workrave fails to commit changes to dconf

[jluttine]

Describe the bug

I'm not able to modify the settings of workrave. I'm seeing the following error on the command line:

(workrave:3920): dconf-WARNING **: 12:01:18.760: failed to commit changes to dconf: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name ca.desrt.dconf was not provided by any .service files

These errors are repeated many many times. At least whenever I try to modify some setting.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Install: nix-build '<nixpkgs>' -A workrave
2. Run: result/bin/workrave
3. Right-click the tray icon and choose Preferences. Modify some setting (for instance, uncheck "Enable timer". The box gets automatically checked immediately again. Similarly, if I change some other settings, the values just quickly switch back to the defaults.

Probably this is related to the fact that I'm not running GNOME nor any of its services on my desktop environment. But shouldn't workrave be wrapped so that it worked and had all its dependencies included somehow?

Expected behavior

Modifying the settings would persist and take effect.

Notify maintainers

cc: @prikhi

Metadata
Please run nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m" and paste the result.

$ nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m"
 - system: `"x86_64-linux"`
 - host os: `Linux 5.4.41, NixOS, 20.09.git.8e75db3f006M (Nightingale)`
 - multi-user?: `yes`
 - sandbox: `yes`
 - version: `nix-env (Nix) 2.3.4`
 - nixpkgs: `/etc/nixpkgs`

Maintainer information:

# a list of nixpkgs attributes affected by the problem
attribute: workrave

[saengowp]

Same issue here. Does installing dconf solve your problem?

nix-env -iA nixos.gnome3.dconf

[SeraphyBR]

I had the same problem with gucharmap. I installed dconf which solved it.

[jtojnar]

You should not install it but add it to services.dbus.packages. programs.dconf.enable = true; will do that for you.

See #73880 (comment) for more info.

[stale]

I marked this as stale due to inactivity. → More info

[schmittlauch]

As long as we haven't found a way to enable dconf from the program's derivation itself, I consider this a WONTFIX.

As described, workaround is programs.dconf.enable = true; on NixOS, and possibly a host-side dconf for nixpkgs on non-NixOS Linux systems.

[nixos-discourse]

This issue has been mentioned on NixOS Discourse. There might be relevant details there:

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/soffice-bin-7117-failed-to-commit-changes-to-dconf-gdbus-error-org-freedesktop-dbus-error-serviceunknown-the-name-ca-desrt-dconf-was-not-provided-by-any-service-files/24785/1