"Failed loading skin" error on Ubuntu GNOME 13.04

[mjgiarlo]

Since the spotify-client package upgraded to version 0.9.4.183.g644e24e.428-1, I've been unable to launch the desktop client.  On launch, there is a dialog with a title of "Message" that says "Failed loading skin".  When I run the spotify command in a terminal, here is the output:

$ spotify
17:06:14.342 I [breakpad.cpp:107 ] Registered Breakpad for product: spotify
17:06:14.342 I [translate.cpp:140 ] Reloading language file
17:06:14.342 E [resource_loader.cpp:235 ] Loading of skin file(msgid.pob) failed
17:06:14.342 E [translate.cpp:117 ] Spotify resources and binary are out-of-sync. This should never happen.
17:06:14.358 I [translate.cpp:140 ] Reloading language file
17:06:14.358 E [resource_loader.cpp:235 ] Loading of skin file(msgid.pob) failed
17:06:14.358 E [translate.cpp:117 ] Spotify resources and binary are out-of-sync. This should never happen.
17:06:14.358 I [breakpad.cpp:261 ] Searching for crashdumps: /home/mjg/.cache/spotify/*.dmp
17:06:14.358 E [resource_loader.cpp:235 ] Loading of skin file(skin.xml) failed

 I have tried removing/purging/reinstalling a couple of times, each to no avail.  I have removed everything in /opt/spotify, /usr/share/spotify, ~/.cache/spotify, and ~/.config/spotify as well.

I have also tried downgrading to the 0.9.1 package but that is no longer available in the Spotify repository.

Unrelated: I have also tried using the web client (in Chrome), in a normal session and in incognito mode, and that is stuck at "Connecting to Spotify," which I understand is something many other users are experiencing as well.

I'm kinda dead in the water over here.  Any ideas?

[mjgiarlo]

Are other Ubuntu 13.04 users successfully running the 0.9.4.183.g644e24e.428-1 package?

[leamas]

---

@mjgiarlo wrote:

[cut]

17:06:14.342 E [translate.cpp:117 ] Spotify resources and binary are out-of-sync. This should never happen.

I'm kinda dead in the water over here.  Any ideas?

---

That error message seems to indicate that you have some parts of an old installation mixed up with the new. Have you installed spotify some other way than the debian package previously? Is the the update broken somehow?

We have had the same problem on Fedora after the update, but that was due to a bad rpm (or rather specfile). It's now fixed.

Just to walk around you could try the installer on https://github.com/leamas/spotify-make. If you make a user install it will be totally independent of the stuff in the package. This has worked for some other users in your situation, but does not solve the root problem.

--a

[mjgiarlo]

I can't recall if I've ever installed Spotify via other means in the past, to be honest.  I have successfully upgraded the repository-held Spotify package 3-4 times before, though, with no such issues.  I'll give your workaround a shot.  Thanks!

[mjgiarlo]

Hi,

I purged the spotify system package and removed everything in /opt/spotify, ~/.cache/spotify, and ~/.config/spotify, and then looked around for more files that might be causing trouble (and found none). Also poked around dconf-editor and gconf-editor for keys related to Spotify and found none.  Installed spotify-make and built spotify for my user.  Installation instructions worked perfectly, and now my-spotify is doing the same as the system package:

$ my-spotify 
22:39:15.319 I [breakpad.cpp:107                ] Registered Breakpad for product: spotify

22:39:15.320 I [translate.cpp:140               ] Reloading language file
22:39:15.320 E [resource_loader.cpp:235         ] Loading of skin file(msgid.pob) failed
22:39:15.320 E [translate.cpp:117               ] Spotify resources and binary are out-of-sync. This should never happen.
22:39:15.339 I [translate.cpp:140               ] Reloading language file
22:39:15.339 E [resource_loader.cpp:235         ] Loading of skin file(msgid.pob) failed
22:39:15.339 E [translate.cpp:117               ] Spotify resources and binary are out-of-sync. This should never happen.
22:39:15.340 I [breakpad.cpp:261                ] Searching for crashdumps: /home/mjg/.cache/spotify/*.dmp

22:39:15.341 E [resource_loader.cpp:235         ] Loading of skin file(skin.xml) failed

I should say I've got this happening on two boxes (both Ubuntu 32-bit), though I recently upgraded one to 13.10, so I'll test this on that box later.

darn.  Thanks for the suggestion, though.  Something in this 0.9.4 package really doesn't like my systems, eh? 😉

[leamas]

I can't really help you much more, I'm afraid. I'm not really an Ubuntu user, and without spotify sources.

Perhaps strace  ~/.local/bin/spotify |& grep open > trace.log could give a hint, but I actually doubt it. Sorry.

--alec

[Peter__]

Just out of interest (cause I heard someone mention it before) does starting Spotify as super user from terminal work?

sudo spotify

If so, looks like a permissions error somewhere.

Peter

[mjgiarlo]

Hi,

Launching Spotify via sudo does work, as it turns out.  I don't believe it's related to permissions, however.  I created a new test account and logged in under that account, and Spotify works there as well.  There must be something about my account that's confusing Spotify, perhaps a session setting or environment variable that is preventing the app from finding its own resources.  Very strange!  Thanks for the suggestion.

[mjgiarlo]

I've tracked my problem down to two environment variables, which when unset let spotify work again. I added these two lines to my .bashrc:

unset GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID
unset DESKTOP_SESSION

Works for me!

[Peter__]

Thanks for sharing @mjgiarlo 🙂 

Peter

[burkealert]

I had the same issue on 64-bit Ubuntu 13.10 and this workaround worked for me.  Thanks.

[jacklul · Accepted solution]

Hello,

I tracked down the issue on my 12.04 system - its was caused by custom GTK skins!

my current workaround is modifying the Spotify menu entry to

sh -c "export GNOME_SESSION= && export GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID= && spotify %U"

this will force spotify to use system default GTK skin for menus

[benmoreassynt1]

An alternative method I worked out before seeing this .... save the following script to your desktop and make executable:

#!/bin/bash

unset DESKTOP_SESSION
unset GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID
spotify &
disown spotify

[Manny2015]

Hi guys, just got the same issue and it is related to some theme, changing the theme to the default Ambiance fix the issue. However I tried with some other and if they are not GTK all works fine.

[darclaw]

on arch 32 bit, doing a hard reset, then as soon as you can, run spotify. This works for me.

[doctorew]

Same with me -- It may be a c++ issue (I think I upgraded my library recently).

What worked for me was to copy /opt/spotify/spotify-client/Data/resources.zip to /opt/spotify/spotify-client/ and unzip it

[Wheelbaby]

Guys, I got this same error but found a much simpler fix than having to change code/scripts.

Start menu > search "spotify" > go to file location > the program updated versions on 3/13/15 (Friday) and created a new spotify.exe; when I tried to login at work it wouldn't let me use the program because spotify.exe is blocked > rename program to whateveryouwant.exe and then it will work.

[irvingvladimir]

This work well for me. thanks