# NPR news Skill no working
**URL:** https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914
**Category:** Feedback / Support
**Tags:** support
**Created:** [October 23, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914 "2018-10-23T05:57:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/1 "2018-10-23T05:57:24Z")
I’ve tried removing and reinstalling. It shows the skill is installed i.e. skills in CLI. But is a different colour when the list of skills are displayed the NPR skill is a different colour.
fallback-unknown.mycroftai
fallback-wolfram-alpha.mycroftai
mycroft-alarm.mycroftai
mycroft-audio-record.mycroftai
mycroft-configuration.mycroftai
mycroft-date-time.mycroftai
mycroft-fallback-duck-duck-go.mycroftai
mycroft-hello-world.mycroftai
mycroft-installer.mycroftai
mycroft-ip.mycroftai
mycroft-joke.mycroftai
mycroft-naptime.mycroftai
mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
mycroft-pairing.mycroftai
mycroft-pandora.mycroftai
mycroft-personal.mycroftai
mycroft-playback-control.mycroftai
mycroft-reminder.mycroftai
mycroft-singing.mycroftai
mycroft-speak.mycroftai
mycroft-spelling.mycroftai
mycroft-spotify.forslund
mycroft-stock.mycroftai
mycroft-stop.mycroftai
mycroft-support-helper.mycroftai
mycroft-timer.mycroftai
mycroft-version-checker.mycroftai
mycroft-volume.mycroftai
mycroft-weather.mycroftai
mycroft-wiki.mycroftai
plasma-activities-skill.aiix
my log ouput
16:56:08.903 - **main** :handle\_utterance:61 - INFO - Utterance: [‘play news’]
16:56:09.022 - Playback Control Skill - INFO - Resolving Player for: news
16:56:09.037 - mycroft-pandora\_mycroftai:\_extract\_station:389 - INFO - ‘NoneType’ object is not subscriptable
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/2 "2018-10-23T10:24:24Z")
Thanks so much for reporting this, @Gary_Robinson.
Are you able to confirm for me;
- what Mycroft Device you are on - Mark 1, Picroft, Linux
- what version of Mycroft you are running?
Best, Kathy
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2018, 10:47am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/3 "2018-10-23T10:47:40Z")
Im using Linux elementary OS
mycroft-core 18.8.3
---
### Author:  [@Wally\_Fort](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Wally_Fort)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/4 "2018-10-23T20:34:00Z")
I was having a problem with the NPR news skill.
I am running the “Lighting preview” that is a git install.
The following fixed my problem.
You should be able to run:
cd ~/mycroft-core
then
git pull
then:
./dev\_setup.sh
then:
./start-mycroft.sh debug
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/5 "2018-10-24T02:43:40Z")
i tried the git pull and dev\_setup.sh but no luck
see screenshot of skills
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2018, 10:18am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/6 "2018-10-25T10:18:53Z")
Thanks @Gary_Robinson. If you run the command:
`ls -las /opt/mycroft/skills`, what do you see?
I’m trying to see if there’s a file system permissions issue at all.
Appreciate your diagnostic information.
Best, Kathy
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2018, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/7 "2018-10-30T12:00:25Z")
Hi Kathy see output
TP/1.1" 200 928
22:54:10.692 - mycroft.configuration.config:load\_local:109 - DEBUG - Configuration /etc/mycroft/mycroft.conf loaded
22:54:10.860 - mycroft.configuration.config:load\_local:109 - DEBUG - Configuration /home/pi/.mycroft/mycroft.conf loaded
(.venv) pi@picroft:~/mycroft-core $ ls -las /opt/mycroft/skills
total 128
4 drwxr-xr-x 32 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 22:38 .
4 drwxr-xr-x 4 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:42 …
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 fallback-unknown.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 fallback-wolfram-alpha.mycroftai
0 -rw-r–r-- 1 pi pi 0 Oct 30 22:40 .msm
4 drwxr-xr-x 9 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-alarm.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-audio-record.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-configuration.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-date-time.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 4 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-fallback-duck-duck-go.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-hello-world.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-installer.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-ip.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-joke.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-naptime.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 21:39 mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:36 mycroft-pairing.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 5 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:42 mycroft-pandora.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-personal.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-playback-control.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-reminder.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-singing.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-speak.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-spelling.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 22:38 mycroft-spotify.forslund
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-stock.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-stop.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-support-helper.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 7 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-timer.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 6 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-version-checker.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:36 mycroft-volume.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-weather.mycroftai
4 drwxr-xr-x 8 pi pi 4096 Oct 30 16:38 mycroft-wiki.mycroftai
(.venv) pi@picroft:~/mycroft-core $
cheers
Gary
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2018, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/8 "2018-10-30T12:24:28Z")
Hi Gary, we’ve released an update on the NPR News Skill; you’ll just need to update the Skill by rebooting for it to work. Read more here:
> [@Update on NPR News Skill not functioning](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/update-on-npr-news-skill-not-functioning/4958):
>
> We’d like to provide an update on some recently issues with the NPR News Skill. This Skill is the default News Skill for all Mycroft Devices, and allows you to listen to recent news updates. NPR is the default News source, but other sources are configurable at [https://home.mycroft.ai](https://home.mycroft.ai). Beginning approximately 10 days ago, several users began to report one of two symptoms: That the Utterance Play the News was not being matched to the News Skill Intent, and instead was handled by other Skills Thi…
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2018, 2:23am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/9 "2018-10-31T02:23:23Z")
I still having no luck with NPR news. Ive check the version and its the latest. When i ask to "play the lates news " I get a spotify error. see scren capture
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/10 "2018-10-31T17:41:26Z")
Hi @Gary_Robinson, thanks for flagging this with us.
