Gnome is slow and buggy, won't open terminal, file manager etc

Kali Linux Forums Kali Linux Troubleshooting
1

I just installed Kali Linux, I did apt update & apt upgrade, it worked fine, then I needed to add a keyboard layout (because the input sources was empty I uncommented my locale in the file /etc/locale.gen), then I restarted GDM to apply the changes: "systemctl restart gdm.service"en, after logging in back Gnome started to be buggy, it woudn’t open a terminal,files,settings etc. or it would take very long to open, the theme was shown as Light, though it was selected Dark.

What have you tried:

  1. Reboot.

  2. Restart xdg-desktop-portal Services

systemctl --user stop xdg-desktop-portal.service
systemctl --user stop xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service

systemctl --user start xdg-desktop-portal.service

Job for xdg-desktop-portal.service failed because a timeout was exceeded.
See "systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal.service" and "journalctl --user -xeu xdg-desktop-portal.service" for details

journalctl
kali systemd[1643]: Starting xdg-desktop-portal.service - Portal service…
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 3977.
Feb 20 11:54:41 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: Failed to create settings proxy: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome: Timeout was >
Feb 20 11:55:06 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: Failed to create file chooser proxy: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome: Timeout >
Feb 20 11:55:06 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: No skeleton to export
Feb 20 11:55:21 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.
Feb 20 11:55:21 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal.service: Failed with result ‘timeout’.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░
░░ The unit UNIT has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘timeout’.
Feb 20 11:55:21 kali systemd[1643]: Failed to start xdg-desktop-portal.service - Portal service.

systemctl --user start xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service

Job for xdg-desktop-portal.service failed because a timeout was exceeded.

Feb 20 10:16:33 kali systemd[1643]: Starting xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation)...
Feb 20 10:16:33 kali xdg-desktop-por[13504]: gdk_display_open() was called before gtk_init()
Feb 20 10:16:33 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Main process exited, code=killed, status=5/TRAP
Feb 20 10:16:33 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Failed with result 'signal'.
Feb 20 10:16:33 kali systemd[1643]: Failed to start xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation).

  1. Reinstalled xdg-desktop-portal and Related Packages

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install --reinstall xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gnome gnome-shell
    sudo systemctl restart gdm

  2. Checked for Missing Dependencies

    sudo apt --fix-broken install
    sudo apt install -f

  3. Reset GNOME Settings

    dconf reset -f /org/gnome/
    sudo systemctl restart gdm

  4. Created a New User Account (The same issue on the new account.)

    sudo adduser testuser
    sudo usermod -aG sudo testuser

  5. Reinstalled GNOME Components

    sudo apt install --reinstall libgtk-3-0 libgtk-4-0 gnome-shell gnome-session
    sudo systemctl restart gdm

  6. Reinstalled GTK 4 components

    sudo apt install --reinstall libgtk-4-1 libgtk-4-bin libgtk-4-common

  7. Checked for Conflicting Services

    systemctl --user stop xdg-desktop-portal.service
    systemctl --user stop xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service

    Clear the user session state:
    rm -rf ~/.cache/xdg-desktop-portal
    rm -rf ~/.local/share/xdg-desktop-portal

What is the error:
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali systemd[1643]: Started app-gnome-org.gnome.TextEditor-7943.scope - Application launched by gnome-shell.
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali dbus-daemon[1672]: [session uid=1000 pid=1672 pidfd=5] Activating via systemd: service name=‘org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop’ unit=‘xdg-desktop-portal.service’ requested by ‘:1.144’ (uid=1000 pid=7943 comm=“/usr/bin/gnome-text-editor”)
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali dbus-daemon[1672]: [session uid=1000 pid=1672 pidfd=5] Activating via systemd: service name=‘org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome’ unit=‘xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service’ requested by ‘:1.145’ (uid=1000 pid=7965 comm=“/usr/libexec/xdg-desktop-portal”)
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali systemd[1643]: Starting xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation)…
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Main process exited, code=killed, status=5/TRAP
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Failed with result ‘signal’.
Feb 20 10:05:24 kali systemd[1643]: Failed to start xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation).

