qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output

JonB

@Christian-Ehrlicher
To be fair the OP reports

Running in debug mode, qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output, but when running a terminal manually, it shows.

Assuming the executable is compiled the same (e.g. either debug or release) whether it is run from Creator or from a terminal how would some "external logging config" allow for output to terminal in the latter case but not the former? Unless you mean the environment differs such that this logging file is picked up when running from Creator but not outside?

@jronald
You might verify that if compiled for release instead the behaviour is the same? Also if executed from Creator but as Run rather than Debug does that make any difference?

jronald

@Axel-Spoerl said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

Hi and welcome @jronald !
please add qInfo() << QT_VERSION_STR << QT_DEBUG and post the output here.
Cheers
Axel

#include <QDebug>
#include <QtVersion>

int main()
{
#ifdef QT_DEBUG
    qDebug() << "Test123";
    qInfo() << QT_VERSION_STR;
#else
    qDebug() << "Test456";
    qInfo() << QT_VERSION_STR;
#endif
    return 0;
}

can't output QT_DEBUG as QT_VERSION_STR does, so do it as above.
Still no output in "Qt Creator/Application Output", but when run it in a terminal manually, it outputs as below:

Test123
6.10.1

jronald

@JonB said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

You might verify that if compiled for release instead the behaviour is the same? Also if executed from Creator but as Run rather than Debug does that make any difference?

I've tried debug only.
I tried release just now, same as debug, no output in "Qt Creator/Application Output", output in a terminal.

jronald

If check "Projects/Run Settings/Run in terminal", it will show the messages by qDebug() and qInfo().

jronald

It works after adding QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE=1 in "Projects/Run Settings/Environment".
But I don't know why.

jronald

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=259035

Log from Qt Creator is redirected to systemd journal.
Maybe Arch Linux maintainers should change some build flag(s) for Qt Creator.

I've checked journalctl, the outputs are there.
It should be the cause of archlinux, not intuitive, and leaves unnecessary footprints.

JonB

@jronald
That looks like it to me for Arch, well found! I can only say I always have Qt from Ubuntu repo and it works, you don't need to set an environment variable.

jronald

@JonB said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

I can only say I always have Qt from Ubuntu repo and it works, you don't need to set an environment variable.

It's the default behaivor of Qt to output to journelctl on linux, https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qtlogging.html#qDebug

qDebug(const char *format, ...)
Logs debug message format to the central message handler.

I think ubuntu has changed this in a good way.

JonB

@jronald said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

It's the default behaivor of Qt to output to journelctl on linux, https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qtlogging.html#qDebug

I do not see anything at that link or on that page which mentions journalctl or the systemd journal. I think the "central message handler" in the docs refers to Qt's own QtMessageHandler qInstallMessageHandler(QtMessageHandler handler), which is how qDebug() etc. output their messages. When I Googled for your issue and QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE it came across that this behaviour is specifically in the Arch pre-built. We would come across a lot more questions about this if it applied widely across Linuxes.

jronald

@JonB said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

this behaviour is specifically in the Arch pre-built

But the build script is clean: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/packaging/packages/qtcreator/-/blob/main/PKGBUILD?ref_type=heads

JonB

Then for all I know other non-Arch distros compile with QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE=1. Whatever, if you Google like I did it seems to me this is Arch but not typical Linux distro, that's all I know.

FWIW, if you don't wish to recompile Qt itself and you don't wish to have to set environment variable QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE before running to get desired behaviour, be ware you might either:

qputenv("QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE", "1") as the very first statement in main(), before Q[Core]Application creation; or
Use qInstallMessageHandler() to install your own message handler which does write to stderr or similar.

jronald

reported: https://qt-project.atlassian.net/browse/QTCREATORBUG-33823

aha_1980

@jronald And to add to @JonB: You can set the environment variables for a Qt Creator Kit in Edit > Preferences > Kits > Kits. It will then be used for all new projects automatically.

Regards

MHMart_asc

I have the same issue in Windows 11;
Qt Creator 18.0.0
Qt 6.10.1 (Desktop_Qt_6_10_1_MSVC2022_64bit)

I tried the solution of adding:
QT_ASSUME_STDERR_HAS_CONSOLE =1

Did so in:

projects > run settings > environment
edit > preferences > kits > (default) > environment (both)

Unfortunately, nothing is shown in the application output. Running a completely new project (Qt widget application) with the completely new project settings and only one line added:
qDebug() << "hi!";

Any thoughts?

ps. Enabling the "run in terminal" checkbox in projects > run settings does not show me any output either in the terminal.

hskoglund

Hi, maybe you have a Visual Studio instance running (behind Qt Creator) that snatches the debug output?
A telltale sign is the text "Cannot retrieve debugging output." in Qt Creator's Application Output.

MHMart_asc

@hskoglund thank you for the suggestion

No process with "visual" in the name according to the task manager.

Nothing in the application output either...

hskoglund

Just to be sure, could you rebuild Test3 in Release mode (instead of Debug mode) and check that there's no output

MHMart_asc

@hskoglund said in qDebug() doesn't show messages in Qt Creator/Application Output:

Just to be sure, could you rebuild Test3 in Release mode (instead of Debug mode) and check that there's no output

Unfortunately, no output

hskoglund

If you try the same Windows API call that Qt uses; add
#include "windows.h"
and
OutputDebugString(L"Hello there");
does that text show up in the Appliction Output?

JonB

@MHMart_asc
...And further to @hskoglund's post --- which you should try --- I believe DebugView should still work these days(?), if you download that does your output appear inside it when you run it? Not saying you will have to stick with that, just trying to track down where your messages are going....