# Can't launch Slicer on Linux - failed to obtain launcher executable name

**URL:** https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 26, 2018, 8:34am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694 "2018-04-26T08:34:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 8:34am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/1 "2018-04-26T08:34:33Z")

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Hi

I can’t open Slicer on Ubuntu 16.04 64 bits :  
Linux 4.13.0-38-generic #43~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP

I tried 2 releases :

1- “Slicer-4.9.0-2018-04-25-linux-amd64” and " , I got this error :  
error: Failed to obtain launcher executable name !

2- Slicer-4.0.0-linux-amd64/ ; got the following error :  
./bin/SlicerQT-real: error while loading shared libraries: libssl.so.0.9.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Any idea !

Thank you

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 8:42am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/2 "2018-04-26T08:42:42Z")

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By the way,  
I already opened an topic regarding the same issue :

> [@Pre-build or Locally-build 3dSlicer under Ubuntu 16.04 does NOT start: Failed to obtain launcher executable name!](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/pre-build-or-locally-build-3dslicer-under-ubuntu-16-04-does-not-start-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2322/8):
>
> The error message indicates that the following code path (associated with the function ctkAppLauncherPrivate::extractLauncherNameAndDir) is executed in the launcher: The input to that function is obtained here using argv[0]: I suspect that on newer Ubuntu, the path the program needs to be obtained from /proc as it is done in qapplication: Few days ago, within Slicer itself (and not the launcher) the needed a function allowing to get the path of the application on all platforms before in…

I still can’t use Slicer, and I need this software on Linux.

Thank again

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### Author: ![brhoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/brhoom/32/1228_2.png) [@brhoom](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/brhoom)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 9:36am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/3 "2018-04-26T09:36:15Z")

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Try deleting the Slicer folder setting in your home(rename it if you still need it)

`rm -rf ~/.config/NA-MIC`

Or

`mv ~/.config/NA-MIC ~/.config/SlicerBK`

Then run Slicer again.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 11:56am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/4 "2018-04-26T11:56:47Z")

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@brhoom  
thank you for your feedback

in fact, there is no folder on my home directory

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### Author: ![chir.set](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/chir.set/32/66982_2.png) [@chir.set](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/chir.set)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/5 "2018-04-26T12:49:39Z")

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> [@MGM](#):
>
> there is no folder on my home directory

Try lo locate the NA-MIC directory :

find $HOME -type d -name “NA-MIC”

Some distros don’t put config files in $HOME/.config/

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### Author: ![brhoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/brhoom/32/1228_2.png) [@brhoom](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/brhoom)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/6 "2018-04-26T12:52:37Z")

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it is a hidden folder, you just need to run one of the commands I mentioned above then run slicer again. copy paste the command in the terminal and let us know what message you got. No messages means the command run without problem.

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### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/7 "2018-04-26T12:58:48Z")

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@chir.set @brhoom  
yes, i searched in hidden folder, can’t find

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brhoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/brhoom/32/1228_2.png) [@brhoom](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/brhoom)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 12:59pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/8 "2018-04-26T12:59:54Z")

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what is the path of your Slicer. Did you build it yourself or just downloaded the binary from Slicer website?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/9 "2018-04-26T13:00:53Z")

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I placed in ~/Software/Slicer

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brhoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/brhoom/32/1228_2.png) [@brhoom](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/brhoom)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2018, 1:09pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/10 "2018-04-26T13:09:46Z")

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The path looks ok. When Slicer run it should create NA-MIC folder in .config. I suggest you try to [download](https://download.slicer.org/bitstream/738960) the stable version 4.8.1 then **extract** it in ~/Software then run Slicer in a terminal like this

```
  ~/Software/Slicer-4.8.1-linux-amd64/Slicer

```

if it does not work please write your terminal output here.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![MGM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MGM](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/MGM)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 8:06am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/11 "2018-04-27T08:06:06Z")

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Hi @brhoom

Thank you, this release work fine 🙂

Have a good day

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brhoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/brhoom/32/1228_2.png) [@brhoom](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/brhoom)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/12 "2018-04-27T16:12:19Z")

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Try also to re-download the nightly build. Sometimes, the downloaded file is corrupted.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cant-launch-slicer-on-linux-failed-to-obtain-launcher-executable-name/2694/13 "2021-06-23T15:14:54Z")

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A post was split to a new topic: [Cannot start Slicer on LInux - cannot connect to X server](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/cannot-start-slicer-on-linux-cannot-connect-to-x-server/18302)
