element-desktop fails to login in archlinux

By ValkaTR , 3 May 2025

when starting element-desktop for the first time it offers to login to matrix.org

click continue and browser opens with login, you login, then you allow access to the account for the app by clicing 'continue', but nothing happens!

the problem is that URI scheme isn't recognized, because someone forgot to register it. to fix this edit '/usr/share/applications/io.element.Element.desktop' file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Element
Comment=Feature-rich client for Matrix
Exec=/usr/bin/element-desktop %u
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=io.element.Element
StartupWMClass=Element
Categories=Network;InstantMessaging;Chat;IRCClient
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/element;

and add 'x-scheme-handler/io.element.desktop;' to mimetype:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Element
Comment=Feature-rich client for Matrix
Exec=/usr/bin/element-desktop %u
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=io.element.Element
StartupWMClass=Element
Categories=Network;InstantMessaging;Chat;IRCClient
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/io.element.desktop;x-scheme-handler/element;

after that update desktop database from root:

# update-desktop-database

it should work now, if it doesn't, try to restart the browser, or even entiry OS.

element-desktop login

 

affected versions:

element-desktop 1.11.99-1

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