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After plain installation of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS gnome-software doesn't work. It has opened once with GUI, but installation of Unity Tweak Tool didn't finish.

When starting again, GUI doesn't come up. When opening from terminal, a warning appears, but the application GUI doesn't open.

$ gnome-software
(gnome-software:7052): Gs-WARNING: failed to open plugin /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Does anybody have same experience, and eventually, a solution?

According to the recommendation:

$ dpkg-query -S /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so
gnome-software: /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so

Proposed reinstall of gnome-software did not help.

As workaround, use Synaptic Package manager and command line.

Hee Jin
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kovivox
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  • What's the output of dpkg-query -S /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so? It should show one or more packages to which this file belongs; hopefully it's gnome-softwarecenter or something like that. Can you please reinstall that package with sudo apt-get install -f --reinstall <PACKAGE_NAME> and tell me if that helps? Include any error messages in your question that you encounter in the process. – David Foerster Apr 24 '16 at 11:19
  • i have the same problem as you do; and it manifests itelf also the way described in this question: https://askubuntu.com/questions/761487/the-updated-ubuntu-software-center-doesnt-work-16-04 – hiro protagonist Apr 24 '16 at 12:18
  • The output as described is:

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    xxxxx:~$ dpkg-query -S /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    gnome-software: /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so

     – kovivox Apr 24 '16 at 13:29
  • There is a workaround by using Synaptic Package Manager and command line. Nevertheless, the software center is not working. – kovivox Apr 25 '16 at 04:25
  • Software Center is still not working: getting this from terminal now!: (gnome-software:2915): Gs-WARNING **: failed to open plugin /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory. – Ken Mollerup May 27 '16 at 06:29
  • After having tried every trick, including removing and re-installing gnome software and software center I still cannot open gnome center, getting the same warning about the /usr/lib plugin. I have the english version of ubuntu 16.04, installed over ubuntu 15.10.My husband did the same with the german version - his gnome software is working perfectly despite the fact that he gets in the terminal when entering gnome-software the identical warning about /usr/lib plugin. – Professor Quatschny May 31 '16 at 10:38
  • I am using 17.04 on Lenovo X1 Carbon, but this bug report and solution (#1606238) worked for me so far. Will report back if there are issues. – TinkerWise Jul 06 '17 at 14:05

5 Answers5

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Seen this fix going around, it worked for me:

sudo apt-get autoremove gnome-software
sudo apt-get install gnome-software

It appears if you just reinstall gnome-software it just works!

Eric Carvalho
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Jayden
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15

Perform these steps to Fix gnome-software/ubuntu-software

Rename or remove the ~/.local/share/gnome-software. In the steps below it's removed and will be recreated when you start gnome-software. It currently has a list of what has been installed. The first line will ensure the locked up instances are removed from memory. Might not be necessary.

$ killall gnome-software
$ rm -r ~/.local/share/gnome-software

Now run ubuntu-software or gnome-software from the Unity Launch Button.

L. D. James
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I had to go into file manager as root

sudo -H nautilus

Then move all the files from /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9 to a temp folder and delete ...reviews.so

I then opened gnome-software and it loaded empty.

Moved all the .so files back and opened successfully to install new software again finally!

Zanna
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Jrarrmy
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  • gksu nautilus is better command since it is not recommend that you handle GUI applications with sudo – Ege Sucu May 11 '17 at 19:31
0

I too got this error. I did 

$ ps -aux | grep gnome-software

and found that there was already a process running. (I believe this may be because I had tried to invoke it from the launcher and it had failed, but that much is a hunch.)

I killed the process. I then ran gnome-software again in the terminal and got: 

(gnome-software:6912): Gs-WARNING **: Failed to create permission org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: Action org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update is not registered

(This may be the real reason it had failed but left a process running.)

I then did:

$ sudo apt update
$ apt-get install -f --reinstall gnome-software

The icon on the launcher now works and brings up the new software centre.

Emyr
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  • I'm sorry but your reinstall do not work anymore ! Getting this again: (gnome-software:2915): Gs-WARNING **: failed to open plugin /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: /usr/lib/gs-plugins-9/libgs_plugin_xdg_app_reviews.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory – Ken Mollerup May 27 '16 at 06:25
  • @Professor-Quatschny says: After having tried every trick, including removing and re-installing gnome software and software center I still cannot open gnome center, getting the same warning about the /usr/lib plugin. I have the english version of ubuntu 16.04, installed over ubuntu 15.10.My husband did the same with the german version - his gnome software is working perfectly despite the fact that he gets in the terminal when entering gnome-software the identical warning about /usr/lib plugin. – MadMike May 31 '16 at 10:59
0

the installation of lubuntu software center (over synaptic or with terminal and sudo apt install lubuntu-software-center worked for me - at least I have now one working software center.

Professor Quatschny
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  • Welcome to AskUbuntu! Glad this worked for you. In this case, the OP is aware there are workarounds, but they are specifically looking for a fix for gnome-software. –  Jun 14 '16 at 12:55