# XDG\_DATA\_DIRS has a root path /root by default **URL:** \ **Category:** Rocky Linux Help & Support\ **Tags:** rocky-linux-9\ **Created:** [May 29, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545 "2026-05-29T19:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randallb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@randallb](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/randallb)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/1 "2026-05-29T19:42:57Z")
Affects Rocky Linux 9.8. XDG\_DATA\_DIRS has an issue where /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share is in the path when using the Gnome desktop. This is impacting software including Evolution. This does not happen when using ssh to the system. I have checked /etc/profile.d/\* and do not see that this happening from there. There is a flatpak.sh but in testing via removal, I do not see a change indicating it is coming from that script. The extraneous path is “/root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share” This issue is happening in a clean install of Rocky Linux 9.8 This issue is not happening in a clean install using RHEL 9.8. Example from a terminal in Gnome with the bad path: ```auto [admin@localhost ~]$ env | grep XDG XDG_MENU_PREFIX=gnome- XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=gnome XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland XDG_CURRENT_SESSION=GNOME XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 XDG_DATA_DIRS=/home/admin/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share:/usr/share [admin@localhost ~]$ ``` Example from a ssh session: ```auto [admin@localhost ~]$ env | grep XDG XDG_SESSION_TYPE=tty XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user XDG_SESSION_ID=2 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 XDG_DATA_DIRS=/home/admin/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share:/usr/share [admin@localhost ~]$ ``` ---
**Author:** ![tcooper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/tcooper/32/905_2.png) [@tcooper](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/tcooper)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/2 "2026-05-29T20:45:37Z")
Verified in a clean installation of 9.8. A workaround is to launch `evolution` from an environment where the root entry has been removed. For example, from a `gnome-terminal` window launched inside your user desktop session… ```bash $ XDG_DATA_DIRS=$(echo $XDG_DATA_DIRS | tr ':' '\n' | grep -Ev root | tr '\n' ':' | sed 's/:$//g' $ export XDG_DATA_DIR $ evolution ``` Once we verify if this is reproducible in an upstream installation or not we can decide where it needs to be fixed. Thanks for the report. ---
**Author:** ![iwalker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/iwalker/32/2599_2.png) [@iwalker](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/iwalker)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/3 "2026-05-29T21:08:41Z")
Alternatively, remove flatpak, and the problem goes away and Evolution launches fine. Something with flatpak is messing up the XDG\_DATA\_DIRS variable. Incidently, on RHEL9 flatpak package is `1.12.9-4.el9_8.1`, on Rocky it still shows the 9.6 one. ---
**Author:** ![iwalker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/iwalker/32/2599_2.png) [@iwalker](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/iwalker)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/4 "2026-05-29T21:23:13Z")
One more thing, whilst it doesn’t appear in the XDG\_DATA\_DIRS when connecting over SSH, it does still appear if you login on a console, eg: CTRL-ALT-F3. So it’s not just related to the graphical environment, but standard tty console as well. ---
**Author:** ![tcooper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/tcooper/32/905_2.png) [@tcooper](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/tcooper)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/5 "2026-05-29T21:40:07Z")
This is confirmed to be a problem in Rocky Linux 9.8 that is not present upstream. ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/6 "2026-05-30T17:45:35Z")
How is it possible that a package in Rocky 9.8 is different to a package in RHEL 9.8? Is this the only package that’s different, or are there more? ---
**Author:** ![tcooper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/tcooper/32/905_2.png) [@tcooper](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/tcooper)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/7 "2026-05-30T19:50:20Z")
The Rocky project rebuilds sources from upstream in a our own build system. It is always possible for builds to be different though we make every effort to ensure that doesn’t happen. It appears this may be a case where a difference slipped through unnoticed. ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/8 "2026-05-30T21:17:25Z")
> [@tcooper](#): > > may be a case where a difference slipped through I understand that, and the build is huge, but wouldn’t there be a log file at the end saying some packages are out-of-sync? Anyway, good news this has been spotted. It still doesn’t fully explain the original issue, even if the flatpak package was the old one, why did it try to use ‘/root’? ---
**Author:** ![Ritov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Ritov](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/Ritov)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/9 "2026-05-31T17:26:53Z")
> [@tcooper](#): > > The Rocky project rebuilds sources from upstream in a our own build system. It is always possible for builds to be different though we make every effort to ensure that doesn’t happen. It appears this may be a case where a difference slipped through unnoticed. I guess that this issues is also related to [Dconf settings on Rocky 9.8](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/dconf-settings-on-rocky-9-8/20542) where gdm does not read the local configuration files. ` journalctl -b|grep gdm` shows a lot of entries like ```auto gsettings[2343]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gnome-session-b[2342]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gnome-shell[2368]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: at-spi-bus-laun[2471]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-sharing[2558]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-sound[2579]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-housekeepin[2582]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-smartcard[2570]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-usb-protect[2562]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-color[2566]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-a11y-settin[2580]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-keyboard[2567]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-wacom[2571]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-power[2583]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-datetime[2576]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-media-keys[2577]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gjs[2765]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: gsd-xsettings[2581]: Unable to open /root/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/dconf/profile/gdm: ``` Adaptation in /etc/profile.d/flatpak.sh does not really help here. ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/10 "2026-05-31T17:54:41Z")
Whan I check in DNF, I see `flatpak.x86_64 1.12.9-4.el9_8.1` so is that the updated package? ---
**Author:** ![Ritov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Ritov](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/Ritov)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 11:52am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/11 "2026-06-01T11:52:54Z")
Ticket @ [https://bugs.rockylinux.org/view.php?id=12904](https://bugs.rockylinux.org/view.php?id=12904) ---
**Author:** ![tcooper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/tcooper/32/905_2.png) [@tcooper](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/tcooper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/12 "2026-06-02T18:49:04Z")
I have confirmed the update to systemd described here… > **[Rocky Linux Errata](https://errata.rockylinux.org/RLSA-2026:19213)** Resolves this issue. ---
**Author:** ![srseeley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srseeley](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/srseeley)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/13 "2026-06-02T18:50:27Z")
I have confirmed the problem on multiple systems. Alma Linux works fine. Downgrading to previous flatpak-1.12.9-4.el9\_6.x86\_64 does not fix the problem. If I take a working recently patched 9.7 system and only upgrade systemd from 252-55.el9\_7.9.rocky.0.1 to 252-67.el9.rocky.0.1 the problem appears. It appears to be a problem with the systemd packages. If I take a fully patched 9.8 broken system and replace the systemd 252-67.el9.rocky.0.1 packages with the systemd 252-67.el9\_8.2.alma.1 from Alma linux the problem goes away. ---
**Author:** ![iwalker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/iwalker/32/2599_2.png) [@iwalker](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/iwalker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/14 "2026-06-03T04:43:33Z")
After the systemd update, if you log out or restart your computer the problem disappears: ```auto XDG_DATA_DIRS=/home/ian/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share:/usr/share ``` no root path now. So the Rocky systemd packages seem to be fine. If you didn’t log out or reboot the chances are the path didn’t update. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/rockylinux/original/1X/91b7219eec10e30013422e4df76c1d898711a5d5.svg) [@system](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/xdg-data-dirs-has-a-root-path-root-by-default/20545/15 "2026-08-02T04:43:51Z")
Closed on August 2, 2026, 4:43am UTC This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.