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PyQt5 does not work from pip

View original Launchpad issue

Metadata

Project
snapcraft (launchpad)
Number
#1859008
Type
issue
State
open
Author
~jakobdev
Labels
—
Created
Updated
Closed
—

Current evaluation

PyQt5 from pip fails in snaps with xcb plugin load error; reporter notes the PyQt5 stage package works. No maintainer response, no labels, 0 comments, 2426 days old.

Suggested action: needs triage

Reason: The issue is 2426 days old with zero comments, no labels, and no maintainer interaction. It reports a real bug (PyQt5 pip package fails to load xcb plugin in snaps while the stage package works), but it has never been triaged. The root cause likely involves Qt library path or plugin path configuration in the snap environment, which is a known class of issues with Python GUI packages in snaps. It needs triage to determine whether this is still reproducible on current base snaps or whether it has been resolved by changes to the PyQt5 stage package or snap confinement.

Impact: 30 Quick Win: 13.5 Staleness: 95 Complexity: 55 Confidence: 55 Support Request: 35

Issue body

I had some programs that use PyQt5. If create a Snap of it and try to start it, it will not work and pritn this error message: qt.qpa.plugin: Could not load the Qt platform plugin "xcb" in "" even though it was found. This application failed to start because no Qt platform plugin could be initialized. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem. Available platform plugins are: eglfs, linuxfb, minimal, minimalegl, offscreen, xcb, vnc, wayland-egl, wayland, wayland-xcomposite-egl, wayland-xcomposite-glx, webgl. Abgebrochen (Speicherabzug geschrieben) The solution is, to use the PyQt5 stage package. It would be nice, if I can use the pip package, because it's more up to date.

Evaluation history

Date Model Scores Action Summary
qwen/qwen3.8-27b
Impact: 30
Quick Win: 13.5
Staleness: 95
Complexity: 55
Confidence: 55
Support Request: 35
needs triage PyQt5 from pip fails in snaps with xcb plugin load error; reporter notes the PyQt5 stage package works. No maintainer response, no labels, 0 comments, 2426 days old.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 98
Complexity: 45
Confidence: 90
Support Request: 85
close stale PyQt5 installed via pip fails to run in Snap environments due to Qt platform plugin initialization errors. Unlabelled, no maintainer response, inactive for over six years.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 95
Complexity: 45
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 75
close stale PyQt5 installed via pip fails to run in Snap packages due to missing Qt platform plugin xcb. No maintainer response or labels after over six years.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 98
Complexity: 30
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 20
close stale PyQt5 installed via pip fails to load the xcb platform plugin in Snap environments. Open for over six years with no maintainer response or labels.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 95
Complexity: 20
Confidence: 90
Support Request: 85
close not a bug User reports PyQt5 installed via pip fails to load Qt platform plugins in Snap environments. Suggests using stage packages instead. Issue is 6+ years old with no maintainer response or labels.

Update history

No update history recorded yet.

Related work

  • Related To: snapcraft#1764100 (confidence 40%)

    Launchpad bug 1764100 reports a similar PyQt5 xcb plugin loading failure in snaps, also 8+ years old with no resolution. Suggests this is a long-standing class of issue with Qt plugin paths in snap confinement.

Related issues

Issue Project State Summary Similarity
#1764100 pyqt5 cannot load xcb plugin snapcraft (launchpad) open PyQt5 snap fails to load xcb platform plugin due to undefined Qt symbol in libQt5XcbQpa, indicating a Qt library version mismatch. 8+ years old, zero comments, no labels, no maintainer interaction.
79%