Can't open display: (null) : Inappropriate ioctl for device

[manibharathytu]

This happens only when I run my application as linux service. Executing my node app normally by "node main.js" works good.

Error Thrown at :

/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:43
throw makeError(xselError, fallbackError);
^

Full Error Stack :

            Error: Both xsel and fallback failed
                at makeError (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:16:11)
                at xselWithFallbackSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:43:10)
                at Object.copySync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:53:3)
                at Object.exports.writeSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/index.js:45:14)
                at Watcher.onChangeDetection (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/main.js:85:16)
                at Watcher.emit (events.js:310:20)
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:305:19
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:39:7
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:303:7
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:109:10 {
            xselError: Error: Command failed: xsel --clipboard --input
            xsel: Can't open display: (null)
            : Inappropriate ioctl for device
            
            
                at makeError (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/execa/index.js:174:9)
                at Function.module.exports.sync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/execa/index.js:338:15)
                at xselWithFallbackSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:38:16)
                at Object.copySync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:53:3)
                at Object.exports.writeSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/index.js:45:14)
                at Watcher.onChangeDetection (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/main.js:85:16)
                at Watcher.emit (events.js:310:20)
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:305:19
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:39:7
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:303:7 {
                code: 1,
                stdout: '',
                stderr: "xsel: Can't open display: (null)\n: Inappropriate ioctl for device\n",
                failed: true,
                signal: null,
                cmd: 'xsel --clipboard --input',
                timedOut: false
            },
            fallbackError: Error: Command failed: /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/fallbacks/linux/xsel --clipboard --input
            /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/fallbacks/linux/xsel: Can't open display: (null)
            : Inappropriate ioctl for device
            
            
                at makeError (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/execa/index.js:174:9)
                at Function.module.exports.sync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/execa/index.js:338:15)
                at xselWithFallbackSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:41:17)
                at Object.copySync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/lib/linux.js:53:3)
                at Object.exports.writeSync (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/index.js:45:14)
                at Watcher.onChangeDetection (/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/main.js:85:16)
                at Watcher.emit (events.js:310:20)
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:305:19
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:39:7
                at /home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/node-watch/lib/watch.js:303:7 {
                code: 1,
                stdout: '',
                stderr: "/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/fallbacks/linux/xsel: Can't open display: (null)\n" +
                ': Inappropriate ioctl for device\n',
                failed: true,
                signal: null,
                cmd: '/home/mani/Desktop/mani/tools/screenshot-easy/node_modules/clipboardy/fallbacks/linux/xsel --clipboard --input',
                timedOut: false
            }
            }

[sindresorhus]

Some possible workarounds:

https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/566081/xsel-cant-open-display-null

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18695934/unable-to-copy-ssh-id-rsa-pub

Would be nice if we could handle this case in Clipboardy. If not, we should at least improve the error message.

[github0013]

I encountered the same issue as I was trying to setup semantic-release-cli (running npx semantic-release-cli setup, you probably are running a different command though).

Environment

Mac => ssh => ubuntu (headless)

My server (headless)

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS
Release:	20.04
Codename:	focal

I am using a mac to control the server.

 Model Name:	MacBook Air
  Model Identifier:	MacBookAir10,1
  Chip:	Apple M1

Things I tried (didn't work)

1. install xsel on the ubuntu like it told me
2. got out of tmux on the ubuntu, then run npx semantic-release-cli setup
3. reconnecting to ubuntu by ssh -X ...

Solution

Then I did more googling and found an article saying to install X11(XQuartz) on Mac. So I did it like this.

1. downloaded and installed X11(XQuartz)
2. logged out & logged in (on Mac)
3. ran XQuartz (opens a terminal, but I used my own terminal - iTerm2 to do the next step)
4. then did ssh -X ...
5. then ran the command I had this problem with
6. worked!

[Davidalfa081]

encountering same issue but there should be a command line for a solution to this isuue