FilePicker just doesn't work.

[R0w0m]

Description

When I click on the filepicker button, nothing happens. I tried the examples from the documentation and they don't work either. Maybe some libraries need to be installed. I am running in a virtual environment.

Code example to reproduce the issue:

import flet as ft

def main(page: ft.Page):
    def pick_files_result(e: ft.FilePickerResultEvent):
        selected_files.value = (
            ", ".join(map(lambda f: f.name, e.files)) if e.files else "Cancelled!"
        )
        selected_files.update()

    pick_files_dialog = ft.FilePicker(on_result=pick_files_result)
    selected_files = ft.Text()
    page.overlay.append(pick_files_dialog)

    page.add(
        ft.Row(
            [
                ft.ElevatedButton(
                    "Pick files",
                    icon=ft.icons.UPLOAD_FILE,
                    on_click=lambda _: pick_files_dialog.pick_files(
                        allow_multiple=True
                    ),
                ),
                selected_files,
            ]
        )
    )

ft.app(target=main)

and also this one

import flet as ft

def main(page: ft.Page):
    page.theme_mode = "light"

    def result(e):
        page.add(ft.Text("result :)"))

    my_dialog = ft.FilePicker(on_result=result)
    page.overlay.append(my_dialog)

    page.add(
        ft.Row(
            [
                ft.ElevatedButton("Pick", icon=ft.icons.UPLOAD_FILE,
                                  on_click=lambda _: my_dialog.pick_files()),
                ft.ElevatedButton("Save", icon=ft.icons.UPLOAD_FILE,
                                  on_click=lambda _: my_dialog.save_file()),
                ft.ElevatedButton("Get Dir", icon=ft.icons.UPLOAD_FILE,
                                  on_click=lambda _: my_dialog.get_directory_path()),
            ]
        )
    )

ft.app(target=main)

Describe the results i received:

Nothing happens when I press it. It's like they're just normal buttons with no functionality. Also no message is displayed even in the terminal

Additional information:

I tried to run it in web, only pick_files works. Pick_dir and save_file don't work as well.
In windows it works correctly

Flet version (pip show flet):

Name: flet
Version: 0.7.4
Summary: Flet for Python - easily build interactive multi-platform apps in Python
Home-page: 
Author: Appveyor Systems Inc.
Author-email: hello@flet.dev
License: Apache-2.0
Location: /home/rwm/Projects/SeeSerial_python/env/lib/python3.11/site-packages
Requires: flet-core, httpx, oauthlib, packaging, watchdog, websocket-client, websockets
Required-by: 

Operating system:

Arch Linux.
kernel: 6.3.9

Additional environment details:
DE: Gnome 44.2

Please help me, I have no idea why this is happening.

[BedirT]

Seconded. I am using the examples provided, even they don't work. I am also using Linux (ubuntu).

[UPDATE] It is a permissioning issue. When I try in a root env it works.

[rkleivel]

I can confirm. Running the examples as Ubuntu native app, none of the functions pick_files(), save_file() or get_directory_path() open the native file explorer (Nautilus on Ubuntu) unless I run the python executable with sudo privileges.

I cannot imagine this is intentional. Anyone found a solution? This is currently a showstopper for my app.

Ubuntu 22.04

Name: flet
Version: 0.8.2
Summary: Flet for Python - easily build interactive multi-platform apps in Python
Home-page: 
Author: Appveyor Systems Inc.
Author-email: hello@flet.dev
License: Apache-2.0
Location: /home/roald/KMM/stillOnWheels/stowImporter/env/lib/python3.10/site-packages
Requires: copier, flet-runtime, packaging, pydantic, qrcode, watchdog, websocket-client, websockets
Required-by: 

[rkleivel]

UPDATE to my previous comment:

Apparently I was a little bit too hasty... What I have discovered is that the above is true when running the script from VS Code, but not if running the script from Ubuntu terminal (x-terminal-emulator). Trying to find what's going on I came across this setting in VS Code: terminal.integrated.inheritEnv. Setting this to false makes file explorer launch as expected with all 3 above mentioned methods. (Still I have the issue if running debug in VS Code, but I assume it is related).

@R0w0m / @BedirT - any comments on this? Maybe the same is true for you?

[rkleivel]

Another UPDATE for the possible benefit of future googlers:
Comparing the environments where

1. FilePicker launches the file explorer
   vs
2. where FilePicker needs root-privileges to open file explorer

reveals that env var GTK_PATH=/snap/code/134/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gtk-3.0 was set in case 2. Unseting this variable solves the problem for me.

The following links may be relevant:

• https://askubuntu.com/questions/1462295/ubuntu-22-04-both-eye-of-gnome-and-gimp-failing-with-undefined-symbol-error
• Undefined Symbol Error while trying to launch GUI Apps from a Snap Installed VSCode Built-in Terminal microsoft/vscode#179274

[FeodorFitsner]

Great discovery, thanks for sharing it!