Arch Linux

eepy

Member

Registered: 2026-08-18

Posts: 3

[SOLVED] xdg-desktop-portal-gtk issues with sway

On sway, xdg-desktop-portal does not open dialogues, notably when selecting a file to open or downloading a file in various applications (eg librewolf)
Currently i have these packages installed:

sudo pacman -Q | rg xdg
xdg-desktop-portal 1.22.1-2
xdg-desktop-portal-gtk 1.15.3-1
xdg-desktop-portal-wlr 0.8.2-1
xdg-user-dirs 0.20-1
xdg-user-dirs-gtk 0.16-1
xdg-utils 1.2.1-2 

Here is the output of

systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service

× xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service - Portal service (GTK/GNOME implementation)
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service; static)
     Active: failed (Result: start-limit-hit) since Sat 2026-09-05 11:49:46 +04; 14min ago
 Invocation: fd744a4d9f3743429f5abe9490d8204e
   Main PID: 2498 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Mem peak: 2.5M
        CPU: 40ms

Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf xdg-desktop-portal-gtk[2498]: cannot open display: 
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: Failed to start Portal service (GTK/GNOME implementation).
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: Failed to start Portal service (GTK/GNOME implementation).
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Sep 05 11:49:46 newleaf systemd[1143]: Failed to start Portal service (GTK/GNOME implementation).

as for xdg-desktop-portal-wlr, it will not start and is not active:

systemctl --user status  xdg-desktop-portal-wlr
○ xdg-desktop-portal-wlr.service - Portal service (wlroots implementation)
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/xdg-desktop-portal-wlr.service; static)
     Active: inactive (dead)

Fixed by adding

exec dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd WAYLAND_DISPLAY XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=sway

to the .config/sway/config

Last edited by eepy (2026-09-05 08:15:51)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,372

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-desktop-portal-gtk issues with sway

Note the blue note box in https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sway#Configuration -- following which would include a relevant dbus update call already.