Can't launch protonvpn-app from script

[LittleBangTheory]

We are happy to answer your questions about the code or discuss technical ideas.

Please complete the following checklist (by adding [x]):

• [X ] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [ X] This isn't a feature request
• This is not a report about my app not working as expected

---

Environment

• OS : Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS
• ProtonVPN : Version 4.6.0, installed from official documentation

Issue

Hello,

For context, i have been trying to execute the protonvpn-app from a script linked to a .desktop file, to automatize the deactivation of my custom DNS when I launch the ProtonVPN, and activation when I close it.

Using the protonvpn-app command from a normal terminal works fine, but when trying in the terminal opened by Ubuntu from the .desktop file, I get this error trace :

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/protonvpn-app", line 33, in <module>
    sys.exit(load_entry_point('proton-vpn-gtk-app==4.6.0', 'console_scripts', 'protonvpn-app')())
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/bin/protonvpn-app", line 25, in importlib_load_entry_point
    return next(matches).load()
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/importlib/metadata/__init__.py", line 205, in load
    module = import_module(match.group('module'))
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/importlib/__init__.py", line 90, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1387, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1360, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1310, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 488, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1387, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1360, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1331, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 935, in _load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 995, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 488, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/__init__.py", line 36, in <module>
    logging.config(filename="vpn-app")
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/vpn/logging/__init__.py", line 126, in config
    default_logdirpath = os.path.join(VPNExecutionEnvironment().path_cache, "logs")
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/utils/metaclasses.py", line 25, in __call__
    cls._instances[cls] = super(Singleton, cls).__call__(*args, **kwargs)
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/utils/environment.py", line 116, in __init__
    super().__init__()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/utils/environment.py", line 38, in __init__
    self._setup_as_regular_user()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/utils/environment.py", line 78, in _setup_as_regular_user
    config_home, cache_home, runtime_dir = self._get_dir_paths()
                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/proton/utils/environment.py", line 91, in _get_dir_paths
    runtime_dir = BaseDirectory.get_runtime_dir()
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/xdg/BaseDirectory.py", line 141, in get_runtime_dir
    return os.environ['XDG_RUNTIME_DIR']
           ~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "<frozen os>", line 685, in __getitem__
KeyError: 'XDG_RUNTIME_DIR'

What surprises me is that the XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is well set in the windows where I get the error, and has the same value as in any other windows, being /run/user/1000.

Also, when using env to print all the environnement variables, and trying a diff between the two outputs, the only differences where not meaningful ones, meaning LESSCLOSE, LESSOPEN, LS_COLORS, and the GNOME_TERMINAL_SCREEN that is obviously different.

Additional informations

If of any use, here is the .desktop file :

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=VPN  
Categories=Application;Maintenance
Exec=$REDACTED_PATH/vpn.sh
Icon=/usr/share/icons/protonvpn.svg
Terminal=true

Thanks !

[maremike]

I am having a similar issue. However Im trying to start the app at boot using a systemd service. I got the app to work on my debian machine, but am struggling with fedora. I used the same scripts for both.

"/etc/systemd/system/proton-vpn.service" (even if I change from fork to simple nothing changes)

[Unit]

Description=ProtonVPN Client
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=fork
ExecStart=/bin/protonvpn-app
Restart=on-failure
EnvironmentFile=/etc/default/protonvpn
User=username
Group=username

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

"/etc/default/protonvpn"

XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000

DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus

This worked on Debian. But on Fedora I get the following journalctl output:

"journalctl -u proton-vpn.service"

Started proton-vpn.service - ProtonVPN Client. Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.590836+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.connection:459 | INFO | CONN:STATE_CHANGED | Disconnected (initial state) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.592173+00:00 | proton.vpn.app.gtk.app:57 | INFO | APP:PROCESS_START | self= Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.645333+00:00 | proton.vpn.app.gtk.widgets.main.tray_indicator:45 | INFO | AyanaAppIndicator3 not found: Namespa> Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.648199+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.vpn_data_refresher:167 | INFO | APP.VPN_DATA_REFRESHER:ENABLE | VPN da> Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.648347+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.vpn_data_refresher:175 | INFO | Next client config refresh scheduled i> Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.648433+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.vpn_data_refresher:184 | INFO | Next server list refresh scheduled in > Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.648981+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.vpn_data_refresher:193 | INFO | Next certificate refresh scheduled in > Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.649072+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.vpn_data_refresher:202 | INFO | Next feature flags refresh scheduled i> Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.649397+00:00 | proton.vpn.session.utils:107 | INFO | API:REQUEST | '/vpn/v1/loads' Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.667475+00:00 | dbus.proxies:407 | ERROR | Introspect error on :1.16:/org/freedesktop/login1/seat/auto: dbus.exc> Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.667962+00:00 | proton.vpn.app.gtk.utils.exception_handler:257 | CRITICAL | APP:CRASH | Unexpected error. Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: Traceback (most recent call last): Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/widgets/vpn/vpn_widget.py", line 183, in _on_refresher_enabled Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: self.display(self._controller.user_tier, self._controller.server_list) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/widgets/vpn/vpn_widget.py", line 205, in display Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: self._controller.reconnector.enable() Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/services/reconnector/reconnector.py", line 93, in enable Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: self._session_monitor.enable() Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/services/reconnector/session_monitor.py", line 61, in enable Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: self._setup() Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/proton/vpn/app/gtk/services/reconnector/session_monitor.py", line 102, in _setup Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: seat_properties = seat_auto_properties_proxy.GetAll(SEAT_INTERFACE) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.13/site-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 72, in __call__ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.13/site-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 141, in __call__ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: return self._connection.call_blocking(self._named_service, Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: self._object_path, Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ...<3 lines>... Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: args, Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: **keywords) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: ^^^^^^^^^^^ Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.13/site-packages/dbus/connection.py", line 634, in call_blocking Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: reply_message = self.send_message_with_reply_and_block( Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: message, timeout) Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownObject: Unknown object '/org/freedesktop/login1/seat/auto'. Dec 30 22:51:41 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:41.677092+00:00 | proton.vpn.app.gtk.services.reconnector.reconnector:174 | INFO | Network connectivity was detect> Dec 30 22:51:43 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:43.097837+00:00 | proton.vpn.session.utils:111 | INFO | API:RESPONSE | '/vpn/v1/loads' Dec 30 22:51:43 apollo protonvpn-app[11557]: 2024-12-30T21:51:43.309372+00:00 | proton.vpn.core.refresher.server_list_refresher:76 | INFO | Next server list refresh scheduled i> Dec 30 22:51:51 apollo systemd[1]: proton-vpn.service: Deactivated successfully.

What I think is the most interesting here is:

dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownObject: Unknown object '/org/freedesktop/login1/seat/auto'.

The protonvpn-app starts, but with an error

Something went wrong. An unexpected error occurred

. It says constantly

Loading App

on the interface.

But I can say that with the code both applications get started (though for Fedora not at boot and it doesnt work).