Mint 11 RC Katya and Skype : tray icon missing

[Garvan]

Ubuntu 11.04, and therefore Mint 11, uses a VERY buggy version of Compiz that (in my opinion) should have never made it to release. Below is the way I've found to get the older, stable version of Compiz back until they've worked out the nasty little bugs:

1. Open Synaptic (Package Manager) and type Compiz into the Quick Search bar.
2. Uninstall all Compiz-related packages by clicking on the green box to the left of each, selecting Uninstall, and when they're all marked, click Apply.
3. In Synaptic (Package Manager), go to Settings -> Repositories.
4. Click on the Other Software tab.
5. Click Add.
6. In the APT line box, type or cut/paste the following: ppa:guido-iodice/compiz-0.8.6-natty
7. After exiting the sources manager, reload your sources (click the Reload button on Synaptic).
8. Install the same Compiz-related packages that you just removed (look at File -> History and click on today's date if you've forgotten) by selecting the grey box to the left of each package, selecting Install, and when they're all marked, click Apply. There is one exception to this. Fusion-icon won't install because of dependency issues.
9. If you need a replacement for Fusion-icon, go to http://sourceforge.net/projects/displex ... lex-0.7.1/. It has many of the same functions as Fusion-icon. Click on displex-0.7.1-all.deb, and save it to your desktop. From the desktop, right-click on the file you just downloaded, and select Open with Gdebi Package Installer. Click Install.

Sorry if I've gone a little overboard with the details. I want to make sure the newest of newbies can figure this out. Hope this helps someone. I was having all sorts of Compiz-related problems before doing this. Now I've got full functionality back.

Hi mfreeman,

I followed this guide to downgrade compiz, and after a reboot, I had immediate problems with the window-decorations. This module kept segfalting (crashing), so I was left with windows with no title bar, maximize, minimize buttons or window border.

I did notice one difference between your post quoted above and my experience. I removed compiz-plugins-main as part of step 2 above, but this module could not be reinstalled in step 8 because of conflicts. It was not available as an option in Synaptic. I assume this is why I had an unstable system. I suspect that some updates, or programs I have installed, made my system different from your test system.

I am now using Metacity, until I hear that Compiz is working again.

Garvan

[mfreeman]

I followed this guide to downgrade compiz, and after a reboot, I had immediate problems with the window-decorations. This module kept segfalting (crashing), so I was left with windows with no title bar, maximize, minimize buttons or window border.

I did notice one difference between your post quoted above and my experience. I removed compiz-plugins-main as part of step 2 above, but this module could not be reinstalled in step 8 because of conflicts. It was not available as an option in Synaptic. I assume this is why I had an unstable system. I suspect that some updates, or programs I have installed, made my system different from your test system.

I am now using Metacity, until I hear that Compiz is working again.

Garvan

Garvan,

If you have the 3rd party repository that I mentioned, you should now have two groups of plugins. One is compiz-plugins-* and compiz-fusion-plugins-*. Do not try to install the compiz-plugins-*, as they are from Compiz 0.9.4. Be sure to install the compiz-fusion-plugins-* packages instead, which are for Compiz 0.8.6. I guess I should have mentioned this, sorry.

[Garvan]

Garvan,

If you have the 3rd party repository that I mentioned, you should now have two groups of plugins. One is compiz-plugins-* and compiz-fusion-plugins-*. Do not try to install the compiz-plugins-*, as they are from Compiz 0.9.4. Be sure to install the compiz-fusion-plugins-* packages instead, which are for Compiz 0.8.6. I guess I should have mentioned this, sorry.

Thanks for the hint. I will try again when I have more time over the weekend.

Garvan

[mintuser]

The updated version of compiz worked for me and solved the bug.

Regards

[ghkj21]

I also had this problem. I thought it was just Skype but HPLIP started doing it too among other things. I am new to mint, ~1 month.
I went to package manager and found

compiz-fusion-plugins-main Version: 0.9.4+bzr20110527-0ubuntu1~natty1 transitional dummy package
This package ensures a clean upgrade path, and can be safely removed after the upgrade.

and

compiz-plugins-extra Version: 0.9.4-0ubuntu3 Collection of extra plugins from OpenCompositing for Compiz
The OpenCompositing Project brings 3D desktop visual effects that improve usability of the X Window System and provide increased productivity.
This package contains extra plugins and themes contributed by the community giving a rich desktop experience.

after that I logged out and back in and my problem icons were no-longer single pixel dots. I quit and restarted Skype several times to see if the problem would come back and it did not.

[lawrencemaria]

Well -annoyingly finding the skype icon disappearing on my linux mint 12 -and finding no help/solutions -i created a dummy ID on skype and logged in first. They closed it by pressing the X (which supposedly would minimize it to system tray). Ofcourse it disppeared permanently but remained running in the background -with incoming calls/msgs! Then I would relaunch skype again and login with my Real ID and then -this time it manages to remain on system tray! Its not a brilliant solution -but a practical one! Only the botheration of manual logins everytime is there ofcourse!