Arch Linux

smart2128

Member

Registered: 2010-04-09

Posts: 18

gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

I noticed that some qt5 packages have been orphaned and removed from the extra repository a couple of days ago and now I'm unable to run gns3-gui.
I tried rebuilding those packages from AUR, but running gns3 from CLI I always get the same message:

Please install the PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

WorMzy

Administrator

From: Scotland

Registered: 2010-06-16

Posts: 13,080

Website

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Mod note: Moving to AUR Issues.

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BertoX

Member

Registered: 2025-11-10

Posts: 2

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Hello,

Same issue here, but strange that  I do not have the problem with my other Archlinux host !
As a workaround, I downgraded python from 5.15.11-3 to 5.15.11-2

and rebuilded gns3-gui-git et gns3-server-git .

Regards,
Bertrand.

Last edited by BertoX (2025-11-10 21:42:17)

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,674

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

I downgraded python from 5.15.11-3 to 5.15.11-2

python from the official repos is currently 3.13.7-1.

smart2128

Member

Registered: 2010-04-09

Posts: 18

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

@BertoX thank you, it worked. No need to rebuild gns3 packages.

@loqs it's python-pyqt5

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,674

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

@loqs it's python-pyqt5

So you need a custom build of python-pyqt5 with at least part of 29e366d upgpkg: 5.15.11-3: Drop bindings for several unused modules reverted or you are stuck in a partial upgrade.

smart2128

Member

Registered: 2010-04-09

Posts: 18

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … ote_354223

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,674

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … ote_354223

So why did you ignore that response and downgrade the package instead?

BertoX

Member

Registered: 2025-11-10

Posts: 2

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … ote_354223

So why did you ignore that response and downgrade the package instead?

Maybe because it is easier to downgrade than build a custom package including those 'not so unused' modules ?

Last edited by BertoX (2025-11-11 01:12:13)

smart2128

Member

Registered: 2010-04-09

Posts: 18

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … ote_354223

So why did you ignore that response and downgrade the package instead?

I didn’t ignore it; I simply wasn’t aware of that change until you pointed me to the commit.
Thank you.

codericcardo

Member

Registered: 2025-11-13

Posts: 2

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

This is How I Solved

I ran into a problem running GNS3 GUI on Arch Linux where it kept complaining:

Please install the PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

The Arch packages (pacman/AUR) for PyQt5 don’t include the QtWebSockets module, so installing python-pyqt5 from pacman or using AUR helpers wasn’t enough. Mixing pip and pacman caused conflicts due to Arch’s “externally-managed environment” (PEP 668).

Here’s how I solved it:

pip install --user --break-system-packages PyQt5==5.15.11
python -c "from PyQt5.QtWebSockets import QWebSocket; print('ok')"
yay -S gns3-gui
gns3

• Install PyQt5 via pip with the exact version that includes QtWebSockets.

• Don’t install Qt5/PyQt5 via pacman or AUR helpers if you’ve already installed it via pip, to avoid conflicts.

• After that, use AUR helpers to install GNS3 GUI normally.

Now GNS3 finds QtWebSockets correctly and launches without errors.

Last edited by codericcardo (2025-11-13 08:22:43)

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,437

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Now GNS3 finds QtWebSockets correctly and launches without errors.

And you broke your systemwide python installation .

Use virtual environments instead, see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Python … y_packages

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codericcardo

Member

Registered: 2025-11-13

Posts: 2

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

And you broke your systemwide python installation .

You're right, I know this could cause issues. It was a temporary workaround to replace that dependency since the original one wasn’t working. I understand that this might create problems. Thanks a lot.

eyur

Member

Registered: 2025-11-16

Posts: 3

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

python-pyqt5 5.15.11-3: QtWebSockets Removal Breaks GNS3 and Other Applications

Summary

The upgrade from python-pyqt5 5.15.11-2 to 5.15.11-3 removes QtWebSockets bindings, breaking GNS3 (an official repository package) and potentially other PyQt5 applications that depend on WebSocket functionality.

The Problem

In commit 29e366d, the maintainer removed several PyQt5 modules with the justification of dropping "several unused modules." However, these modules are clearly not unused:

Modules removed:

• QtWebSockets (required by GNS3)

• QtConnectivity (QtNfc, QtBluetooth)

• QtRemoteObjects

• QtQuick3D

• QtWebChannel

Impact on GNS3

GNS3, which is maintained in the official Arch repositories, now fails to launch with:

Please install the PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

This is a breaking change for a working application in the official repos.

