dbus: org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port

[cherryblossom.field17@…]

I'm trying to install GIMP and GAP on my MacBook Pro, which is running on OS X Yosemite, using Macports and am running into some problems. I first installed XCODE and the command line code that accompanies it. After that, I installed MacPorts. When I try to install the programs, it seems as if it's working, but then it stops whenever it gets to accessing dbus. This is what I get in Terminal when I encounter this issue:

--->  Activating dbus @1.8.16_0
Error: org.macports.activate for port dbus returned: Image error: /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port dbus. Use 'port -f activate dbus' to force the activation.
Error: Failed to install dbus
Please see the log file for port dbus for details:
    /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_dbus/dbus/main.log
Error: The following dependencies were not installed: gimp2 dbus-glib dbus desktop-file-utils popt gegl exiv2 ffmpeg XviD fribidi gmake gnutls gmp libidn libtasn1 nettle p11-kit libxslt lame libass enca libbluray libmodplug libogg libopus libsdl xorg-libXrandr xorg-randrproto libtheora libvorbis libvpx openjpeg15 jbigkit lcms2 jpeg tiff pkgconfig schroedinger orc speex texinfo perl5.22 gdbm x264 xorg-libXfixes xorg-fixesproto yasm gtk2 gdk-pixbuf2 jasper shared-mime-info hicolor-icon-theme pango Xft2 harfbuzz graphite2 xorg-libXcomposite xorg-compositeproto xorg-libXcursor xorg-libXdamage xorg-damageproto xorg-libXi xorg-inputproto xorg-libXinerama xorg-xineramaproto intltool gnome-common p5.22-getopt-long p5.22-pathtools p5.22-scalar-list-utils p5.22-xml-parser p5.22-libwww-perl p5.22-encode-locale p5.22-file-listing p5.22-http-date p5.22-html-form p5.22-html-parser p5.22-html-tagset p5.22-http-message p5.22-io-html p5.22-lwp-mediatypes p5.22-uri p5.22-mime-base64 p5.22-http-cookies p5.22-http-daemon p5.22-http-negotiate p5.22-lwp-protocol-https p5.22-io-socket-ssl p5.22-net-libidn p5.22-net-ssleay p5.22-test-exception p5.22-sub-uplevel p5.22-test-simple p5.22-test-nowarnings p5.22-test-warn p5.22-mozilla-ca p5.22-net-http p5.22-www-robotrules lensfun cmake libarchive lzo2 python34 python3_select libopenraw boost icu librsvg libcroco vala libspiro lua readline openexr ilmbase w3m boehmgc ghostscript jbig2dec libpaper perl5 perl5.16 xorg-libXt xorg-libsm xorg-libice gimp-help-en gtk-doc docbook-xml docbook-xml-4.1.2 docbook-xml-4.2 xmlcatmgr docbook-xml-4.3 docbook-xml-4.4 docbook-xml-4.5 docbook-xml-5.0 docbook-xsl fop itstool gawk py27-libxml2 openjade opensp source-highlight ctags iso-codes libexif libmng lcms libwmf poppler poppler-data py27-pygtk libglade2 py27-cairo py27-gobject py27-numpy fftw-3 libgcc cctools llvm-3.5 libcxx llvm_select isl ld64 ld64-latest libmpc mpfr py27-cython cython_select py27-nose nosetests_select webkit-gtk bison bison-runtime m4 enchant aspell hunspell flex geoclue2 json-glib libsoup glib-networking gsettings-desktop-schemas libproxy gstreamer1-gst-plugins-base gstreamer1 xorg-libXv xorg-videoproto harfbuzz-icu libsecret libgcrypt libgpg-error mesa xorg-dri2proto xorg-glproto xorg-libXmu webp xpm

I also should add that this is the prompt that I use when trying to install the programs: sudo port install gimp-app gimp-gap

This is what I get in the file that I get linked to in the error message:

