Dock: Pinned apps not launching properly

[shadowe1ite]

Step 1. Before you submit

• [x] I have read the Troubleshooting and Usage pages.
• [x] I've successfully updated to the latest version following the guidance.
• [x] I've successfully updated the system packages to the latest.
• [ ] I've ticked the checkboxes without reading their contents

Step 2. Quick diagnose info

Quick diagnose

/========================\
| Checking git repo info |
\========================/

[===diagnose===] git remote get-url origin
fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git
[---EXIT 128---]

[===diagnose===] git rev-parse HEAD
fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git
[---EXIT 128---]

/=================\
| Checking distro |
\=================/

[===diagnose===] ii_check_distro_id
distro ID: arch
distro ID_LIKE: 
[---SUCCESS---]

[===diagnose===] ii_check_distro
LSB Version:	n/a
Distributor ID:	Arch
Description:	Arch Linux
Release:	rolling
Codename:	n/a
[---SUCCESS---]

/====================\
| Checking variables |
\====================/

[===diagnose===] declare -p XDG_CACHE_HOME
test: line 37: declare: XDG_CACHE_HOME: not found
[---EXIT 1---]

[===diagnose===] declare -p XDG_CONFIG_HOME
test: line 37: declare: XDG_CONFIG_HOME: not found
[---EXIT 1---]

[===diagnose===] declare -p XDG_DATA_HOME
test: line 37: declare: XDG_DATA_HOME: not found
[---EXIT 1---]

[===diagnose===] declare -p XDG_STATE_HOME
test: line 37: declare: XDG_STATE_HOME: not found
[---EXIT 1---]

[===diagnose===] declare -p ILLOGICAL_IMPULSE_VIRTUAL_ENV
declare -x ILLOGICAL_IMPULSE_VIRTUAL_ENV="~/.local/state/quickshell/.venv"
[---SUCCESS---]

/============================\
| Checking directories/files |
\============================/

[===diagnose===] ls -l /home/shadow/.local/state/quickshell/.venv
total 20
-rw-r--r-- 1 shadow shadow   43 Oct 13 21:09 CACHEDIR.TAG
drwxr-xr-x 2 shadow shadow 4096 Oct 13 21:09 bin
drwxr-xr-x 3 shadow shadow 4096 Oct 13 21:09 include
drwxr-xr-x 3 shadow shadow 4096 Oct 13 21:09 lib
lrwxrwxrwx 1 shadow shadow    3 Oct 13 21:09 lib64 -> lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 shadow shadow  107 Oct 13 21:09 pyvenv.cfg
[---SUCCESS---]

/===================\
| Checking versions |
\===================/

[===diagnose===] Hyprland --version
Hyprland 0.51.1 built from branch  at commit 71a1216abcc7031776630a6d88f105605c4dc1c9  ([gha] Nix: update inputs).
Date: Mon Sep 22 20:54:03 2025
Tag: v0.51.1, commits: 6436
built against:
 aquamarine 0.9.5
 hyprlang 0.6.3
 hyprutils 0.10.0
 hyprcursor 0.1.13
 hyprgraphics 0.2.0


no flags were set

[---SUCCESS---]

/==============================================\
| Finished. Output saved as "diagnose.result". |
\==============================================/

Step 3. Describe the issue

Some dock applications don’t launch when clicked. I have to either toggle the enable button or launch them via the launcher first for the dock to work properly.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/261d9494-f8bf-4c4f-8bff-c6a859b11d85

Logs

 qs -c ii             
  INFO: Launching config: "/home/shadow/.config/quickshell/ii/shell.qml"
  INFO: Shell ID: "3d100129223569ed969d8e916aac44ca" Path ID "3d100129223569ed969d8e916aac44ca"
  INFO: Saving logs to "/run/user/1000/quickshell/by-id/zpakc144t/log.qslog"
  WARN scene: QML IpcHandler at @modules/sidebarRight/SidebarRight.qml[68:5]: Handler was registered but will not be used because another handler is registered for target sidebarRight
  INFO: Configuration Loaded
 ERROR: Cannot call mapFromItem before item is a member of a window.
  INFO qt.text.font.db: OpenType support missing for "Rubik", script 19
 DEBUG qml: lock after config
 DEBUG qml: lock after persistent
 DEBUG qml: [Notifications] File loaded
 DEBUG qml: [To Do] File loaded
  INFO qml: [WeatherService] Starting the GPS service.
  WARN scene: QML FileView at @modules/background/cookieClock/CookieClock.qml[77:5]: Read of /home/shadow/.local/state/quickshell/user/generated/wallpaper/category.txt failed: File does not exist.
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[30:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN scene: @modules/common/widgets/GroupButton.qml[31:-1]: TypeError: Cannot read property 'children' of null
  WARN quickshell.service.sni.watcher: Ignoring invalid StatusNotifierItem registration of :1.147/StatusNotifierItem to watcher
  WARN qt.positioning.geoclue2: Unable to obtain the client: "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply" "Remote peer disconnected"

Reminder

• [x] I agree that it's usually impossible for others to help me without my logs.

[shadowe1ite]

it's also working after i press the refresh button

[itz-mune]

It's also happening to me but along with this, My icons are also tinted even if I turned the option off.

[Davidekiller1999]

I have the same problem. It's quite unnerving!

