kovidgoyal/kitty · error

failed to export properties with error: %w

Error message

failed to export properties with error: %w

What it means

Raised by Portal.ExportInterface when prop.Export fails while exporting the interface's properties (org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties). Wraps the godbus prop package error.

Source

Thrown at kittens/desktop_ui/portal.go:141

					Name:      a.Name,
					Type:      a.Type,
					Direction: utils.IfElse(a.Out, "out", "in"),
				}
			}
			methods = append(methods, introspect.Method{
				Name: method_name,
				Args: meth_args,
			})
		}
	}
	if err = conn.ExportWithMap(object, method_map, op, interface_name); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to export interface: %s at object path: %s with error: %w", interface_name, object_path, err)
	}
	var properties []introspect.Property
	p := prop.Map{interface_name: prop_spec}
	if len(prop_spec) > 0 {
		if props, err := prop.Export(conn, op, p); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("failed to export properties with error: %w", err)
		} else {
			properties = props.Introspection(interface_name)
		}
	}
	var signals []introspect.Signal
	if len(signal_spec) > 0 {
		for signal_name, args := range signal_spec {
			sig_args := make([]introspect.Arg, len(args))
			for i, a := range args {
				sig_args[i] = introspect.Arg{
					Name:      a.Name,
					Type:      a.Type,
					Direction: "out",
				}
			}
			signals = append(signals, introspect.Signal{
				Name: signal_name,
				Args: sig_args,

View on GitHub (pinned to 6d5d0c4406)

Solutions

1. Ensure property spec values are valid dbus.Variant-compatible types
2. Avoid exporting the same object path/interface twice on one connection
3. Check the wrapped error for the exact marshalling failure
4. Restart the kitten server so the bus state is clean

err := portal.Start()
if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to export properties") {
    log.Printf("property export failed: %v", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a non-empty prop_spec whose property values have signatures that cannot be marshalled, or exporting properties at an object path where the properties interface already exists.

Common situations: Duplicate property export on the same path; running two portal instances over one connection; invalid Variant types in the property spec.

Related errors

• failed to export interface: %s at object path: %s with error
• failed to export introspected methods with error: %w
• could not connect to session D-Bus: %s
• failed to register dbus name: %v
• can't register D-Bus name: name already taken

AI-assisted analysis of kovidgoyal/kitty@6d5d0c4406 (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e65cc4597fcb4d7e. Report an issue: GitHub.