Why This Is a Poor Maintainer Decision

1. No migration path provided - The maintainer's response in GitLab issue #1 states: "Yes, this was intentionally removed. Someone will need to create an AUR package for it if something there needs it."

2. Breaks official repo packages - GNS3 is not an obscure AUR package; it's officially maintained. Breaking it without coordination is poor practice.

3. No separate package created - If these modules needed to be split out, a python-pyqt5-websockets package should have been created first, with proper dependencies set up.

4. "Someone else can fix it" - Pushing the burden onto users to create AUR packages when the maintainer is the one who broke functionality is backwards.

The Workaround

For anyone affected, downgrade to the working version:

sudo pacman -U https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/p/python-pyqt5/python-pyqt5-5.15.11-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Then prevent auto-upgrade by adding to /etc/pacman.conf:

IgnorePkg = python-pyqt5

Verification

You can verify which version you're running:

pacman -Qi python-pyqt5 | grep Version

And check if QtWebSockets is present:

pacman -Ql python-pyqt5 | grep -i websocket

Version -2 will show QtWebSockets files; version -3 will not.

Request for Resolution

I respectfully request one of the following:

1. Revert the change - Restore QtWebSockets and other removed modules to python-pyqt5

2. Create official split packages - Make python-pyqt5-websockets and similar packages available in official repos

3. Coordinate with affected packages - Work with GNS3 maintainers to ensure dependencies are properly handled

Breaking official repository packages without a migration path is not acceptable maintenance practice, regardless of the maintainer's assessment of module usage.

Alternative "Solutions" to Avoid

Some have suggested using:

pip install --user --break-system-packages PyQt5==5.15.11

Do not do this. This bypasses pacman's package management and will cause system-wide Python conflicts. The proper solution is to use pacman to downgrade or wait for a proper fix.

System Info:

• Arch Linux (up to date as of November 15 2025)

• python-pyqt5 5.15.11-3 (broken)

• python-pyqt5 5.15.11-2 (working)

• Affected application: GNS3 (and potentially others)

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,437

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Nice writeup, pity it is posted on this forum which is not the place to request something from arch devs.

It also has a fatal flaw :

The upgrade from python-pyqt5 5.15.11-2 to 5.15.11-3 removes QtWebSockets bindings, breaking GNS3 (an official repository package) and potentially other PyQt5 applications that depend on WebSocket functionality.

GNS3, which is maintained in the official Arch repositories,

gns3-gui and gns3-server  have been in the aur atleast since 2015 when the AUR was populated from scratch .

I doubt very much gns 3 has ever been in Arch Linux official repos.

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

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Try clean chroot manager by graysky

arojas

Developer

From: Spain

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 2,254

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Why This Is a Poor Maintainer Decision

My bad. I will make sure to consult my packaging decisions with ChatGPT in the future.

eyur

Member

Registered: 2025-11-16

Posts: 3

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Why This Is a Poor Maintainer Decision

My bad. I will make sure to consult my packaging decisions with ChatGPT in the future.

It's Claude, actually. And whether I used AI to help articulate the problem or not doesn't change the fact that you broke an official repository package and then told users to fix it themselves. Address the technical issue instead of deflecting with sarcasm.

eyur

Member

Registered: 2025-11-16

Posts: 3

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

Nice writeup, pity it is posted on this forum which is not the place to request something from arch devs.

It also has a fatal flaw :

The upgrade from python-pyqt5 5.15.11-2 to 5.15.11-3 removes QtWebSockets bindings, breaking GNS3 (an official repository package) and potentially other PyQt5 applications that depend on WebSocket functionality.

GNS3, which is maintained in the official Arch repositories,

gns3-gui and gns3-server  have been in the aur atleast since 2015 when the AUR was populated from scratch .

I doubt very much gns 3 has ever been in Arch Linux official repos.

My mistake, GNS3 is AUR not official. However, removing long-standing functionality still broke working software

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,674

Re: gns3-gui complains about missing PyQt5.QtWebSockets module

However, removing long-standing functionality still broke working software

AUR packages will break due to updates in the official repositories.  That is unavoidable.  You are expected to rebuild AUR packages or adapt or other packaging changes.  Arch only ensures the official packages are updated and their functionality is not broken.  See Arch User Repository Updating packages.

Last edited by loqs (2025-11-16 19:48:20)