Feb 20 11:54:41 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: Failed to create settings proxy: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome: Timeout was >
Feb 20 11:55:06 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: Failed to create file chooser proxy: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome: Timeout >
Feb 20 11:55:06 kali xdg-desktop-por[35133]: No skeleton to export
Feb 20 11:55:21 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.
Feb 20 11:55:21 kali systemd[1643]: xdg-desktop-portal.service: Failed with result ‘timeout’.

What device is this on:

Linux kali 6.12.13-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Kali 6.12.13-1kali1 (2025-02-11) x86_64 GNU/Linux

AMD Ryzen 5 2600, Radeon RX 570.

2

hi same problem is happening to me if u find solution share it with me

3

hello i found the solution by running sudo apt-get reinstall gnome hope it work for u

4

Also you should use apt full-upgrade to upgrade your system as mentioned in the docs

1 Like
5

ı have the sama bug here.
systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service returns `systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service
× xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation)
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service; static)
Active: failed (Result: signal) since Fri 2025-02-21 11:00:30 +03; 9min ago
Invocation: 9c400e27c2fa4ffbb583196e161125a1
Process: 13415 ExecStart=/usr/libexec/xdg-desktop-portal-gnome (code=killed, signal=TRAP)
Main PID: 13415 (code=killed, signal=TRAP)
Mem peak: 5.1M
CPU: 49ms

Feb 21 11:00:30 kali systemd[8413]: Starting xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation)…
Feb 21 11:00:30 kali xdg-desktop-por[13415]: gdk_display_open() was called before gtk_init()
Feb 21 11:00:30 kali systemd[8413]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Main process exited, code=killed, status=5/TRAP
Feb 21 11:00:30 kali systemd[8413]: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Failed with result ‘signal’.
Feb 21 11:00:30 kali systemd[8413]: Failed to start xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service - Portal service (GNOME implementation).
`
ı tried everything mentioned above nothing changes. that is a new issue ı think.looking for further suggestions thats solve the problem.

6

I have the same problem " it woudn’t open a terminal,files,settings etc. or it would take very long to open, the theme was shown as Light, though it was selected Dark."
I tired many things but none of them had worked!
Ended reinstalling kali linux fresh install
then I did sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
I restarted the system and the problem had reappeared !!!
so It should be a (kali-gnome) problem.

7

The same problem is happening to me when trying to upgrade the standard installation, it becomes unstable, gnome doesn’t work, nothing freezes everything and we still don’t have a solution from the development team, I’ve done everything possible but I can’t update, I have to redo the installation

8

Hi,
Same problem since yesterday.
Not really a fix but this solved the problem for me.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2098736#p2098736

systemctl --user mask xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

9

EDIT : The Last update on 21 Feb had fixed this problem for me.

10

Nice to know, thanks! " then I did sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade. I restarted the system and the problem had reappeared" Yeah, I also noticed that, so I just reinstalled it without running “apt upgrade”, and it’s working fine so far. But since you’re saying it’s been fixed I guess I’ll upgrade it later.

2 Likes
11

I believe the fixed packages have been added to the pipeline and should propagate it’s way on down soon. An update would fix this soon enough.

1 Like
12

Hello Gentlemen, and with great satisfaction I come to inform you that all the kernel problems that you hear in gnome have been properly corrected, I have already carried out all the updates and it is exceptional with excellent performance, you can update safely.

14

Reinstall gnome by sudo apt reinstall gnome then reinstall the portal services by sudo apt install --reinstall xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gtk xdg-desktop-portal-gnome and then after that restart these services bysystemctl --user restart xdg-desktop-portal systemctl --user restart xdg-desktop-portal-gtk systemctl --user restart xdg-desktop-portal-gnome and also reload the user manager daemons by systemctl --user-daemon-reload and your system will now run perfectly. No more terminal, file-manager or settings lagging.