Bug 507665

Summary:	Setting /usr/bin/fluidsynth with "Run as terminal" for midi files, will often fail to launch it
Product:	[Frameworks and Libraries] frameworks-kio	Reporter:	Ellie <el>
Component:	general	Assignee:	KIO Bugs <kio-bugs-null>
Status:	REPORTED ---
Severity:	normal	CC:	alexander.lohnau, kdelibs-bugs-null, natalie_clarius, nate
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	6.13.0
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Other
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Ellie 2025-07-30 11:31:06 UTC

SUMMARY

Setting /usr/bin/fluidsynth with "Run as terminal" for midi files, will often fail to launch it. What happens is that when I click a midi file in dolphin, the dancing app icon showing that it's trying to launch something will come up, but then nothing happens. It used to work though, but then at some point just randomly stopped.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Obtain a .midi audio file
2. Right-click audio file and open "Properties" in dolphin
3. For "Open with..." enter "/usr/bin/fluidsynth" and set "Run in terminal" and apply that as a default
4. Now click any .midi file to see a terminal with fluidsynth come up.

OBSERVED RESULT

Clicking a .midi file in dolphin sometimes brings up a terminal with fluidsynth, then some hours later it just doesn't work anymore. There is no error message shown to me, but the terminal just no longer opens. If I manually type /usr/bin/fluidsynth path_to_midi_file in a terminal, that works just fine, so the problem doesn't seem to be that the target application doesn't work anymore.

EXPECTED RESULT

Clicking a .midi file in dolphin reliably brings up a terminal with fluidsynth.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS

Windows:
macOS:
(available in the Info Center app, or by running `kinfo` in a terminal window)
Linux/KDE Plasma: postmarketOS v25.06
KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.6
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.13.0
Qt Version: 6.8.3

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Other applications sometimes mysteriously fail to launch as well via "Open with", for example https://flathub.org/apps/org.chrisoft.qmidiplayer won't launch that way with the same issue of dancing icon near mouse cursor shows but nothing ever comes up. Launching it via the start menu or launcher menu doesn't work either. Using "flatpak run org.chrisoft.qmidiplayer" works fine. The same is the case for this one: https://flathub.org/apps/io.itch.itch

Comment 1 Bug Janitor Service 2025-07-30 11:33:40 UTC

Thank you for the bug report!

However Plasma 6.3.6 no longer receives updates or maintenance from KDE; active versions are 6.4 or newer. Please upgrade to an active version as soon as your distribution makes it available to you. Plasma is a fast-moving project, and bugs in one version are often fixed in the next one.

If you need help with Plasma 6.3.6, please contact your distribution, who bears the responsibility of providing help for older releases that are no longer receiving updates from KDE.

If you can reproduce the issue after upgrading to an active version, feel free to re-open this bug report.

Comment 2 Ellie 2025-07-30 12:02:16 UTC

This happens on my plasma 6.4.2 device as well. But that it's not easily possible to report bugs on a relatively fast moving distribution that isn't downright rolling release is a bit unfortunate.

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2025-09-23 19:52:53 UTC

Can you get a journal log from around the time it happenes? Is there anything interesting in there?