Bug 508403 - Rev released 8.8.0 doesnt start.
Summary: Rev released 8.8.0 doesnt start.
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: digikam
Classification: Applications
Component: Bundle-Windows (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 8.8.0
Platform: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows
: NOR crash
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Digikam Developers
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-08-18 03:27 UTC by Roland
Modified: 2025-12-25 10:53 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In: 9.0.0
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
Digikam-8.8.0 Fedora 41 start log (5.50 KB, text/plain)
2025-12-10 21:14 UTC, GB
Details
debuglog (86.38 KB, text/plain)
2025-12-10 21:36 UTC, Oyvind
Details
Digikam-with_QT_logging (106.04 KB, text/plain)
2025-12-10 22:08 UTC, GB
Details

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Description Roland 2025-08-18 03:27:46 UTC
***

***

SUMMARY
After in-app update process ran this morning, digiKam would no longer open. On execution, I see the conventional image and multiple dots showing progress, and then the app shuts down- no error message. Repeatable on different instances, and post re-install on Windows 10

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Run the update. 
2. Start the app as per usual
3. 

OBSERVED RESULT
App beings to open, runs some setup processes behind the initial image showing app load, and then closes with no error message

EXPECTED RESULT
App start

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 10 Pro 
macOS: 
(available in the Info Center app, or by running `kinfo` in a terminal window)
Linux/KDE Plasma: 
KDE Plasma Version: 
KDE Frameworks Version: 
Qt Version: 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Unclear is this is related to a config flag from debugging prior etc, but since the app doesnt start, I dont have a great way to experiment. Clearly a significantly different build- exe is much smaller, so perhaps debug removed or a new QT implementation?

Roland
Comment 1 caulier.gilles 2025-08-18 03:56:19 UTC
Size of the bundle is smaller due to NVIDIA DLLs removed.

Look at the solution explained here : 

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=507615#c5
Comment 2 Oyvind 2025-12-03 20:56:29 UTC
Similar problem. Splash screen finish, and then the main screen appears completely blank, but clicking around inside it opens some dialogs. 

Ran with Debugview (sysinternals) and could see it continously logging this :
digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" }, QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries )
Comment 3 Maik Qualmann 2025-12-03 21:11:57 UTC
Which digiKam version are you using exactly (Qt5 or Qt6)?
A complete log from the start might also be helpful.

With Qt6, it's usually the graphics driver. One of my three Windows test systems has an old Intel HD graphics card, and the Windows 10 driver has a date code of 2012. I can't get digiKam to start with it; the main window appears, then it crashes. If I switch the graphics driver to the Microsoft Basic graphics driver, everything works without problems.

Maik
Comment 4 Oyvind 2025-12-03 21:30:27 UTC
Using this version https://download.kde.org/stable/digikam/8.8.0/digiKam-8.8.0-Qt6-Win64.exe

Having a Geforce RTX 2060 and the nvidia driver is the latest (32.0.15.8180)

Here are the first logs lines from debugview. After this it just spits out the last lines you see at the bottom continously.

[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::checkDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairRequested(QString)
[20904] qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect: No such signal Solid::Backends::Win::WinStorageAccess::repairDone(Solid::ErrorType, QVariant, QString)
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] digikam.autorotate: AutoRotate model not loaded
[20904] digikam.autorotate: Failed to load the AutoRotator model: Unknown exception
[20904] digikam.metaengine: ExifTool process cannot be started ( "" )
[20904] qt.multimedia.ffmpeg: Using Qt multimedia with FFmpeg version 7.1.1 nonfree and unredistributable
[1464] SetProcessDPIAwareness failed. (Access is denied.)
[1464] CreateWindow() for QEventDispatcherWin32 internal window failed (The operation completed successfully.)
[20904] kf.xmlgui: Unhandled container to remove :  Digikam::DigikamApp
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] qt.svg: QSvgHandler: Image filename is empty
[20904] kf.windowsystem: Could not find any platform plugin
[20904] digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" },  QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries ) )
[20904] digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" },  QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries ) )
[20904] digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" },  QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries ) )
[20904] digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" },  QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries ) )
[20904] digikam.general: Cannot change directory up to QDir( "f/digikam/facesengine" , nameFilters = { "*" },  QDir::SortFlags( Name | IgnoreCase ) , QDir::Filters( Dirs|Files|Drives|AllEntries ) )
Comment 5 Maik Qualmann 2025-12-04 07:05:41 UTC
Try setting the Qt debug environment variable so we can see more, as described here when digiKam doesn't start:

https://www.digikam.org/contribute/#windows-host

What's noticeable is this path "f/digikam/facesengine", drive letter without a colon. The QDir command uses the "QDir::Drives" parameter, which we don't use anywhere else in the code, so it's probably an internal Qt function. ExifTool can't be started; the path appears to be empty. Also, no models for AI functions are found.

This all looks very strange; with more debugging, we might be able to narrow it down.

