Hi there,
I have a problem running Inkscape (1.2.1) in portable mode.
(I had no problems with 0.9..2? last year; uninstalled it, and reinstalled the current version today via the platform's integrated app manager).
1. When I run it from the menu / via "InkscapePortable.exe", the launcher splash shows up, but not Inkscape itself (despite being present in the taskmanager / details).
2. When I run the launcher as administrator, it works as expected - with the fact, that I have to fill the annoying UAC popup with an even more annoyingly long admin user / password.
3. When I launch Inkscape "unportable" by "Inkscape.exe" (..and cleaning up afterwards), it also works - without admin rights.
Observations:
In scenario 1, "InkscapePortable.exe" is launched with UAC virtualization OFF, while the spawned "Inkscape.exe" has it ON.
Other portable apps, e.g. Database Browser or Paint.net have both OFF, launcher & app
In 2. (admin mode, when it works) both processes have UAC-V disabled
In 3., UAC-V for "Inkscape.exe" is still enabled, but as mentioned before, the app starts and can be used normally.
(OS is Windows 10 x64, 21H2, Build 19044.1766; PortableApps is on a network share, but with a mapped drive; and as mentioned, I don't have problems with the other 20+ portable apps)
Any ideas on this?
Is there a launcher option to start the program with(out) UAC-V?
(I don't know if UAC-V is the culprit, but it is the only visible difference / distinctive feature)
Thanks in advance!
I'd wager that Inkscape doesn't support its settings paths being on a network drive. To experiment, download a fresh copy of the installer from here and install it temporarily to your Desktop directory. It should work as expected.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hi again,
thanks for the quick reply!
I tried it first at home, installing the portable version on a local drive.
The same problem there - and here at work (I did as you said, installed a new copy in a temp folder on c:\) too.
I tried it on another machine, as another user, here at work - and it worked.
There I noticed that the programm spawns a thread executing gdbus.exe ...
Long story, here's the result:
I have the portable CherryTree 64bit app running as well (at work and at home), it uses a gdbus.exe too, and I have it in my autostart folders - so the gdbus.exe from CherryTree runs first, always.
(https://portableapps.com/apps/office/cherrytree-portable)
Inkscape does not work when the CT file is already loaded:
"H:\PortableApps\PortableApps\CherrytreePortable\App\CherryTree64\mingw64\bin\gdbus.exe _win32_run_session_bus"
When I quit CT, I can start the portable Inkscape without problems, and it runs
"H:\PortableApps\PortableApps\InkscapePortable\App\Inkscape\bin\gdbus.exe _win32_run_session_bus"
After starting Inkscape, I can start CherryTree again; it does not spawn an own gdbus.exe, and *it works*
According to the file paths, I suspect a 32 bit vs. 64 bit problem - it's hard to tell, the files have no file info, and running them on the commandline without a parameter doesn't show a version number or architecture info (and nothing recognisable when viewing them in a hex editor).
Is this a known problem? (Searching here on the forums and with g00gle wasn't successful...)
I know nothing about gdbus.exe (even not what it does exactly), so replacing the "evil" version with the one from Inkscape might not be the best idea.
But quitting CherryTree every time I want to start Inkscape is also not a real solution.
Any ideas on this?
Thanks again!
Stefan
That would likely be a question for the publishers. We don't alter the apps themselves with respect to services like gdbus.exe. They share the same toolkits/libraries. It's likely locally installed versions of the two apps will have the exact same issue.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
"... It's likely locally installed versions of the two apps will have the exact same issue."
No, that's the strange observation from my first posting - now updated with gdbus.exe observations.
With CherryTree running (...\CherryTree64\mingw64\bin\gdbus.exe loaded, I can
- run the installed version of Inkscape as a normal user
- run the portable version "unportable" / without the *portable.exe launcher as a normal user
- run the portable version as administrator, but only if the admin account is not the same as the one that runs CherryTree
In all cases, no new gdbus.exe from the Inkscape directory is being spawned.
/edit: I just checked, no other of my portable app uses a gdbus.exe, so I can't tell if this problem occurs with other constellations, too.
The only difference I see is that your local Inkscape is 64-bit while the portable one is 32-bit. So, perhaps a 32-bit and a 64-bit dbus have issues with each other. I know Cherrytree's dbus has issues as the end cleanup I specifically added a check to kill its dbus-daemon.exe on exit.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
That's right, the local installation is 64 bit.... is there any specific reason why there is no win64 portable version?
What still bothers me is that I can run the "portable" win32 version directly, without the *portable.exe wrapper, and it works with the running 64 bit gdbus.exe from CherryTree. That's why I thought / think that it has got something to with the portable wrapper.
As a last try, I'll copy my whole local win64 installation from home in the portable apps application folder at work, and see what happens... I'll report back then
I can start Cherrytree Portable, leave it running, then Inkscape Portable without issue. Same in reverse. on Windows 10 x64 latest updates. Just confirming that this is not the case for you?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Right, Cherrytree Portable (64bit version - PortableApps contains both 32 & 64bit, and runs the latter automatically on Windows 10 x64, both test systems up to date) - Inkscape Portable, only 32bit available from here.
- CherryTree starts with Windows > Inkscape starts, but doesn't present a GUI
- CherryTree closed / not started automatically > Inkscape starts normally
- Inkscape running (after quitting CherryTree) > I can start CherryTree and use it without problems
Now for my test:
I replaced the 32 bit contents of \PortableApps\InkscapePortable\App\Inkscape with the files from a regular x64 Inkscape installation from another computer
> now I can start start Inkscape Portable using the official (32 bit) *Portable.exe wrapper while CherryTree is running
This way, I can have it portable, and I only have to take action when there's an update to Inkscape Portable ... better than nothing, better than having to quit CherryTree each time I want to use Inkscape.
Would you please try temporarily installing a fresh copy Inkscape and Cherrytree Portable to your Desktop or similar directory and then, without your existing apps running, run the fresh Cherrytree Portable and then the fresh Inkscape Portable and see if both start?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I just did so - same problem again ... at first
- 9/10: When (the new, fresh installed) CT is running, Inkscape won't start (as before - InkscapePortable.exe and inkscape.exe are running, but no GUI and no task bar entry).
- 10/10: CherryTree closed > Inkscape starts up normally.
now for the weird part:
- 1/10: After CT open > IS not running
> closed CT > IS running
> closed IS & startet CT again
> IS shows up despite CT running (gdbus x64 loaded) !
... after closing IS & trying to reopen it: back in my 9/10 case from above ...
Same here. Is there anything else we can do?
I found this thread because I had the same problem.