Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

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Myself

Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

I have done a search to see if anyone else has this problem but have not found a similar problem.

I have deleted 100s of MegaBytes but there is nothing in the Wastebasket and when I right click on it it shows a greyed Empty Wastebasket. But ... ... the hard drive free space size still shows that the items are not deleted.
I have tried looking at various Settings and the property setting of Thunar, etc., but there is nothing listed. There used to be facility to set warning before deleting and for sending items to Wastebasket as I recall in UP2 and UP3. The problem is that I have 'intention tremors' in my fingers and sometimes when moving the mouse to Copy or Rename, which are close to Delete, I can hit Delete by accident so I need the buffer of the Wastebasket.

How do I fix this, please.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
DrHu

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by DrHu »

I don't know that I can help much, since I don't like that particular file manager, I prefer Midnight commander, Gnome commander; if I was using a gnome desktop or pcmanfm (also not as good as the two-pane file manager (MC (Midnight and gnome commander..))
--I use lxde, so I get pcmanfm as a default..


I don't know exactly what Thunar is doing with the files, but I would try this: search for one of the filenames (that you know or a pattern, *.doc or *.txt) and find out where they have been left on the directory tree: file system of the OS.
In a terminal, check

Code: Select all

ls - ~/.local/share/Trash
--that should be the contents of your trash bin (directory or folder..), and will be a hidden file ( .name, where name is the folder name)
.profile
.trash
--there will be others, just look at the hidden directories/folders or files in your file manager, usually view hidden

Some file managers are kind of funky, you could possibly consider trying some other file manager programs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautilus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME_Commander

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMan_File_Manager

I had a quick look, checked comparison for file managers, and found Thunar, so their manual may help, the specific section dealing with files and folders..
http://docs.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/workin ... nd-folders

http://docs.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/start
--I don't think it is a great file manager, especially for users who won't want to edit text files, it lacks GUI features for some of its functions, that are otherwise available via editing preference files for the desktop..
Last edited by DrHu on Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

I'm using LMDE Xfce and Nautilus doesn't work well with it. It actually causes problems.

I have tried searching for the deleted files and I have enabled 'hidden files' in Thunar but but they do not show-up. It's a mystery!
Only thing that tells me they are still there is the disk free space hasn't changed.
DrHu

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by DrHu »

Myself wrote:Only thing that tells me they are still there is the disk free space hasn't changed.
That might or might not tell you that, it certainly isn't a reliable method, since Linux wont remove file space used by deleted files, until they are needed by new files, new writes that happen to be using those specific file node locations on the hard drive partition..

If they have been deleted, they will be invisible to the OS via the normal means
  • the shift + delete option is to permanently remove a file, the normal delete saves it in the .trash
--you can try some Linux or OSS utilities to help you find such files..

Find might also help if you want to try some of the examples available, to locate your owner files..
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-fin ... art-1.html
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-fin ... part-1.htm

Photorec is another utility to find deleted files..
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-fin ... art-1.html

If you have an idea of the file sizes for those files, you can use find to search for used space (files taking up) by size

Code: Select all

find . -size +100 -print
--or some such check size option
--change (CD / ) to root ( /) to search the whole drive
  • Or you could search (find) with the time option, if you have an idea when the file was deleted
    --and so on: experiments needed.
There might be something in that find utility, that will help.

I don't know, but from your last comment, it seems to me that you aren't that worried about the files (anymore), only that they might be taking up directory space on the hard drive..
--there aren't really any de-fragmenters for Linux, we just keep using the file system until it has a problem, such as running low on file space.
Last edited by DrHu on Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Thank you Dr, I'll try again tomorrow.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

This is an old problem that is now back again.

Been doing some reading on Xfce and Thunar and discovered that there has been a history of issues with Trash/Wastebasket with Thunar on NTFS drives.

I found the Gbs deleted files in .Trash-1000/files on the NTFS drive. I knew they were there!!!
Same problem with FAT formatted drives - USB drives.

The best part is that I am not allowed to delete these files even by opening the folder as Root!!!!

Problem is that LMDE Xfce UP4 is using an old version of Thunar (1.2.3), which means Trash works fine for ext drives but not on NTFS and FAT.
Latest version of Thunar (1.3.1) is said to fixes this issue.
Funny that previous version of Thunar in UP3 worked fine but I have seen a pattern of history being repeated with Thunar and it's happened yet again.
The old sayings, "History repeats itself", and "We never learn from history", spring to mind.

Next question is how do I update to 1.3.1, which I have downloaded, without messing-up LMDE UP4 ?
äxl

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by äxl »

Myself wrote:I found the Gbs deleted files in .Trash-1000/files on the NTFS drive. I knew they were there!!!
Same problem with FAT formatted drives - USB drives.
This is a Linux thing. #Latest version http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/trash-spec
The best part is that I am not allowed to delete these files even by opening the folder as Root!!!!
Not even in terminal?

