When opening and closing video files through Nautilus, sometimes (when purposely testing, then usually after 3-6 times) VLC doesn't open again.
Killing it doesn't help. It won't open by open from Gnome Activities search, it won't open when trying to open a file.
Interestingly, regardless of whether you kill vlc, it always opens from the CLI with flatpak run org.videolan.VLC
.
$ flatpak run org.videolan.VLC -vvv
VLC media player 3.0.8 Vetinari (revision 3.0.8-0-gf350b6b5a7)
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: VLC media player - 3.0.8 Vetinari
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: Copyright © 1996-2019 the VideoLAN team
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: revision 3.0.8-0-gf350b6b5a7
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: configured with ./configure '--prefix=/app' 'BUILDCC=/usr/bin/gcc -std=gnu99' '--disable-a52' 'CFLAGS=-O2 -g -pipe -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -Wp,-D_GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS -fexceptions -fstack-protector-strong -grecord-gcc-switches -fasynchronous-unwind-tables -fstack-clash-protection -fcf-protection' 'LDFLAGS=-L/app/lib -Wl,-z,relro,-z,now -Wl,--as-needed' 'CXXFLAGS=-O2 -g -pipe -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -Wp,-D_GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS -fexceptions -fstack-protector-strong -grecord-gcc-switches -fasynchronous-unwind-tables -fstack-clash-protection -fcf-protection' 'PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/app/lib/pkgconfig:/app/share/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/share/pkgconfig'
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: searching plug-in modules
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: loading plugins cache file /app/lib/vlc/plugins/plugins.dat
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: recursively browsing `/app/lib/vlc/plugins'
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: plug-ins loaded: 506 modules
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: opening config file (/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/config/vlc/vlcrc)
[000055a2ab8693d0] main logger debug: looking for logger module matching "any": 4 candidates
[000055a2ab8693d0] main logger debug: using logger module "console"
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: translation test: code is "C"
[000055a2ab8fe3c0] main keystore debug: looking for keystore module matching "memory": 4 candidates
[000055a2ab8fe3c0] main keystore debug: using keystore module "memory"
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc debug: CPU has capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2 FPU
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: Creating an input for 'Media Library'
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: Input is a meta file: disabling unneeded options
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: using default timeshift path
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: `file/directory:///home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf' gives access `file' demux `directory' path `/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf'
[000055a2ab8fe7d0] main input source debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='directory' location='/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf' file='/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf'
[000055a2ab8feed0] main demux debug: looking for access_demux module matching "file": 19 candidates
[000055a2ab8feed0] main demux debug: no access_demux modules matched
[000055a2ab914eb0] main stream debug: creating access: file:///home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf
[000055a2ab914eb0] main stream debug: (path: /home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf)
[000055a2ab914eb0] main stream debug: looking for access module matching "file": 27 candidates
[000055a2ab914eb0] main stream debug: using access module "filesystem"
[000055a2ab915e00] main stream debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "prefetch,cache_read": 26 candidates
[000055a2ab915e00] cache_read stream debug: Using stream method for AStream*
[000055a2ab915e00] cache_read stream debug: starting pre-buffering
[000055a2ab915e00] cache_read stream debug: received first data after 0 ms
[000055a2ab915e00] cache_read stream debug: pre-buffering done 296 bytes in 0s - 8759 KiB/s
[000055a2ab915e00] main stream debug: using stream_filter module "cache_read"
[000055a2ab916d70] main stream debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 26 candidates
[000055a2ab916d70] playlist stream debug: using XSPF playlist reader
[000055a2ab916d70] main stream debug: using stream_filter module "playlist"
[000055a2ab916d70] main stream debug: stream filter added to 0x55a2ab915e00
[000055a2ab91a190] main stream debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 26 candidates
[000055a2ab91a190] main stream debug: no stream_filter modules matched
[000055a2ab8fec20] main stream_directory debug: looking for stream_directory module matching "any": 1 candidates
