I have been using my own custom library for many years now. But, today, when I want to add a component in schematic, the library (library is listed but zero components shown) will be empty despite it is not. And when opening the library in the component editor, it will be shown as empty. Did anyone face this similar problem?
Kicad version and OS? Did you upgrade to 5? Just checking in case your system upgrades your stuff ‘automagically’.
I’m on nightly 201807230648+16b5f40~65~ubuntu16.04.1.
Thanks.
Is your lib in the sym-lib-table? Does it maybe include an environment variable (that could have been changed)? If you open the lib does it point to the correct path?
Regarding nightly: Is it a good idea to use a nightly build version?
Isn’t the Symbol library going to have a different format than V4/5? If so, then it would be expected behaviour for a V6 nightly to no longer work them.
Yes, it is. At the very first line of the sym-lib-table file in .config folder. It is a global library.
I’m using the KISYSMOD to specify this path. Never change it before and it is still that way.
If I were to open library editor, the library is already loaded but cannot be click and empty.
But it open the rest of build-in library correctly.
Perhaps open a new working library and your custom library in a text editor and check for differences in the header lines. Even very minor differences can make things not work.
Was doing this for the half an hour but couldn’t really see any differences including the LF character. Scratching my head now. Maybe I should try V5 a go but I doubt it would solve the issue.
Then perhaps if it is not the header, copy a few parts in the text editor and paste them into a working library (back that up first).
If those symbols work, it should be possible to use KiCad to create a new library and export the symbols. A lot of work…
KISYSMOD is for (system) footprints. KICAD_SYMBOL_DIR for the system symbols. Your own symbols should use either no environment variable or one that you reserve for your own personal libs. Do not place your own libs inside the system directories!
I guess it was working all this while despite me using the variable KISYSMOD incorrectly probably due to the fact I didn’t use any of the bundled library.
So, I did what @Sprig mentioned by copying and replace using known working build-in libraries. I took all the text inside the non-working library and copy it over to a build-in library that I copied from usr/share/kicad/library. Okay so it worked. Then when I rename the file to my intended file name, it doesn’t work.
Not just that, after removing copied version over build-in file using the “Manage Symbol Libraries” and adding the final library, KiCad crashed on the spot. That’s when I know it had to do with the length of the file name or the total characters in the path of the library. Shorten the file name helps. So, somewhere along the way, this bugs pops up.
Thank you guys for helping out. I have since added own personal variable for the path. 
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