in release version 2.8.8 in May 22. We are on release 2.9.17 now.

The only other option I can think of is to remove Joplin, install again and then, assuming Joplin opens, re-download your notes from the sync target.

[dpoulton]

Also, any chance of uploading a screenshot of the blank window you are seeing?

[Lew]

I just remembered that the install was via the Software Manager of LinuxMint, so I took a peak there and see they offer 2.9.17, which means that must be the version I'm using at present already.

A screenshot of the blank screen is attached.

[Lew]

After posting that last reply I clicked on the Launch-icon in the Software Manager and low and behold, the blank screen turned into the normal working Joplin.
So it is solved now, but what may have caused this behavior I don't know

[dpoulton]

Maybe it took a bit more for the Flatpak version to respond to the changes as opposed to the official version? Sounds unlikely but who knows?

If you have further problems it might be worth also checking the GitHub site for the Flatpak.

(I got that link from the Unoffical Versions Post on this forum.)

More importantly you are up and running again

[Leigh]

Hi
I have no problems on my old laptop with joplin-desktop 2.9.17 on ArchLabs (i3)
But I have just installed Archlabs (i3)on my new lappy and I am getting the same thing from the first opening of the app:

leigh@T16-AL ~ % yay joplin-desktop
1 aur/joplin-desktop 2.9.17-2 (+235 3.82) (Installed)
    A note taking and to-do application with synchronization capabilities - Desktop

EDIT: The app image (downloaded from the Joplin site) has the same behaviour

EDIT2: Running from terminal gives:

leigh@T16-AL ~ % joplin-desktop
xdg-settings: invalid application name
Try 'xdg-settings --help' for more information.

EDIT3: In Openbox WM I can get it to 'render' what should be there by maximizing/unmaximizing
So for example, if I click on the options under Tools, the contents of the window dont change but a quick maximize makes the options pane come up. Then if I click on a checkbox it doesnt look like it registers, but a quick maximise shows it has. Like this I managed to get the tray icon to appear for example

Obviously its unusable like this, but I though this might give some clues?

Similar thing is possible in i3 by moving Joplin to another workspace in lieu of max/unmax in Openbox

EDIT4: similar problems in skypeforlinux - electron problem?

4 community/electron 22.0.3-1 (59.2 MiB 198.4 MiB) (Installed)
    Build cross platform desktop apps with web technologies

Another EDIT:

leigh@T16-AL ~ % joplin-desktop
xdg-settings: invalid application name
Try 'xdg-settings --help' for more information.
[12838:0205/004149.270125:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(271)] Gdk: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed

[dpoulton]

Similar problem? (Posted today)

Window Blank in Windows 10 and 11

Need help I have gone through all the possible forum post in relation to the issue when opening Joplin in Windows, the window is blank. None of the solutions worked, and believe me I have tried everything possible. I have windows 10 and 11 Enterprise version respectively installed on two laptops. I have tried the solutions on Joplin 2.9.17 as well as Joplin 2.10.4. I genuinely want to continue to use Joplin, but cannot get this resolved. Any guidance will be appreciated Peter

Posted yesterday

Mac desktop problem

I have a problem with Joplin-2.9.17 on a desktop Mac running Ventura 13.1. When I open Joplin the screen remains white and I cannot quit the program – have to use force quit. I have reinstalled Joplin several times but same issue each time. I have been using Joplin for over a year on this machine without problem and also on my Mac laptop (also 13.1) and Android phone without problem. Could there be something conflicting on this particular Mac?

[Leigh]

That's encouraging - without any intended Schadenfreude!

This is on my new Thinkpad T16, on my old Thinkpad T410s it was working fine on a version of ArchLabs installed from the same iso

I just checked - its the same version of Joplin on both (joplin-desktop 2.9.17-2 )
When I just started Joplin on the T410s it had the same white screen, which I hadn't noticed before, but after 4 or 5 seconds it rendered into my normal Joplin and is running normally

I hope I can solve this - I have my whole life on Joplin!

[roman_r_m]

Try launching with debug logging as described in How to enable debugging | Joplin

[dmagister]

I encountered similar on windows and linux versions in case of lack of memory.

[Leigh]

Thanks @roman_r_m

It was difficult to do as Joplin is completely unresponive but I managed by doing it step by step and moving the app from workspace to workspace each time to see if it had worked, but I enabled logging, the console gave these warnings:

I have the log.txt file, but its very long, what am I looking for?
a search for 'error' and 'warning' gave nothing

Whilst doing the above, in the terminal I have:

leigh@T16-AL ~ % joplin-desktop
xdg-settings: invalid application name
Try 'xdg-settings --help' for more information.
[7165:0205/163120.752778:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(271)] Gdk: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed

** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.352: Error loading plugin: libhspell.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libaspell.so.15: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libvoikko.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libnuspell.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libhspell.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libaspell.so.15: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libvoikko.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7696): WARNING **: 16:35:24.353: Error loading plugin: libnuspell.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.403: Error loading plugin: libhspell.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.403: Error loading plugin: libaspell.so.15: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libvoikko.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libnuspell.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libhspell.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libaspell.so.15: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libvoikko.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


** (xed:7864): WARNING **: 16:43:28.404: Error loading plugin: libnuspell.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

thanks @dmagister but I am using 2.7 of 16 GB RAM

[Leigh]

Well, it seems I have problems with the following apps:
Joplin
skypeforlinux
Zoom
which are all Electron, and even:
Chromium & Chrome

leigh@T16-AL ~ % google-chrome-stable 
[27205:27314:0205/200627.865273:ERROR:object_proxy.cc(623)] Failed to call method: org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Get: object_path= /org/freedesktop/UPower: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.UPower was not provided by any .service files
[27205:27314:0205/200627.865849:ERROR:object_proxy.cc(623)] Failed to call method: org.freedesktop.UPower.GetDisplayDevice: object_path= /org/freedesktop/UPower: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.UPower was not provided by any .service files
[27205:27314:0205/200627.866018:ERROR:object_proxy.cc(623)] Failed to call method: org.freedesktop.UPower.EnumerateDevices: object_path= /org/freedesktop/UPower: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.UPower was not provided by any .service files

[roman_r_m]

@Leigh

but I enabled logging, the console gave these warnings:

These are harmless.

This seems like it might be the issue, unfortunately I'm not sure what could be causing this, but it's probably something in your system rather than Joplin.

[7165:0205/163120.752778:ERROR:browser_main_loop.cc(271)] Gdk: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed

[Leigh]

Thanks
I think I am getting somewhere
I found this post and appending --disable-gpu-compositing makes chrome run fine
It doesnt work with the Joplin appimage package from AUR (flag not recognised) but does work for skypeforlinux
I am now installing the following (which was my goto but now seems to take a long long time to install)

maybe I have to get rid of xf86-video-intel too

will update

Update: nope: flag unknown for that version of Joplin too

But uninstalling xf86-video-intel makes chrome and all my Electron apps work well!
BUT, then my whole Archlabs installation is messed up with monitors swapped and no bars etc
But at least I have a clue of a direction now!