pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · RuntimeException

Unable to load image with name

Error message

Unable to load image with name [<location>]

What it means

ImageUtil.getImageInputStream resolves the image location through KettleVFS (first against registered bases, then the filesystem) and wraps any VFS FileSystemException in a RuntimeException naming the image location. It signals that no image resource could be resolved for the given name/path.

Solutions

1. Verify the image path/name exists on the classpath or filesystem (mind case sensitivity)
2. If part of a plugin, confirm the plugin jar contains the image and the plugin is installed correctly
3. Fix the location string passed to getImageAsResource
4. Check KettleVFS resolution base configuration

Example fix

// before
Image img = ImageUtil.getImageAsResource(display, "images/myicon.png"); // throws if missing
// after (guard for existence)
InputStream in = ImageUtil.class.getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream("images/myicon.png");
if (in != null) { Image img = ImageUtil.getImageAsResource(display, "images/myicon.png"); in.close(); }

InputStream in = ImageUtil.class.getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream(location);
boolean available = in != null;
if (in != null) { in.close(); }

boolean isImageResolvable(String location) {
  try { return ImageUtil.class.getClassLoader().getResource(location) != null; }
  catch (Exception e) { return false; }
}

try {
  Image img = ImageUtil.getImageAsResource(display, location);
} catch (RuntimeException e) {
  log.warn("Image {} missing, using placeholder", location, e);
  Image img = display.getSystemImage(SWT.ICON_WARNING);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling ImageUtil.getImageAsResource with a location string that is not resolvable by KettleVFS — e.g. a missing plugin image, a typo'd resource path, or a file absent from the filesystem/classpath.

Common situations: Plugin ships images not on the classpath; relocated UI resources after a version upgrade; case-mismatched resource names on Linux; broken KettleVFS base configuration.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• CustomVfsSettingsParser.Log.FailedToLoad
• Filename not provided
• A step in transformation [" + transMeta.toString() + "]…
• AbstractFileErrorHandler.Exception.CouldNotCreateFileErrorHandlerForFile
• Append file in repository is not possible

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/15a0f8df4ca33c1a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/util/ImageUtil.java:88

    if ( cl == null ) {
      // Can't count on Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader() being non-null on Mac
      // Have to provide some fallback
      cl = ImageUtil.class.getClassLoader();
    }
    URL res = cl.getResource( location );
    if ( res != null ) {
      try {
        java.io.InputStream s = res.openStream();
        return s;
      } catch ( IOException e ) {
        // do nothing. just move on to trying to load via file system
      }
    }
    try {
      FileObject imageFileObject = KettleVFS.getInstance().getFileSystemManager().resolveFile( base, location );
      return KettleVFS.getInputStream( imageFileObject );
    } catch ( FileSystemException e ) {
      throw new RuntimeException( "Unable to load image with name [" + location + "]", e );
    }
  }

  /**
   * TODO: Load splash and common images.
   */
  public static Image getImageAsResource( Display display, String location ) {
    return new Image( display, getImageInputStream( display, location ) );
  }

  /**
   * TODO: not used.
   */
  public static Image getImage( Display display, Class<?> resourceClass, String filename ) {
    try {
      return new Image( display, resourceClass.getResourceAsStream( filename ) );
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      try {

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