# Bug report - cannot save .psyexp files from Builder

**URL:** <https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216>\
**Category:** Coding\
**Created:** [February 4, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216 "2022-02-04T21:52:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JGPsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@JGPsy](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/JGPsy)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216/1 "2022-02-04T21:52:57Z")

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Hello,

I’m new to PsychoPy, and have just installed it on my Linux machine. I’m working through some basic learning materials, and realised that I’m unable to save the .psyexp file. The error report is pasted below.

I am running PsychoPy in an dedicated Conda environment names PsychoTEST. I didn’t use the provided .yml script, but created a new environment and used pip and conda to install the required psychopy ( + dependencies) and wxPython packages. Scripts appear to run in the coder, and I have provided the output of the sysInfo.py demo below also.

Can anyone provide any direction here? Please let me know if you need any further informaiton. I’m going to try and install it fresh on another Conda environment to rule out any installation errors.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Error Report:  
Traceback (most recent call last):  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/app/builder/builder.py”, line 728, in fileSave  
if not self.fileSaveAs(filename):  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/app/builder/builder.py”, line 772, in fileSaveAs  
self.fileSave(event=None, filename=newPath)  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/app/builder/builder.py”, line 731, in fileSave  
filename = self.exp.saveToXML(filename)  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/experiment/\_experiment.py”, line 329, in saveToXML  
self.xmlRoot = self.xml  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/experiment/\_experiment.py”, line 314, in xml  
experimentNode.append(settingsNode)  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/xml/etree/ElementTree.py”, line 238, in append  
self.\_assert\_is\_element(subelement)  
File “/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/xml/etree/ElementTree.py”, line 260, in \_assert\_is\_element  
raise TypeError(‘expected an Element, not %s’ % type(e). **name** )  
TypeError: expected an Element, not Element

sysInfo.py output:  
/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/demos/coder/sysInfo.py ##  
pygame 2.1.2 (SDL 2.0.16, Python 3.7.7)  
Hello from the pygame community. [Contribute - pygame wiki](https://www.pygame.org/contribute.html)  
Paths to files on the system:  
userPrefsFile: /home/jason/.psychopy3/userPrefs.cfg  
appDataFile: /home/jason/.psychopy3/appData.cfg  
demos: /home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/demos  
appFile: /home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/lib/python3.7/site-packages/psychopy/app/PsychoPy.py

System info:  
Linux-4.15.0-65-generic-x86\_64-with-debian-buster-sid

Python info  
/home/jason/anaconda3/envs/psychoTEST/bin/python  
3.7.7 (default, Mar 26 2020, 15:48:22)  
[GCC 7.3.0]  
numpy 1.18.1  
scipy 1.4.1  
matplotlib 3.1.3  
pyglet 1.4.11  
pyo 1.0.4

PsychoPy 2021.2.3  
have shaders: True

OpenGL info:  
vendor: Intel Open Source Technology Center  
rendering engine: Mesa DRI Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620 (Kabylake GT2)  
OpenGL version: 3.0 Mesa 18.2.8  
(Selected) Extensions:  
True GL\_ARB\_multitexture  
True GL\_EXT\_framebuffer\_object  
True GL\_ARB\_fragment\_program  
True GL\_ARB\_shader\_objects  
True GL\_ARB\_vertex\_shader  
True GL\_ARB\_texture\_non\_power\_of\_two  
True GL\_ARB\_texture\_float  
False GL\_STEREO  
max vertices in vertex array: 3000  
1.3599 WARNING Monitor specification not found. Creating a temporary one…

##### Experiment ended.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JGPsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@JGPsy](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/JGPsy)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:32am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216/2 "2022-02-05T00:32:06Z")

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As an update, I tried installing psychopy on a fresh conda environment using:

pip install psychopy  
conda install wxpython

and the same error appears

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**Author:** ![Becca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/becca/32/34260_2.png) [@Becca](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/Becca)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 10:09am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216/3 "2022-02-05T10:09:21Z")

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Hi There,

Are you able to install PsychoPy as standalone? and save from there?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JGPsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@JGPsy](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/JGPsy)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/bug-report-cannot-save-psyexp-files-from-builder/27216/4 "2022-02-23T02:17:22Z")

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Hi Becca,

Thank you for your reply, and apologies for the delay (I have been away).

I tried another fresh install using:

the supplied environment file  
conda install dataclasses  
conda install wxpython

and I can save! I guess we can deduce that the bug was therefore associated with the method by which I installed psychopy and the related packages.

Now to debug the test text not showing on the screen…

Thanks again  
Jason