Have you updated your `mycroft-core` to the latest version - 18.8.4?
And has your Skill been updated to the latest version, usually by rebooting your Device?
Best, Kathy
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/11 "2018-11-27T21:55:53Z")
I still cant get NPR working . I’ve update to the latest version of MyCroft 18.8 and rebooted the computer. Still no luck
Regards
Gary
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/12 "2018-11-28T04:07:26Z")
Hi there @Gary_Robinson, when you say it’s not working, what are the specific symptoms?
- Is it _just_ the NPR news that doesn’t work? What happens if you change the news to say the BBC broadcast or the NBC broadcast?
- Are there any errors in your `skills.log` for the NPR News Skill - if you’re comfortable `ssh`ing in to your device I can walk you through finding the `skills.log`.
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 4:46am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/13 "2018-11-28T04:46:57Z")
Hi Kathy,
this is from the log
15:42:52.971 - mycroft.skills.core:load\_skill:159 - ERROR - Failed to load skill: mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/home/mycroft/mycroft-core/mycroft/skills/core.py”, line 143, in load\_skill
raise e
File “/home/mycroft/mycroft-core/mycroft/skills/core.py”, line 138, in load\_skill
skill.\_register\_decorated()
File “/home/mycroft/mycroft-core/mycroft/skills/core.py”, line 559, in \_register\_decorated
method = getattr(self, attr\_name)
File “/opt/mycroft/skills/mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai/ **init**.py”, line 67, in url\_rss
for link in data[‘entries’][0][‘links’]:
IndexError: list index out of range
regards
Gary
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/14 "2018-11-28T04:48:17Z")
Im using Linux so I can user terminal to get to log file, Do you want a copy?
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 5:24am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/15 "2018-11-28T05:24:00Z")
Perhaps not the whole log file, but if you could do
`cat /var/log/mycroft/skills.log | grep -i error | grep -i npr > npr.log`
then post the `npr.log` that will be super helpful.
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 6:31am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/16 "2018-11-28T06:31:45Z")
Hi Kathy,
see output
18:46:39.324 - mycroft.skills.core:load\_skill:159 - ERROR - Failed to load skill: mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
15:10:38.129 - mycroft.skills.core:load\_skill:159 - ERROR - Failed to load skill: mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
15:26:57.975 - mycroft.skills.core:load\_skill:159 - ERROR - Failed to load skill: mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
15:31:32.831 - mycroft.skills.core:load\_skill:159 - ERROR - Failed to load skill: mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai
15:39:45.350 - SkillInstallerSkill - ERROR - MSM failed: AlreadyInstalled(mycroft-npr-news)
15:50:51.611 - mycroft.messagebus.client.ws:remove:176 - WARNING - Existing events: defaultdict(\, {‘new\_listener’: [], ‘configuration.updated’: [\, {‘new\_listener’: [], ‘configuration.updated’: [\
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 10:10am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/17 "2018-11-28T10:10:38Z")
That’s super useful, thanks @Gary_Robinson.
This tells us that the Skill failed to load, rather than loading then erroring.
There are multiple possible causes for this, including;
- a corrupted `skills.json` file in the `/opt/mycroft/skills/SKILL-NPR-DIRECTORY
- some sort of dependency not loading
Are you able to provide me with the output of;
`cat /var/log/mycroft/skills.log | grep -i npr`
Then I can do a deeper level of diagnostics.
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 10:35am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/18 "2018-11-28T10:35:21Z")
Hi kathy
the results are too big for the reply, is there a way to send an attachment?
Regards
Gary
---
### Author:  [@Gary\_Robinson](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/Gary_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/19 "2018-11-28T10:39:47Z")
Hi Kathy , try this link for npr output
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekllDjG3cmL1ujNQMJCIXJUNSLSaP\_rD/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ekllDjG3cmL1ujNQMJCIXJUNSLSaP_rD/view?usp=sharing)
---
### Author:  [@KathyReid](https://community.openconversational.ai/u/KathyReid)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914/20 "2018-11-28T13:24:40Z")
Super helpful, thank you. These logs showed that the error is occurring in this line of this file;
`File "/opt/mycroft/skills/mycroft-npr-news.mycroftai/ __init__.py", line 53, in url_rss`
I took a look at this Python code;
`url_rss = self.settings.get("url_rss")`
This is the setting that is used if a “custom” URL is set. Do you have a custom news URL set and if so, could you please let me know what it is?
[Next page](https://community.openconversational.ai/t/npr-news-skill-no-working/4914.md?page=2)