1.6.7: Desktop icons are gone, missing setting in options

[norumaru]

Hi,

I am on Mint 13 and have a problem with my desktop icons since the updates to Cinnamon 1.6.7 came through. First, Nemo did not handle anything, so I set it to default file browser by the method described here: viewtopic.php?f=208&t=115611&p=648075#p648075

Since then, Nemo is my file manager, and I would like to keep it that way, but my desktop icons are gone when I boot up and only reappear after logging out and back in. I can't even draw the highlighting rectangle on the desktop before that.

So I went to the googles, and they told me to enable "have file manager handle the desktop" under Cinnamon settings > Desktop, but there is no such option. All I get are the options to display Computer, Home, Network, Trash and mounted drives.

Any advice?

[Darlingtonia]

I'm having the same problem: no desktop icons, cannot draw highlight rectangle (left-click and drag), no response to right-click.
I'm running Mint 13, and have installed the backported updates, but haven't changed any default programs.

[norumaru]

If you don't mind using Nemo instead of Nautilus, uninstalling Nautilus via software manager after changing the default file manager to Nemo fixed it for me. Apparently the two programs are having a war over who gets to handle the desktop.

[netjammr]

I tried the last poster's idea of uninstalling nautilus via package manager with no luck. Actually, after a reboot my desktop didn't render. Stumped.

[dule82]

same thing happens in Linux mint 14 after todays update .....

[leskieurbiker]

I have Linux Mint 13 Maya 64 bit Cinnamon, and I have the same exact problem since I added backported packages to software sources and switched to cinnamon 1.6.

[norumaru]

I tried the last poster's idea of uninstalling nautilus via package manager with no luck. Actually, after a reboot my desktop didn't render. Stumped.

Again, this only worked after setting Nemo as the default browser as per this workaround: viewtopic.php?f=208&t=115611&p=648075#p648075. It is not a clean method, I only posted it here because it did the job.

It seems like Nemo and Nautilus are liable to start fighting each other for control over the desktop, not unlike the namesake Captain and the somewhat less hard-shelled Kraken.

[netjammr]

As a follow-up to my previous post...this was also happening on my home LM system (Maya). I fixed this by using dconf-editor org->nemo->desktop and deselecting everything. Then went to org->gnome->nautilus->desktop and deselected everything there as well. Then I double checked in Cinnamon Settings -> Desktop to ensure everything was unchecked. After doing so, I rebooted, when back into dconf org->nemo->desktop and reset everything to my liking and voila, my desktop icons where back.

YMMV especially given this is a bug, but this worked for me. The suggestion to uninstall, as previously mentioned, rendered my desktop/gui session unusable as in not rendering.

[caribriz]

As a follow-up to my previous post...this was also happening on my home LM system (Maya). I fixed this by using dconf-editor org->nemo->desktop and deselecting everything. Then went to org->gnome->nautilus->desktop and deselected everything there as well. Then I double checked in Cinnamon Settings -> Desktop to ensure everything was unchecked. After doing so, I rebooted, when back into dconf org->nemo->desktop and reset everything to my liking and voila, my desktop icons where back.

Thank you netjammr
This also worked for me in Mint 14 Cinnamon.
For good measure, when checking the boxes in dconf org->nemo->desktop, I also clicked on "Set to default" on bottom right corner of screen.

caribriz

[Nick Payne]

I also had this problem after a Cinnamon upgrade on Mint 14 amd64. Uninstalling nautilus fixed the problem for me.

[caribriz]

Thank you netjammr
This also worked for me in Mint 14 Cinnamon.
For good measure, when checking the boxes in dconf org->nemo->desktop, I also clicked on "Set to default" on bottom right corner of screen.

Noooooo .... after starting up a couple of times, they've disappeared again

May have to try uninstalling Nautilus after all ...

caribriz

[historyb]

I have the same problem. I unchecked Caribou in Startup and today the icons are back, not sure if that is a solution or not yet,

[caribriz]

Update to my post above:
I still haven't uninstalled Nautilus, but am trying the following settings:

In dconf-editor:

org.nemo.desktop - check computer-icon-visible - Set to Default and home-icon-visible - Set to Default

org.gnome.nautilus.desktop - uncheck all boxes

org.gnome.desktop.background - check show-desktop-icons
I noticed that the default is false, and I couldn't click "Set to Default" - it was greyed out
So I edited this file as root:
/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/org.gnome.desktop.background.gschema.xml
In this section at bottom of file - changed the <default> line from false to true and saved the file:

Code: Select all

    <key type="b" name="show-desktop-icons">
      <default>true</default>
      <summary>Have file manager handle the desktop</summary>
      <description>If set to true, then file manager will draw the icons on the desktop.</description>
    </key>
  </schema>

</schemalist>

Then went back to dconf-editor and clicked Set to Default for org.gnome.desktop.background - show-desktop-icons.

Also edited the file (as root)
/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/10_nemo.gschema.override to this - by default all lines were set to false - changed them to true, saved the file:

Code: Select all

[org.nemo.desktop]
home-icon-visible=true
computer-icon-visible=true
trash-icon-visible=true
volumes-visible=true

I don't know if it is right or if the settings will stick or if it will work for anyone else.
Rebooted a couple of times - so far so good. Fingers crossed.

caribriz

[leskieurbiker]

Should'nt this problem be fixed by an update? This is annoying.

[leskieurbiker]

Has anybody reported this bug on Launchpad? If yes, post us the link so we can click that we are affected by this bug too.

I found this bug that seems to be related, check it out:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/1083759

[caribriz]

Has anybody reported this bug on Launchpad? If yes, post us the link so we can click that we are affected by this bug too.

I just made a new bug report:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/1085714

caribriz

[caribriz]

Another update to my situation:

I have done (another) full install of LM14 Cinnamon on a usb flashdrive (the original, problematic full install is on a flashdrive as well).

I have kept the new install pretty much default - themes, icons etc.
It is fully updated.
There has been no problem at all so far with the desktop icons - they have shown up every boot
I didn't change any of the settings/files as I did in the post above - it just works as it should in this new install.

The original install was the RC of LM14 Cinnamon, which was just updated -
I wonder if that might have been the problem or contributed to it?
Or if messing around with themes or icons has been the problem.

BTW - the original install on flashdrive is still having problems - sometimes it boots up properly.
Sometimes, it doesn't even get to the desktop after logging in - black screen or just the wallpaper with no icons or panel!!!!
if I Ctrl+Alt+Backspace and log in again, the icons will then appear more often than not.

caribriz

[leskieurbiker]

@caribriz

My LM13 Cinnamon install is on a desktop computer on the hdd. And I havent played with themes and cinnamon settings. But I have the same problem anyway!

[cappycaffeine]

Hi all..

I believe the problem is solved by copying nemo.desktop to the users .config/autostart directory.

I.E.

$ cp /usr/share/applications/nemo.desktop ~/.config/autostart/

then Alt-F2, R to reboot.

Let me know if this works for you!

CappyCaffeine

Addendum.. Hmm.. logged out and back in and the icons and right-click menu on the desktop disappeared again..

Ok.. installed gnome-tweak-tool and toggled "Have File Manager handle the Desktop" off and then on and the icons and right click menu returned.. weird. The toggle is under "Desktop"

Found the workaround here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1198208

[historyb]

Tried both options and they didn't work