Can run executable with the mouse, not with the command line

Ubuntu Version:

Ubuntu Desktop Ubuntu 25.04

Desktop Environment (if applicable):

GNOME

Problem Description:

I have “installed” Sononym (well, just uinzipped a folder). I can run the application by double clicking the “sononym” executable file from the file manager – no privileges needed. However, if I try to run the same executable from the command line, I get an error (see below).

Can you help me understand why the difference, please?

In fact, all I want is a functional executable path to add to a .desktop file, so I don’t have to go to the subfolder every time I want to run this application.

Relevant System Information:

?

Screenshots or Error Messages:

Clicking “sononym” in the file manager works:

Running the executable from the command line throws an error:

$ ./sononym
[29717:0519/172759.605233:FATAL:setuid_sandbox_host.cc(157)] The SUID sandbox helper binary was found, but is not configured correctly. Rather than run without sandboxing I'm aborting now. You need to make sure that /home/icaria36/Music/Sononym/sononym-1.5.6/chrome-sandbox is owned by root and has mode 4755.
Trace/breakpoint trap (core dumped)

What I’ve Tried:

I haven’t tried to follow the command line error message because first I want to understand why the file runs from the file manager but not from the command line.


First the issue:

Set the correct permissions to the chrome-sandbox file:

sudo chown root /home/icaria36/Music/Sononym/sononym-1.5.6/chrome-sandbox
sudo chmod 4755 /home/icaria36/Music/Sononym/sononym-1.5.6/chrome-sandbox

Or for evaluation only break the sandbox:

Downloads/1.All-Dl's/sononym-1.5.6 
└─> ./sononym --no-sandbox

Result

└─> ./sononym --no-sandbox
info: [MAIN] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
info: [MAIN] Sononym : V 1.5.6 x64 linux
info: [MAIN] Node: ‘production’ V 16.15.0
info: [MAIN] Electron: V 20.3.7
info: [MAIN] Running from: ./sononym
info: [MAIN] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
info: [MAIN] Main process initialized
info: [MAIN] Creating splash window…
info: [MAIN] Creating background window…
info: [MAIN] Creating main window…
info: [RENDERER] Initializing splash-dialog process…
info: [RENDERER] Splash-dialog process initialized
info: [RENDERER] Initializing render process…
info: [RENDERER] Render process initialized
info: [BACKGROUND] Initializing background process…
info: [BACKGROUND] Background process initialized
info: [BACKGROUND] Connecting to renderer process…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [MAIN] Showing main window…
info: [RENDERER] handleCommandLineArguments [
“/home/me/Downloads/1.All-Dl’s/sononym-1.5.6/sononym”,
‘–no-sandbox’
]
info: [RENDERER] Connecting to background process…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Auto-saved model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/settings.json’
info: [RENDERER] Auto-saved model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/settings.json’
info: [RENDERER] Auto-loaded model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/settings.json’
info: [RENDERER] Auto-saved model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/query.json’
info: [MAIN] Auto-saved model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/window-state.json’
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Auto-saved model: ‘/home/me/.config/Sononym/1.5.6/settings.json’
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [RENDERER] Rendering main window…
info: [BACKGROUND] Shutting down…
info: [MAIN] Shutting down…

1 Like

Thank you very much, @1fallen – this resolves the actual problem. Now I can launch the app from the command line, and get a .desktop file that works properly.

I’m still curious about what made it work when the app was opened by double clicking from the file manager.

The text you posted gave you the fix.

1 Like

But where does this different behavior come from? Is it inheritance of privileges via AppArmor?

That makes two of us, It did not open for me on double click, and my experience showed a sandbox was involved, so permissions is always my first look.
I’m not a big fan of Electron either. :wink:

1 Like

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