Code: Select all

sudo rm -rf /media/NTFS/.Trash-1000/files
Next question is how do I update to 1.3.1, which I have downloaded, without messing-up LMDE UP4 ?
Just install the .deb with gdebi. It will tell you if it would break anything.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

sudo rm -rf /media/NTFS/.Trash-1000/files

Had not tried that but it works. It deletes the whole folder including the files. I also deleted the info folder.
The folders are recreated again on deleting a file with Thunar so I sort of have my buffer in case my finger accidentally hits delete when I want to rename or copy.

Thunar still does not recognise the free size change.

Thanks.
äxl

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by äxl »

Myself wrote:Thunar still does not recognise the free size change.
Caja and afair Nautilus do the same. Just emptied my trash and only then the Free Space expands.
I think it's because the data is really there. Not like in Windows where everything is hidden from the user.
What happens when you deactivate "Show Hidden Files"?
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Volume Size stays the same after deactivating "Show Hidden Files" but obviously I don't see the hidden folders and files.
It doesn't change even after a reboot.
But the files are now definitely not showing any more.
Think I will take a look at this later with Windows, which I rarely use nowadays as it is so slow and boring in comparison to LMDE, or any Linux edition!
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Oops!!! I just looked at the Thunar 131 file i downloaded. I expanded it and discovered it's many folders of source code. Not for me! I'm leaving this to the experts.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Using Windows I was able to find a folder that was completely hidden from Linux - had 8 nunbers and then a series of letters - I didn't record the details. I had to open it as Administrator and it contained what looked like over 100 empty folders but they somehow deleted themselves before I got time to examine the contents.

The hidden to :Linux .Trash-1000 folder was seen as normal by Windows - not hidden and I deleted another 700Mb from it.

This meant a gain of 2.7Gb of free space which LMDE also now sees.

I need to get this problem fixed permanently and have the Wastebasket working normally.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Using Ubuntu 12.04 I can see what has been put in the Wastebasket on the NTFS and FAT drives as they show up immediately and can be deleted with the ´Empty Trash´ command.
There is a serious problem with the File Manager (Thunar) in LMDE Xfce 64 Update Pack 4.
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

Delete some files on an NTFS or FAT32 drive while running LMDE Xfce 64 UP4 and they go to hidden folder and can only be deleted from terminal.

But leave the files in this folder and use Ubuntu 12.04 or 10.04 or Bodhi or Mandriva and they are immediately seen in the Trash/Wastebasket and be be removed by emptying the Trash/Wastebasket.

Problem is with LMDE Xfce 64 - have not tried a 32 bit version
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

I found this from 8 July 2011 on Fedora forum.

" Another common requirement (don't know for Thunar), is that the trash has the sticky bit (chmod 1777 <mountpoint>/.Trash-<uid>). Also needs ownership and permissions to be enabled. "

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthrea ... ost1493422

" Alongside Fedora I have Salix installed and there deleting files from ntfs works without tweaks (however in some different manner as files are moved to ~/.local/share/Trash/files). Salix people claim they didn`t tweak anything to achieve it and it should work like that. Maybe there is a bug in Fedora or XFCE4.8?
Anyway, I`ll try to play with ntfs permissions.

[EDIT] Indeed, when I mounted with 'permissions' and gave the full access (0777) to the mountpoint, the trash started to work ".

Sticky bit enabled"?
Guess I need to do this but there is a difference above of 1777 and 0777 - which is it, please?
Myself

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by Myself »

I found this from 8 July 2011 on Fedora forum.

" Another common requirement (don't know for Thunar), is that the trash has the sticky bit (chmod 1777 <mountpoint>/.Trash-<uid>). Also needs ownership and permissions to be enabled. "

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthrea ... ost1493422

" Alongside Fedora I have Salix installed and there deleting files from ntfs works without tweaks (however in some different manner as files are moved to ~/.local/share/Trash/files). Salix people claim they didn`t tweak anything to achieve it and it should work like that. Maybe there is a bug in Fedora or XFCE4.8?
Anyway, I`ll try to play with ntfs permissions.

[EDIT] Indeed, when I mounted with 'permissions' and gave the full access (0777) to the mountpoint, the trash started to work ".

Sticky bit enabled"?
Guess I need to do this but there is a difference above of 1777 and 0777 - which is it, please?
Myself

(Solved) Wastebasket not showing items after update, or dele

Post by Myself »

Just did an update that included debian-system, mint desktop and mint settings, and Wastebasket on NTFS and FAT is working properly again. Thanks.
Bergschreck

Re: (Solved) Wastebasket not showing items after update, or

Post by Bergschreck »

Myself wrote:Just did an update that included debian-system, mint desktop and mint settings, and Wastebasket on NTFS and FAT is working properly again. Thanks.
Please can you explain how you did this update? How do you "include debian-system"?
äxl

Re: Wastebasket not showing items after update, or deleting

Post by äxl »

I'm sure debian-system-adjustments and mintdesktop or mintdesktop-xfce is meant. Though I don't know what is meant with "mint settings" - maybe mintconfig-xfce ...
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