SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

lenhuppe · 2026-09-25 20:45:46

I use gnome and I have ghostty in my doc. Starting last night when I type cmd-4 as I usually do ghostty won't start. I went as far as installing a fresh system and that did not fix the problem.

I tried using kitty to run 'gtk-launch com.mitchellh.ghostty.desktop' from a fish command line. Nothing happend, and I got no error message.
Next I tried running 'ghostty --gtk-single-instance=true' which I took from the desktop file, and that worked.
Sometimes I can start ghostty by right clicking the doc icon and selecting New Window. The pattern there is unclear.

My ghostty config has been working for many moths now and is as follows:

~/.config/ghostty/config

#
# Ghostty Config
#

# keybindings
config-file = keybinds.conf

# theme
# theme = Builtin Tango Dark
# theme = Hurtado
# theme = Paul Millr
theme = Dark Pastel

# broken
# gtk-adwaita = true
# gtk-single-instance = desktop

# Linux-specific optimizations
linux-cgroup = single-instance

# gtk
adw-toolbar-style = raised
gtk-titlebar = true
gtk-titlebar-hide-when-maximized = false
gtk-opengl-debug = false
gtk-tabs-location = top
gtk-wide-tabs = true
gtk-titlebar-hide-when-maximized = false
gtk-toolbar-style = raised
gtk-titlebar-style = native
gtk-wide-tabs = true

# font
font-size = 12
font-family = "JetBrainsMonoNL Nerd Font"
font-style = default
font-style-bold = default
font-style-italic = default
font-style-bold-italic = default
font-synthetic-style = bold,italic,bold-italic
font-shaping-break = cursor
alpha-blending = linear-corrected
bold-is-bright = true

# programming ligatures
font-feature = +liga
font-feature = +calt
font-feature = +dlig

# clipboard protection
clipboard-read = ask
clipboard-write = allow
copy-on-select = clipboard
clipboard-trim-trailing-spaces = true
clipboard-paste-protection = true
clipboard-paste-bracketed-safe = true

# prevent title query attacks
title-report = false

# Mouse behavior
mouse-hide-while-typing = true
mouse-scroll-multiplier = 1.0
focus-follows-mouse = false

# screen
selection-clear-on-typing = true
selection-clear-on-copy = false

# Initial window size (in cells)
window-height = 50
window-width = 140

# window
window-decoration = auto
window-theme = auto
window-subtitle = working-directory
# window-position-x = 200
# window-position-y = 20
# window-save-state = always
window-new-tab-position = end
window-show-tab-bar = auto
maximize = false
fullscreen = false
background-opacity = 1
background-opacity-cells = false
background-blur = false

# Working directory inheritance
working-directory = inherit
window-inherit-working-directory = true
window-inherit-font-size = false

# misc
quit-after-last-window-closed = true
grapheme-width-method = unicode
desktop-notifications = true
async-backend = auto
auto-update = off
vt-kam-allowed = false
bell-features = no-system,no-audio,no-border
app-notifications = false
command = direct:fish
link-url = true
link-previews = true

# scrolling
scrollback-limit = 100000000
scrollbar = system

# shell options
shell-integration = detect
shell-integration-features = cursor,sudo,title,ssh-env,ssh-terminfo

# window padding
window-padding-x = 16
window-padding-y = 16
window-padding-balance = true
window-padding-color = background

# cursor
cursor-opacity = 1
cursor-style = block
cursor-style-blink = true
cursor-click-to-move = true

~/.config/ghostty/keybinds.conf

#
# Ghostty Key Bindings
#

# my bindings
keybind = ctrl+a>m=toggle_maximize
keybind = ctrl+a>p=toggle_command_palette
keybind = ctrl+a>s=scroll_to_top
keybind = ctrl+a>f=write_scrollback_file:open
keybind = ctrl+a>i=inspector:toggle

# Window management
keybind = ctrl+shift+n=new_window
keybind = ctrl+shift+t=new_tab
keybind = ctrl+shift+enter=new_split:right
keybind = ctrl+shift+d=new_split:down
keybind = ctrl+shift+w=close_surface
keybind = ctrl+shift+q=quit

# Tab navigation (removed Ctrl+1-9 to avoid conflicts - use default behavior)
keybind = ctrl+tab=next_tab
keybind = ctrl+shift+tab=previous_tab

# Split navigation (removed ctrl+shift+k to avoid duplicate with clear_screen)
keybind = ctrl+shift+h=goto_split:left
keybind = ctrl+shift+j=goto_split:bottom
keybind = ctrl+shift+l=goto_split:right

# Alternative arrow key navigation for splits
# these interfere with tmux/byobu
# keybind = alt+left=goto_split:left
# keybind = alt+right=goto_split:right
# keybind = alt+up=goto_split:top
# keybind = alt+down=goto_split:bottom

