Calibre 5.0.1 Could not load the Qt platform plugin "xcb" FIXED

[jridley]

I'm running a relatively fresh install of Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon and have the same issue installing from the Calibre web page.

Having read through this entire thread and tried everything so far suggested, in the end this got me going:

sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0

I can't guarantee that some of the other suggestions such as installing Kalzium did not also contribute to it finally working on my machine, but the above was the final thing that I ran that made it start working.

[JSWolf]

You are answering to an almost year old thread on an old version of calibre.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jridley

I'm running a relatively fresh install of Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon and have the same issue installing from the Calibre web page.

Having read through this entire thread and tried everything so far suggested, in the end this got me going:

sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0

I can't guarantee that some of the other suggestions such as installing Kalzium did not also contribute to it finally working on my machine, but the above was the final thing that I ran that made it start working.

That applies to Calibre V7, not the old versions.

[swd]

Thanks jridley. Running the command sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0 works for me. I'm using Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon, with Calibre V7.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by swd

Thanks jridley. Running the command sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0 works for me. I'm using Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon, with Calibre V7.

And posting in an old obsolete thread about calibre 5.0.1.

[StrayChild]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

And posting in an old obsolete thread about calibre 5.0.1.

The official calibre V7 download page links to this thread for people encountering the "Could not load the Qt platform plugin xcb" error message. Installing libxcb-cursor0 fixed it for me. It seems the thread is still proving useful in November 2023....

[JSWolf]

One solution that works...

WINDOWS 10 (64-bit) or 11!

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One solution that works...

WINDOWS 10 (64-bit) or 11!

Stop. If people are using Linux, they are often going to the effort of avoiding Windows. Your advice is pointless and wasting bytes.

The fix to this is known, install xcb-cursor.

[auspex]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Stop. If people are using Linux, they are often going to the effort of avoiding Windows. Your advice is pointless and wasting bytes.

The fix to this is known, install xcb-cursor.

Not quite.

I'm running a fresh Linux Mint (Cinnamon) install, and got this error.

There's no package xcb-cursor, and libxcb-xinerama0 and libxcb-randr0 were already installed, so I finally said **** it and reinstalled kubuntu-desktop, as it's always installed easily on my kubuntu systems. As expected, it Just Worked.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by auspex

Not quite.

I'm running a fresh Linux Mint (Cinnamon) install, and got this error.

There's no package xcb-cursor, and libxcb-xinerama0 and libxcb-randr0 were already installed, so I finally said **** it and reinstalled kubuntu-desktop, as it's always installed easily on my kubuntu systems. As expected, it Just Worked.

Did you install calibre from your repository or direct from the calibre website?

It's best to install direct from the calibre website.

[auspex]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Did you install calibre from your repository or direct from the calibre website?

It's best to install direct from the calibre website.

For heaven's sake, please stop telling everybody this! Every single mention I've seen so far WAS installed from Calibre's website.

OF COURSE I installed from Calibre. I've been installing Calibre for well over a decade (2.? I believe was my first).

The fact is that you can't install Calibre on a fresh Mint Cinnamon install. You can on a new Kubuntu install. Other desktops will differ, because you do need the right xcb bits. Kubuntu, being QT-based happens to have the right bits already.

For the record, I DON'T recommend just installing kubuntu to make Calibre work. It's just that this was my second attempt to install Mint Cinnamon. The first time I just didn't like it, because I was so used to KDE, so I resolved to try it again. It was going well until I couldn't install Calibre. I'm certain there was a simpler way to get Calibre working, but I needed it NOW, because I had a dozen books I needed to get onto my Kobo before heading off on vacation.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by auspex

The fact is that you can't install Calibre on a fresh Mint Cinnamon install. You can on a new Kubuntu install. Other desktops will differ, because you do need the right xcb bits. Kubuntu, being QT-based happens to have the right bits already.

I use Mate by default and only extra is the xcb-cursor. installing from scratch on x86-64 Mint and on a RPi4b (not Rasparian, but something with Mate)

I usually install several desktops so I have GUI access if I break one and also to debug weird issues.

[dunhill]

I have been a Linux user for a long time in the Calibre installation note for Linux it mentions the libraries libxcb-cursor0 or libxcb-xinerama0 https://calibre-ebook.com/download_linux Note If you get an error Could not load the Qt platform plugin xcb you are missing some needed X11-XCB libraries, such as libxcb-cursor0 or libxcb-xinerama0, for details see here.
On servers, if you get an error about a missing libEGL, you might need to install some OpenGL packages such as libegl1 and libopengl0

[DNSB]

And there in you find the true joy of using Linux and it's wildly inconsistent distributions compared to MacOS or Windows where the base OS are pretty consistent.

[Quoth]

Cf
Mac OS 9 and various Mac OS X versions (since 2002), 68000, PowerPC, x86-32, x86-64, ARM/Apple Silicon etc. Only available for Apple hardware, so easy!

NT 3.xx, NT 4.0 NT 5.x, Vista/Win7, Win8, Win1x
Itanium, MIPS, PowerPC, Alpha, Alpha64, x86-32, x86-64, ARM32 & 64
Legacy BIOS vs UEFI boot. Bitlocker, Patch Tuesday, forced reboots.
Don't even think about W32s/Win3.x, Win9x, WinME. You buy it for particular HW, or built-in to bought system. Less and less choice of GUI appearance and vanishing features. Runs some signs and Point of Sale and ATM, but badly.
Hardly anyone buys retail windows now. The OEM figures out the install.

Linux: Runs routers, TVs, set-boxes, laptops, servers, industrial controllers. POS, signage, spacecraft. No single organisation, so choices (X, Wayland, SystemV, Systemd, rpm, deb, flatpack, snap, multiple desktops—KDE, Gnome, Unitiy, MATE, Ice, XFCE, etc). Runs on Macs and Windows PCs and systems that run neither). Paid or free. Pre-installed or DIY.

Till about Win8 release, basically MS Windows was a better choice for the Desktop, but Linux overtook Windows as a better Server solution after Server 2003 (very bloated compared with Server 2000), for many.

Some people need Mac OS. Some need Windows. With Linux there are choices.
I'm using Windows GUI since 1991, NT since 1994, Linux seriously since 1998. Linux can be messy, but the Libxcb cursor issue tiny compared to trying to install XP on SATA (NT 4.0 would have been simpler, but MS removed the interupt install to add boot drivers, so you had to slipstream an install CD). Or XP / Win7 / Win10 installing wrong drivers always for particular Wacom or external Creative USB audio, or Win10 update multiple times disabling tablet sound driver and SD card driver. Or just Windows Update now. Last snafu was the recovery partition size bug.

Sometimes Linux is messy, but you can have more than one desktop installed, or add one via console if your GUI is broken. People have had loads of greif on Windows AND Linux from 3D accelerator drivers.


There hasn't been much Windows consistency since 2006. Mac has become a minefield of abandoned OS supports and inconsistent vs x86-64, M1, M2, M3 etc.


The advantage of Linux (and difficulty) is the wildly different distributions.