# Install extensions is not working on latest preview release

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [March 11, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316 "2023-03-11T21:57:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mau\_igna\_06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/mau_igna_06/32/9056_2.png) [@mau\_igna\_06](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/mau_igna_06)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/1 "2023-03-11T21:57:52Z")

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I’m on ubuntu

 ![Captura desde 2023-03-11 18-51-03](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/8/c/8cb1621f24fa8370aec093883e9d08855c9b3a52.jpeg)  
 ![Captura desde 2023-03-11 18-50-31](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/slicer/original/3X/4/c/4c3bf7665d9cd4ec53ee1e76514c3312082c72c2.jpeg)

Thanks for the help

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**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:** [March 12, 2023, 12:51am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/2 "2023-03-12T00:51:46Z")

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Does that folder exist and writable for your user?

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**Author:** ![muratmaga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/muratmaga/32/3622_2.png) [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2023, 3:25am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/3 "2023-03-12T03:25:20Z")

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I am also getting a similar error when I start Slicer from the latest preview

```auto
maga@magalab-ML:~/Downloads$ tar zxf Slicer-5.3.0-2023-03-10-linux-amd64.tar.gz 
maga@magalab-ML:~/Downloads/Slicer$ cd .Slicer-5.3.0-2023-03-10-linux-amd64/
maga@magalab-ML:~/Downloads/Slicer-5.3.0-2023-03-10-linux-amd64$ ./Slicer 
"Failed to create extensions directory" "/home/maga/Downloads/Slicer-5.3.0-2023-03-10-linux-amd64/bin/../Slicer/Extensions-31632"
Switch to module: "Welcome"

```

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**Author:** ![muratmaga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/muratmaga/32/3622_2.png) [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/4 "2023-03-12T03:26:01Z")

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It is adding that extra **Slicer** folder (which is now replacing the NA-MIC folder), and that’s where it is failing to create.

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**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:** [March 12, 2023, 12:06pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/5 "2023-03-12T12:06:06Z")

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This `NA-MIC` to `Slicer` rename is a very recent change, so most likely that causes the problem. Is there a NA-MIC folder, too? Does the problem go away if you create the `Slicer` folder?

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**Author:** ![mau\_igna\_06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/mau_igna_06/32/9056_2.png) [@mau\_igna\_06](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/mau_igna_06)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/6 "2023-03-12T13:21:34Z")

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Hi. Thanks for the answer

> [@lassoan](#):
>
> Is there a NA-MIC folder, too?

Nope

> [@lassoan](#):
>
> Does the problem go away if you create the `Slicer` folder?

You cannot create the Slicer folder you mention because that’s already the name of the executable to launch Slicer. Maybe the folder could be named “Slicer5”?

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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:** [March 12, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/7 "2023-03-12T13:39:32Z")

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You have solved the mystery! There was no issue on Windows, because the Slicer executable name is `Slicer.exe` and on macOS the folder structure is special, but on linux there is indeed a name clash. The only way to change this is to modify the Slicer executable or the organization name, because the settings subfolder naming logic logic is hardcoded in the constructor of the `QSettings` class.

Changing the Slicer executable name is probably not a good idea, as it could cause regressions at many places.

Potential ideas for organization name:

- `slicer` - most linux file systems are case sensitive, so the name clash would be resolved, but it could be quite fragile, it may not work on some file systems
- `SlicerCommunity`
- `Slicer5` - it would reset settings at each new Slicer major version, which may not what users expect, it is also not an organization name
- `slicer.org` - looks quite good, it is about the same as the organization domain, but it may be even good (as organization name and domain are sometimes used interchangeably)

Are there any other suggestions?

I’ll submit a PR to change the value to `slicer.org` to resolve the issue until we decide on the final name.

I’ve created an issue in the bugtracker:

> <https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/issues/6878>
>
> There is a name clash of the settings folder and Slicer executable since changin…g of the \`organization name\` from \`NA-MIC\` to \`Slicer\` (https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/pull/6750).
> 
> There was no issue on Windows, because the Slicer executable name is Slicer.exe and on macOS the folder structure is special, but on linux there is indeed a name clash. The only way to change this is to modify the Slicer executable or the organization name, because the settings subfolder naming logic logic is hardcoded in the constructor of the QSettings class.
> 
> See more information here:
> https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/7?u=lassoan
> 
> Changing the Slicer executable name is probably not a good idea, as it could cause regressions at many places. Therefore, we need to choose a different organization name.

@pieper @jcfr

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jcfr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jcfr/32/17825_2.png) [@jcfr](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jcfr)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/install-extensions-is-not-working-on-latest-preview-release/28316/8 "2023-03-13T18:01:33Z")

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For future reference, thanks to @lassoan, the issue has been fixed in [PR-6879](https://github.com/Slicer/Slicer/pull/6879).

After downloading the latest Preview build, I confirm that installing extension works.