Maik
Comment 6 Oyvind 2025-12-04 09:59:12 UTC
Yes the digikam is installed on f:\programmer\digikam on my machine, but I thought "facesengine" was put under %LOCALAPPDATA% and models downloaded if missing? From previous versions of digikam I've seen modals asking to update/download missing models, which are put under %LOCALAPPDATA%/facesengine ? (Maybe the exact folder path I'm mentioning is not 100% correct, I can check later today). 

Anyway I've tried to remove all digikam related files under %APPDATA% and %LOCALAPPDATA%, and the DB folder (DigikamDB) is also cleaned before startup, maybe it's some initializing checks missing if starting up from a clean env?
Comment 7 Maik Qualmann 2025-12-04 11:36:24 UTC
Is it possible that you've set an incorrect working directory via the link you're using to start digiKam?

Maik
Comment 8 caulier.gilles 2025-12-10 07:12:16 UTC
Oyvind,

Did you seen the last Maik comment ?

Gilles Caulier
Comment 9 GB 2025-12-10 21:14:52 UTC
Created attachment 187502 [details]
Digikam-8.8.0 Fedora 41 start log

Failure to start
Comment 10 GB 2025-12-10 21:19:53 UTC
Comment on attachment 187502 [details]
Digikam-8.8.0 Fedora 41 start log

shadow@dragon-lx:/tmp$ uname -a
Linux dragon-lx 6.17.9-100.fc41.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon Nov 24 21:24:57 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux

shadow@dragon-lx:/tmp$ rpm -qa | grep digikam
digikam-8.8.0-1.fc41.x86_64
digikam-libs-8.8.0-1.fc41.x86_64

@dragon-lx:/tmp$ rpm -q --info digikam-8.8.0-1.fc41.x86_64
Name        : digikam
Version     : 8.8.0
Release     : 1.fc41
Architecture: x86_64
Install Date: Thu 13 Nov 2025 09:51:32 AM CST
Group       : Unspecified
Size        : 63171843
License     : GPL-2.0-or-later
Signature   : RSA/SHA256, Sat 18 Oct 2025 01:33:39 PM CDT, Key ID d0622462e99d6ad1
Source RPM  : digikam-8.8.0-1.fc41.src.rpm
Build Date  : Sat 18 Oct 2025 12:40:43 PM CDT
Build Host  : buildvm-x86-17.rdu3.fedoraproject.org
Packager    : Fedora Project
Vendor      : Fedora Project
URL         : http://www.digikam.org/
Bug URL     : https://bugz.fedoraproject.org/digikam
Summary     : A digital camera accessing & photo management application
Description :
digiKam is an easy to use and powerful digital photo management application,
which makes importing, organizing and manipulating digital photos a "snap".
An easy to use interface is provided to connect to your digital camera,
preview the images and download and/or delete them.

digiKam built-in image editor makes the common photo correction a simple task.

@dragon-lx:/tmp$ free -lh
               total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
Mem:            15Gi       5.4Gi       8.4Gi       3.3Gi       5.4Gi        10Gi
Low:            15Gi       7.2Gi       8.4Gi
High:             0B          0B          0B
Swap:          8.0Gi       1.5Gi       6.5Gi
Comment 11 Oyvind 2025-12-10 21:36:21 UTC
Created attachment 187504 [details]
debuglog
Comment 12 Oyvind 2025-12-10 21:41:14 UTC
Sorry for late reply, was a bit occupied last couple of days. I've attached the debug log from a clean start of digikam. What I did before this test was:

1. Clean/Remove the folders mentioned here: https://docs.digikam.org/en/getting_started/installation.html#digikam-on-windows
2. Removed the DigikamDB folder and created a new one. When starting digikam it then asks me where to put the SQLite files
3. Set the QT_LOGGING_RULES and starting debugview
4.starting the digikam.exe (no workdir given by me to digikam.exe)

I have a norwegian letter in my username (c:\Users\Øyvind), not sure if that causes any trouble.

Øyvind
Comment 13 GB 2025-12-10 22:08:43 UTC
Created attachment 187507 [details]
Digikam-with_QT_logging

detailed debug log file. QT logging enabled.
Comment 14 Maik Qualmann 2025-12-11 07:20:25 UTC
Git commit 52946234f887be5ea7203bcdb3cfabdcff03a612 by Maik Qualmann.
Committed on 11/12/2025 at 07:19.
Pushed by mqualmann into branch 'master'.

fix endless loop when searching for the face engine path
FIXED-IN: 8.9.0

M  +1    -1    NEWS
M  +3    -0    core/utilities/setup/downloader/filesdownloader.cpp

https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/-/commit/52946234f887be5ea7203bcdb3cfabdcff03a612
Comment 15 Maik Qualmann 2025-12-11 07:30:52 UTC
A new pre-release of digiKam-8.9.0 will be available here later today:

https://files.kde.org/digikam/

You can temporarily fix the problem by deleting the faulty entry of "facesEnginePath" in the "digikam_systemrc" file located at C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local".

Maik
Comment 16 Oyvind 2025-12-12 15:59:47 UTC
Can confirm that https://files.kde.org/digikam/digiKam-8.9.0-20251212T140149-Qt6-Win64.exe now opens as expected! It displayed a dialog saying it could not find "f/digikam/facesengine", but no endless loop, and could point to a valid directory for where to download models, thanks!

Øyvind