Meld error “Cannot import: GTK+; DLL load failed" when launching meld.exe as external git difftool

Question

I'm trying to use Meld as Git Difftool on Windows and was facing following issue:

Launch 'meld' [Y/n]? Y
Cannot import: GTK+
DLL load failed: Das angegebene Modul wurde nicht gefunden.

The following Python error occured:

cx_Freeze: Python error in main script

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "bin/meld", line 205, in check_requirements
    import gi
  File "C:/msys64/MINGW32/lib/python3.7/site-packages/gi/__init__.py", line 42, in <module>
  File "ExtensionLoader_gi__gi.py", line 23, in <module>
  File "ExtensionLoader_gi__gi.py", line 15, in __bootstrap__
  File "C:/msys64/MINGW32/lib/python3.7/imp.py", line 342, in load_dynamic
ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found.

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:/msys64/MINGW32/lib/python3.7/site-packages\cx_Freeze/initscripts/__startup__.py", line 14, in run
  File "C:/msys64/MINGW32/lib/python3.7/site-packages\cx_Freeze/initscripts/Console.py", line 26, in run
  File "bin/meld", line 362, in <module>
    check_requirements()
  File "bin/meld", line 211, in check_requirements
    missing_reqs("GTK+", gtk_requirement, e)
  File "bin/meld", line 194, in missing_reqs
    show_error_and_exit(_("Cannot import: ") + mod + "\n" + str(exc))
  File "bin/meld", line 182, in show_error_and_exit
    raise Exception(error_text)
Exception: Cannot import: GTK+
DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found.

The same issue occures when I was trying to run meld.exe in git bash.

To use meld as difftool I changed the settings in user's gitconfig file:

[merge]
    tool = meld
[mergetool "meld"]  
    path = C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Meld\\meld.exe
[diff]
    tool = meld

This seems to be correct because git is trying to launch the meld.exe after using the command 'git difftool' in the workspace.

Possible duplicate of [Git running Meld as merge tool fails 'check\_requirements import gi'](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/55123873/git-running-meld-as-merge-tool-fails-check-requirements-import-gi) — B--rian, Oct 16 '19 at 14:41

score 7 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 18 '19 at 12:16

Following lib-workaround helped to be able to launch the meld.exe as external git difftool:

Meld was expecting the certain dll-file called 'libgirepository-1.0-1.dll' in the wrong directory, the file libgirepository-1.0-1.dll needed to be copied from C:\Program Files (x86)\Meld\lib to the directory above C:\Program Files (x86)\Meld.

The result is that Meld is starting after the command 'git difftool' and after running the meld.exe in git bash, however, the following error occured:

2019-09-18 14:12:24,612 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.612: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,612 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.612: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,613 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.613: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,614 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.614: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,614 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.614: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,615 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.615: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,615 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.615: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,616 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.616: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,617 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.617: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:24,617 CRITICAL Gtk:
(meld.exe:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:24.617: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,202 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.201: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,203 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.203: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,203 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.203: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,203 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.203: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,204 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.204: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,204 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.204: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,205 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.205: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,205 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.205: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,205 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.205: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,206 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.206: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,207 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.207: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,499 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.499: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,499 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.499: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,499 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.499: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,499 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.499: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,499 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.499: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,500 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.500: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,500 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.500: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,500 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.500: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,500 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.500: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,500 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.500: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,501 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.501: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,538 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.538: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,540 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.540: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,540 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.540: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,542 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.541: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,542 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.542: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,543 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.543: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,543 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.543: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,543 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.543: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,543 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.543: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,543 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.543: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed
2019-09-18 14:12:26,544 CRITICAL Gtk:
(org.gnome.meld:20432): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:12:26.544: g_content_type_is_a: assertion 'type != NULL' failed

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 11 '20 at 03:24

5

Refer to the link for the solution: https://github.com/msys2/MINGW-packages/issues/3673#issuecomment-476861638

What works for me: copy Meld/lib/libgirepository-1.0-1.dll to one folder up (next to Meld.exe).

answered Jan 11 '20 at 03:24

Wang Yuxiang

51
1
1

Meld error “Cannot import: GTK+; DLL load failed" when launching meld.exe as external git difftool

2 Answers2