Linux apps won't appear or open
Empty app grids, apps that won't open, and windows that misbehave.
On this page 6 sections
The grid is empty#
- "No GUI applications found" — nothing installed has a
.desktopentry. Command-line programs never do. Install a GUI app inside Linux, then Refresh. See Your first Linux app. - "No applications yet" with **Install Distro** — the distro isn't downloaded yet.
I installed something and it isn't there#
Click Refresh — MSL only reads the list when asked. Check the source picker isn't filtering it out (choose All), and that the search field is empty.
It won't open#
| Check | Because |
|---|---|
| Is the Graphics gate cut on the Sandbox tab? | It stops new windows opening. |
| Is the capacity pill orange? | Opening an app has to start the instance, and every slot is taken. |
| Is the background service running? | It's what runs Linux apps. See The service isn't running. |
| Does it run from the Terminal tab? | Type its command there — errors print right in the terminal. |
An orange "Couldn't start app" banner includes the reason. Apps started from the Dock or Spotlight have no terminal, so they write problems to ~/Library/Logs/MSL — Open Logs on the Tools tab.
An app in my Dock does nothing#
If the instance it belongs to has been removed, its Mac apps were removed too — but a Dock tile can outlive them. Remove the tile. msl doctor lists apps pointing at removed instances, and msl doctor --fix cleans them up.
The window looks wrong#
mslgd is MSL's own display server, and some apps use parts of X11 it doesn't draw perfectly yet. Try the app from another source (a Flatpak, say). See Living with Linux windows.
Copy and paste doesn't work between apps#
Not yet — only within one Linux app. See Copy and paste.