# Split management
keybind = ctrl+shift+z=toggle_split_zoom
keybind = ctrl+shift+equal=equalize_splits

# Scrolling
keybind = shift+page_up=scroll_page_up
keybind = shift+page_down=scroll_page_down
keybind = ctrl+shift+home=scroll_to_top
keybind = ctrl+shift+end=scroll_to_bottom

# Copy/Paste
keybind = ctrl+shift+c=copy_to_clipboard
keybind = ctrl+shift+v=paste_from_clipboard
keybind = shift+insert=paste_from_selection

# Font size adjustment
keybind = ctrl+plus=increase_font_size:1
keybind = ctrl+minus=decrease_font_size:1
keybind = ctrl+0=reset_font_size

# Search (when implemented)
# keybind = ctrl+shift+f=search

# Configuration reload
keybind = ctrl+shift+comma=reload_config

# Tab management
keybind = ctrl+shift+left=previous_tab
keybind = ctrl+shift+right=next_tab
keybind = ctrl+shift+alt+left=move_tab:-1
keybind = ctrl+shift+alt+right=move_tab:1

# Jump to prompts (requires shell integration)
# keybind = ctrl+shift+up=jump_to_prompt:-1
# keybind = ctrl+shift+down=jump_to_prompt:1

Last edited by lenhuppe (Yesterday 21:08:18)

seth · 2026-09-25 21:13:57

Afaict you don't have a problem starting ghostty but launching the desktop service (on/using gnome)?

systemctl --user status app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
echo $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS

How exactly do you start gnome? (GDM or from the commandline/autologin etc)

lenhuppe · 2026-09-25 21:27:38

seth wrote:

Afaict you don't have a problem starting ghostty but launching the desktop service (on/using gnome)?
systemctl --user status app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
echo $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
How exactly do you start gnome? (GDM or from the commandline/autologin etc)

I start gnome with gdm.service

$ systemctl --user status app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
***********************************************************
× app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service - Ghostty
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service; disabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: protocol) since Fri 2026-09-25 17:18:04 EDT; 8min ago
 Invocation: 3d85d7f125244ee88c6ef885b7fb6222
    Process: 14034 ExecStart=/usr/bin/ghostty --gtk-single-instance=true --initial-window=false (code=killed, signal=TERM)
   Main PID: 14034 (code=killed, signal=TERM)
   Mem peak: 12.8M
        CPU: 67ms

Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: info(cli): compatibility handler for adw-toolbar-style handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: info(cli): compatibility handler for bold-is-bright handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: warning(glib): WARNING: Adwaita: The resource style-dark.css is deprecated and shouldn't be used anymore. Use style.css with media queries instead.
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: warning(glib): WARNING: Adwaita: The resource style-hc.css is deprecated and shouldn't be used anymore. Use style.css with media queries instead.
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie ghostty[14034]: warning(glib): WARNING: Adwaita: The resource style-hc-dark.css is deprecated and shouldn't be used anymore. Use style.css with media queries instead.
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie systemd[1349]: app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service: Main process 14034 lacks handler for reload signal USR2, refusing service startup.
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie systemd[1349]: app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service: Failed with result 'protocol'.
Sep 25 17:18:04 archie systemd[1349]: Failed to start Ghostty.

$ echo $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
********************************
unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus

seth · 2026-09-25 21:31:36

$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS is fine but

app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service: Main process 14034 lacks handler for reload signal USR2, refusing service startup.

looks troublesome.
https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/issues/14398

lenhuppe · 2026-09-25 23:00:44

seth wrote:

app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service: Main process 14034 lacks handler for reload signal USR2, refusing service startup.
looks troublesome.
https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/issues/14398

Not sure how to implement that as a systemd unit. Been trying but with no success.

seth · Yesterday 07:40:00

No, the problem is likely that gnome *is* trying to start ghostty through its systemd unit and that fails because of the linked bug.
The report offers a local workaround by changing the service type, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd#Drop-in_files (don't forget "--user")

lenhuppe · Yesterday 21:07:10

seth wrote:

No, the problem is likely that gnome *is* trying to start ghostty through its systemd unit and that fails because of the linked bug.
The report offers a local workaround by changing the service type, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd#Drop-in_files (don't forget "--user")

I edited /usr/lib/systemd/user/app-com.mitchellh.ghostty.service as advised and I am up and running again.
Ghanging 'Type=notify-reload' to 'Type=simple' was enough.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-09-25 20:45:46

SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#2 2026-09-25 21:13:57

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#3 2026-09-25 21:27:38

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#4 2026-09-25 21:31:36

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#5 2026-09-25 23:00:44

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#6 Yesterday 07:40:00

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

#7 Yesterday 21:07:10

Re: SOLVED Ghostty starts intermittently

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