[Hotaro26]

well it does work, when i manually open apps from search bar, and then when i click on the specific app icon from docks =, it works, yeah but only of that soecific app. For others to launch, i have to do the same

[Davidekiller1999]

I found a temporary solution. 5 seconds after the system boots, a script is launched that restarts the shell, exactly like the quick toggle button in the top-right menu would. It's not perfect, but it works.

[shadowe1ite]

I found a temporary solution. 5 seconds after the system boots, a script is launched that restarts the shell, exactly like the quick toggle button in the top-right menu would. It's not perfect, but it works.

Can you share the script you used?

[Davidekiller1999]

I found a temporary solution. 5 seconds after the system boots, a script is launched that restarts the shell, exactly like the quick toggle button in the top-right menu would. It's not perfect, but it works.

Can you share the script you used?

Create a text file. Insert these lines:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 3.5
hyprctl reload
sleep 0.5
touch .config/quickshell/ii/shell.qmlh

Then add the location where you saved the script to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. In my case:

exec-once = /home/davide/scripts/reload_on_startup.sh.

Replacing the location with the location of your script.

chapehu!

[shadowe1ite]

I found a temporary solution. 5 seconds after the system boots, a script is launched that restarts the shell, exactly like the quick toggle button in the top-right menu would. It's not perfect, but it works.

Can you share the script you used?

Create a text file. Insert these lines:

#!/bin/bash sleep 3.5 hyprctl reload sleep 0.5 touch .config/quickshell/ii/shell.qmlh Then add the location where you saved the script to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. In my case:

exec-once = /home/davide/scripts/reload_on_startup.sh. Replacing the location with the location of your script.

chapehu!

It's not working. Did you forget to mention anything?

[clsty]

It's not working. Did you forget to mention anything?

@shadowe1ite Have you chmod +x the script file?

[shadowe1ite]

It's not working. Did you forget to mention anything?

@shadowe1ite Have you chmod +x the script file?

Ys i did

[Davidekiller1999]

It's not working. Did you forget to mention anything?

@shadowe1ite Have you chmod +x the script file?

Does it work for you?

[NickLinuxx]

Hello. Lately, I’ve faced the same problem, especially with GNOME Calculator and other apps like Xournal++. Every time I edited the ~/.config/illogical-impulse/config.json file and added app names under the pinnedApps section, they appeared correctly in the dock, but didn’t launch when clicked.

It seems that the correct way to list apps in the pinnedApps section is not just by name.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Launch the app from the terminal or your app manager.

2. Run the command hyprctl clients in a terminal. You’ll see information about the open apps.

3. Look for the line that says class: — this is the value you should use in the pinnedApps section.

[shadowe1ite]

Hello. Lately, I’ve faced the same problem, especially with GNOME Calculator and other apps like Xournal++. Every time I edited the ~/.config/illogical-impulse/config.json file and added app names under the pinnedApps section, they appeared correctly in the dock, but didn’t launch when clicked.

It seems that the correct way to list apps in the pinnedApps section is not just by name.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Launch the app from the terminal or your app manager.
2. Run the command hyprctl clients in a terminal. You’ll see information about the open apps.
3. Look for the line that says class: — this is the value you should use in the pinnedApps section.

Interesting, it’s still a bug since I didn’t add it manually I just right-clicked to pin the app.

[shadowe1ite]

@end-4 Can you please check this? It’s been 3 weeks since I disabled the docks, and I really miss it🥹

[AriaGomes]

I found a temporary solution. 5 seconds after the system boots, a script is launched that restarts the shell, exactly like the quick toggle button in the top-right menu would. It's not perfect, but it works.

Can you share the script you used?

Create a text file. Insert these lines:

#!/bin/bash sleep 3.5 hyprctl reload sleep 0.5 touch .config/quickshell/ii/shell.qmlh Then add the location where you saved the script to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. In my case:

exec-once = /home/davide/scripts/reload_on_startup.sh. Replacing the location with the location of your script.

chapehu!

this worked for me thanks. Hoping there is a more elegant fix for this in future. Had to slightly edit the script cause i think there was typo. 😀

sleep 3.5
hyprctl reload
sleep 0.5
touch ~/.config/quickshell/ii/shell.qml

[clsty]

@shadowe1ite In https://github.com/end-4/dots-hyprland/commit/fd8f569477776c34302747a7f4db26e49b75b8cc I've added the workaround as comment. Please enable the config by removing the comment mark and see if it works.

[shadowe1ite]

@shadowe1ite In fd8f569 I've added the workaround as comment. Please enable the config by removing the comment mark and see if it works.

So, there was a typo in the code he provided. I thought it was a header file or something since it had the .qmlh extension, lol. Now it works.

[shadowe1ite]

@clsty Isn't this just a temporary fix? I think it's better to close this only after fixing it in the code, unless the bug is caused by Quickshell itself.

[clsty]

@clsty Isn't this just a temporary fix? I think it's better to close this only after fixing it in the code, unless the bug is caused by Quickshell itself.

It's a workaround indeed, but it just works and seems not bring side effects with it. We can consider it as long-term as long as it's still working.

We have too many issues to be solved, considering the status above, it's suitable to close this issue.

If it's not working again we can reopen this issue.

[clsty]

The workaround here leads to #2427. Reopening.

[clsty]

@end-4 Do you know what's possibly causing this issue? The workaround causes problem so I just have reverted it.