[000055a2ab8fec20] main stream_directory debug: no stream_directory modules matched
[000055a2ab8fe7d0] main input source debug: attachment of directory-extractor failed for file:///home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf
[000055a2ab91a190] main stream debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "record": 26 candidates
[000055a2ab91a190] main stream debug: using stream_filter module "record"
[000055a2ab8fe7d0] main input source debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='directory' location='/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf' file='/home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf'
[000055a2ab8feed0] main demux debug: looking for demux module matching "directory": 53 candidates
[000055a2ab8feed0] main demux debug: using demux module "directory"
[000055a2ab91e2f0] main demux meta debug: looking for meta reader module matching "any": 2 candidates
[000055a2ab91e2f0] lua demux meta debug: Trying Lua scripts in /home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/lua/meta/reader
[000055a2ab91e2f0] lua demux meta debug: Trying Lua scripts in /app/lib/vlc/lua/meta/reader
[000055a2ab91e2f0] lua demux meta debug: Trying Lua playlist script /app/lib/vlc/lua/meta/reader/filename.luac
[000055a2ab91e2f0] lua demux meta debug: Trying Lua scripts in /app/share/vlc/lua/meta/reader
[000055a2ab91e2f0] main demux meta debug: no meta reader modules matched
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: `file/directory:///home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/ml.xspf' successfully opened
[000055a2ab8ffa50] main xml reader debug: looking for xml reader module matching "any": 1 candidates
[000055a2ab8ffa50] main xml reader debug: using xml reader module "xml"
[000055a2ab9038a0] main input debug: EOF reached
[000055a2ab8feed0] main demux debug: removing module "directory"
[000055a2ab91a190] main stream debug: removing module "record"
[000055a2ab916d70] main stream debug: removing module "playlist"
[000055a2ab915e00] main stream debug: removing module "cache_read"
[000055a2ab914eb0] main stream debug: removing module "filesystem"
[000055a2ab901470] main playlist debug: creating audio output
[000055a2ab937650] main audio output debug: looking for audio output module matching "any": 5 candidates
[000055a2ab937650] vlcpulse audio output debug: using library version 12.2.0
[000055a2ab937650] vlcpulse audio output debug: (compiled with version 12.2.0, protocol 32)
[000055a2ab937650] vlcpulse audio output debug: connected locally to unix:/run/user/1000/pulse/native as client #32
[000055a2ab937650] vlcpulse audio output debug: using protocol 32, server protocol 33
[000055a2ab937650] pulse audio output debug: adding sink 0: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo (Built-in Audio Analog Stereo)
[000055a2ab937650] main audio output debug: using audio output module "pulse"
[000055a2ab901470] main playlist debug: keeping audio output
[000055a2ab9433f0] main interface debug: looking for interface module matching "dbus,none": 18 candidates
[000055a2ab9433f0] main interface debug: using interface module "dbus"
[000055a2ab947460] main interface debug: looking for interface module matching "hotkeys,none": 18 candidates
[000055a2ab947460] main interface debug: using interface module "hotkeys"
[000055a2ab947de0] main interface debug: looking for interface module matching "globalhotkeys,none": 18 candidates
[000055a2ab947de0] main interface debug: using interface module "xcb_hotkeys"
[000055a2ab869080] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
[000055a2ab948d60] main interface debug: looking for interface module matching "any": 18 candidates
Gtk-Message: 01:52:55.610: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 01:52:55.610: Failed to load module "pk-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 01:52:55.611: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module"
Gtk-Message: 01:52:55.611: Failed to load module "pk-gtk-module"
Qt: Session management error: None of the authentication protocols specified are supported
[00007f2d00106d80] main generic debug: looking for extension module matching "any": 1 candidates
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Opening Lua Extension module
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Trying Lua scripts in /home/jc/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/lua/extensions
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Trying Lua scripts in /app/lib/vlc/lua/extensions
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Trying Lua playlist script /app/lib/vlc/lua/extensions/VLSub.luac
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Scanning Lua script /app/lib/vlc/lua/extensions/VLSub.luac
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Script /app/lib/vlc/lua/extensions/VLSub.luac has the following capability flags: 0x5
[00007f2d00106d80] lua generic debug: Trying Lua scripts in /app/share/vlc/lua/extensions
[00007f2d00106d80] main generic debug: using extension module "lua"
[000055a2ab948d60] main interface debug: using interface module "qt"
[000055a2ab901470] main playlist: playlist is empty
[000055a2ab901470] main playlist debug: nothing to play