version:1
:debug:main changing euid/egid - current euid: 0 - current egid: 0
:debug:main egid changed to: 501
:debug:main euid changed to: 502
:debug:activate activate phase started at Sat Sep 19 11:41:05 EDT 2015
:debug:activate Can't run activate on this port without elevated privileges. Escalating privileges back to root.
:debug:activate euid changed to: 0. egid changed to: 0.
:debug:activate Executing proc-pre-org.macports.activate-activate-0
:debug:activate Executing org.macports.activate (dbus)
:msg:activate --->  Activating dbus @1.8.16_0
:debug:activate Using /usr/bin/tar
:debug:activate Using /usr/bin/bzip2
:info:activate x ./
:info:activate x ./+COMMENT
:info:activate x ./+CONTENTS
:info:activate x ./+DESC
:info:activate x ./+PORTFILE
:info:activate x ./+STATE
:info:activate x ./Library/
:info:activate x ./opt/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/libexec/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/Library/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/lib/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/run/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/run/dbus/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/run/dbus/.turd_dbus
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/lib/dbus/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/var/lib/dbus/machine-id
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/dbus-1/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/doc/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/doc/dbus/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/doc/dbus/diagram.png
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/doc/dbus/diagram.svg
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/doc/dbus/system-activation.txt
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/dbus-1/services/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/dbus-1/services/.turd_dbus
:info:activate x ./opt/local/Library/LaunchAgents/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/Library/LaunchDaemons/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.freedesktop.dbus-system.plist
:info:activate x ./opt/local/Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist
:info:activate x ./opt/local/libexec/dbus-daemon-launch-helper
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/dbus-1.0/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libdbus-1.3.dylib
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libdbus-1.a
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libdbus-1.dylib
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/pkgconfig/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/pkgconfig/dbus-1.pc
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/dbus-1.0/include/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/dbus-1.0/include/dbus/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/dbus-1.0/include/dbus/dbus-arch-deps.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-address.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-bus.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-connection.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-errors.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-macros.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-memory.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-message.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-misc.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-pending-call.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-protocol.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-server.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-shared.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-signature.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-syntax.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-threads.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus-types.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/dbus-1.0/dbus/dbus.h
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/session.conf
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/session.d/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/system.conf
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/system.d/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/system.d/.turd_dbus
:info:activate x ./opt/local/etc/dbus-1/session.d/.turd_dbus
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-cleanup-sockets
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-daemon
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-launch
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-monitor
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-run-session
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-send
:info:activate x ./opt/local/bin/dbus-uuidgen
:info:activate x ./Library/LaunchAgents/
:info:activate x ./Library/LaunchDaemons/
:info:activate x ./Library/LaunchDaemons/org.freedesktop.dbus-system.plist
:info:activate x ./Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist
:error:activate org.macports.activate for port dbus returned: Image error: /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port dbus. Use 'port -f activate dbus' to force the activation.
:debug:activate Error code: registry::image-error
:debug:activate Backtrace: Image error: /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port dbus. Use 'port -f activate dbus' to force the activation.
    invoked from within
"throw registry::image-error "Image error: $file already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port [$port name]. Use 'p..."
    ("foreach" body line 47)
    invoked from within
"foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be able to install links, we test if we can lst..."
    invoked from within
"registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be able to instal..."
    invoked from within
"try {
        registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be ..."
    (procedure "_activate_contents" line 21)
    invoked from within
"_activate_contents $requested"
    (procedure "portimage::activate" line 57)
    invoked from within
"registry_activate $subport $version $revision $portvariants [array get user_options]"
    (procedure "portactivate::activate_main" line 4)
    invoked from within
"portactivate::activate_main org.macports.activate"
    ("eval" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"eval $procedure $targetname"
:error:activate Failed to install dbus
:debug:activate Image error: /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port dbus. Use 'port -f activate dbus' to force the activation.
    invoked from within
"throw registry::image-error "Image error: $file already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port [$port name]. Use 'p..."
    ("foreach" body line 47)
    invoked from within
"foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be able to install links, we test if we can lst..."
    invoked from within
"registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be able to instal..."
    invoked from within
"try {
        registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be ..."
    (procedure "_activate_contents" line 21)
    invoked from within
"_activate_contents $requested"
    (procedure "portimage::activate" line 57)
:notice:activate Please see the log file for port dbus for details:
    /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_devel_dbus/dbus/main.log

Thanks in advance for your help!

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Please use WikiFormatting when writing in Trac, and preview before submitting.

Your log says:

:debug:activate Image error: /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist already exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port dbus. Use 'port -f activate dbus' to force the activation.

Why does that file already exist on your system?

Do you already have dbus installed outside of MacPorts? If so, remove it first.

Or did you used to have dbus installed using MacPorts, then uninstalled MacPorts following our ​uninstallation instructions? The uninstallation instructions will remove the files installed by MacPorts, if you're able to run "sudo port uninstall installed". But if you're not, and you have to resort to the brute-force removal of files at the end of those instructions, then certain files that don't follow the standard naming conventions won't be removed. The dbus launchd plist is one of those files, because its name begins with "org.freedesktop" rather than "org.macports". In this case, you can just remove the file before activating dbus, or use "sudo port -f activate dbus" to have MacPorts rename it for you.

