We need to know which backend is hanging. Please run `plasma-discover --listbackends` in a terminal window and you'll see something like this:

Available backends:
 * fwupd-backend
 * flatpak-backend
 * snap-backend
 * packagekit-backend
 * kns-backend

We need you to run Discover with only one of its backends at a time until you find the one that it hanging. To do this, run `plasma-discover --backends [backend]` in a terminal window. For example run `plasma-discover --backends packagekit-backend` to only load Discover with its PackageKit backend.

Doing this, you will be able to discover (ha ha) which backends are hanging.

Can you do that? Thanks!

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> We need to know which backend is hanging. Please run `plasma-discover
> --listbackends` in a terminal window and you'll see something like this:
> 
> Available backends:
>  * fwupd-backend
>  * flatpak-backend
>  * snap-backend
>  * packagekit-backend
>  * kns-backend
> 
> We need you to run Discover with only one of its backends at a time until
> you find the one that it hanging. To do this, run `plasma-discover
> --backends [backend]` in a terminal window. For example run `plasma-discover
> --backends packagekit-backend` to only load Discover with its PackageKit
> backend.
> 
> Doing this, you will be able to discover (ha ha) which backends are hanging.
> 
> Can you do that? Thanks!

I think the issue is with all the backends. Please see the terminal output when i launched discover with backends one by one.

----
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --listbackends
Available backends:
 * flatpak-backend
 * packagekit-backend
 * kns-backend
 * fwupd-backend
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --backends flatpack-backend
qrc:/qml/DiscoverWindow.qml:116:19: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
qrc:/qml/DiscoverPage.qml:42:37: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: error loading "flatpack-backend" "The shared library was not found." QJsonObject()
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Didn't find any Discover backend!
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Couldn't find any backends
^C
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --backends flatpack-backendkf.kio.slaves.http: Can't communicate with kded_kcookiejar!
^C
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --backends packagekit-backend
qrc:/qml/DiscoverWindow.qml:116:19: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
qrc:/qml/DiscoverPage.qml:42:37: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
adding empty sources model QStandardItemModel(0x557c60e5f490)
file:///usr/lib/qt/qml/org/kde/kirigami.2/private/PrivateActionToolButton.qml:74:5: QML Binding: Binding loop detected for property "value"
kf.kio.slaves.file: readData() returned -1
Terminated
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --backends kns-backend
qrc:/qml/DiscoverWindow.qml:116:19: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
kf.kio.slaves.http: Can't communicate with kded_kcookiejar!
qrc:/qml/DiscoverPage.qml:42:37: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
file:///usr/lib/qt/qml/org/kde/kirigami.2/private/PrivateActionToolButton.qml:74:5: QML Binding: Binding loop detected for property "value"
kf.newstuff.core: Could not find category "Calligra Flow Stencil"
KNS error in "Calligra_stencils" : KNSCore::ConfigFileError "All categories are missing" QVariant(Invalid)
invalid kns backend! "/etc/xdg/calligra_stencils.knsrc" because: "Invalid Calligra_stencils backend, contact your distributor."
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Discarding invalid backend "calligra_stencils.knsrc"
kns error "/etc/xdg/calligra_stencils.knsrc" "Invalid Calligra_stencils backend, contact your distributor."
^C
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ plasma-discover --backends fwupd-backend
qrc:/qml/DiscoverWindow.qml:116:19: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
kf.kio.slaves.http: Can't communicate with kded_kcookiejar!
qrc:/qml/DiscoverPage.qml:42:37: QML Shortcut: Shortcut: Only binding to one of multiple key bindings associated with 15. Use 'sequences: [ <key> ]' to bind to all of them.
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: error loading "fwupd-backend" "Cannot load library /usr/lib/qt/plugins/discover/fwupd-backend.so: (libfwupd.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory)" QJsonObject({"IID":"org.kde.muon.AbstractResourcesBackendFactory","archreq":0,"className":"FwupdBackendFactory","debug":false,"version":331520})
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Didn't find any Discover backend!
org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Couldn't find any backends
^C
[sali@saleemaorus ~]$ kf.kio.slaves.http: Can't communicate with kded_kcookiejar!

---------

Thanks. based on the error text, it would appear that Discover's backends are missing their supporting libraries. You'll have to install them manually to make it work properly, since your distro's packaging didn't ensure that this happened automatically. This would be an issue to report to the packagers of your distribution.

Out of curiosity, did you switch your packaging repos to a testing/unstable repo to get the Plasma 5.25 beta? Because I notice that's what you're using. Or did the Manjaro packagers give the Plasma 5.25 beta to all users automatically?

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #4)
> Out of curiosity, did you switch your packaging repos to a testing/unstable
> repo to get the Plasma 5.25 beta? Because I notice that's what you're using.
> Or did the Manjaro packagers give the Plasma 5.25 beta to all users
> automatically?

I switched repos to testing as I found it to be better than stable in my case. I added 5.25 beta myself in /etc/pacman.conf as per instructions on arch wiki. Now I am back to stable but testing is comparatively better for me.