[cherryblossom.field17@…]

Thanks for the reply! I uninstalled everything related to MacPorts on my laptop. (I had to use the bulky code at the bottom of the page.) It doesn't seem as if anything related to dbus remains anywhere on my Mac. I also deleted the MacPorts installation package. I should add that several things under MacPorts, like Python, were installed in another folder on my MacBook, which I only found using Launchpad.

As to why this file already exists on my system, I can think of a few reasons. I accidentally installed MacPorts the wrong way at first (i.e. before installing XCode and the command line) and tried installing GIMP on my laptop. I thought that this was the source of my problems, so I uninstalled MacPorts and deleted XCode, which I had installed too late in the game. When I made sure that there was nothing related to either on my laptop, I reinstalled/redownloaded everything the right way. It finally seemed as if GIMP would be installed properly, but I started getting these error messages, so I kind of got desperate and uninstalled and reinstalled MacPorts on my laptop several times. I don't know whether these have had any effect on what's been happening.

What should I do now?

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Replying to cherryblossom.field17@…:

Thanks for the reply! I uninstalled everything related to MacPorts on my laptop. (I had to use the bulky code at the bottom of the page.) It doesn't seem as if anything related to dbus remains anywhere on my Mac. I also deleted the MacPorts installation package. I should add that several things under MacPorts, like Python, were installed in another folder on my MacBook, which I only found using Launchpad.

What other folder was that?

As to why this file already exists on my system, I can think of a few reasons. I accidentally installed MacPorts the wrong way at first (i.e. before installing XCode and the command line) and tried installing GIMP on my laptop. I thought that this was the source of my problems, so I uninstalled MacPorts and deleted XCode, which I had installed too late in the game. When I made sure that there was nothing related to either on my laptop, I reinstalled/redownloaded everything the right way. It finally seemed as if GIMP would be installed properly, but I started getting these error messages, so I kind of got desperate and uninstalled and reinstalled MacPorts on my laptop several times. I don't know whether these have had any effect on what's been happening.

What should I do now?

If you had the dbus port installed, and then you uninstalled MacPorts by using the "rm -rf ..." command to remove the MacPorts files, without having first run "sudo port uninstall installed" or "sudo port uninstall dbus", that could explain the situation you're in. So if you think that's likely to have happened, then you can just delete the file /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist or let MacPorts rename it by running "sudo port -f activate dbus".

[cherryblossom.field17@…]

Replying to ryandesign@…:

Replying to cherryblossom.field17@…:

Thanks for the reply! I uninstalled everything related to MacPorts on my laptop. (I had to use the bulky code at the bottom of the page.) It doesn't seem as if anything related to dbus remains anywhere on my Mac. I also deleted the MacPorts installation package. I should add that several things under MacPorts, like Python, were installed in another folder on my MacBook, which I only found using Launchpad.

What other folder was that?

I think that I had a separate folder automatically installed when I tried installing MacPorts, if that makes sense. I don't remember seeing it in /opt/local, but, when I looked in LaunchPad, even after having uninstalled MacPorts, I saw a folder titled "MacPorts" in there as well. I had to manually delete its contents.

As to why this file already exists on my system, I can think of a few reasons. I accidentally installed MacPorts the wrong way at first (i.e. before installing XCode and the command line) and tried installing GIMP on my laptop. I thought that this was the source of my problems, so I uninstalled MacPorts and deleted XCode, which I had installed too late in the game. When I made sure that there was nothing related to either on my laptop, I reinstalled/redownloaded everything the right way. It finally seemed as if GIMP would be installed properly, but I started getting these error messages, so I kind of got desperate and uninstalled and reinstalled MacPorts on my laptop several times. I don't know whether these have had any effect on what's been happening.

What should I do now?

If you had the dbus port installed, and then you uninstalled MacPorts by using the "rm -rf ..." command to remove the MacPorts files, without having first run "sudo port uninstall installed" or "sudo port uninstall dbus", that could explain the situation you're in. So if you think that's likely to have happened, then you can just delete the file /Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist or let MacPorts rename it by running "sudo port -f activate dbus".

I've checked my laptop in various ways, but I can't find any files pertaining to dbus anywhere in it, including the one that you mentioned in your reply. Is there a chance that I'm missing it somehow?

Thanks again!

[MarcusCalhoun-Lopez (Marcus Calhoun-Lopez)]

Sorry I never saw this ticket.
In the future, if you ​cc the maintainer, you will likely get a better response.
Is this still an issue?
It looks as if you have a file (/Library/LaunchAgents/org.freedesktop.dbus-session.plist) left over from a previous installation.
As noted above, you can either delete the file or let the port command rename it.