Desktop environment seems broken

[maxed]

Hello,

I have the same problem, have unable to figure out a solution. I am using Mint 18. When I tried to restart the PC, the desktop environment (GUI) seems broken.

The background turned to the default black, and I cannot change it to anything.

In the default desktop, I see some icons such as 'Computer', 'Home', 'Files'. When I double-click click that it does not do anything. The files are all there, luckily!

Can you please please suggest a way to resolve this, and get this working. This seems like a bug..

[maxed]

Also, the command above did not work.

ls -al /your/wallpaper/folder
ls: cannot access '/your/wallpaper/folder': No such file or directory

[mrjimphelps]

When I had this problem, when the desktop was black, I was unable to use any graphic file as my wallpaper; they were all grayed out in all folders.

[Termy]

@Maxed:

It sounds like your desktop manager or file manager is messed up; it typically deals with desktop stuff. For example, in XFCE, xfdesktop deals with the desktop functionality, but you can use pcmanfm (a lightweight file manager) to manage the desktop as well.

By the way, ls -al /your/wallpaper/folder was just an example. Replace "/your/wallpaper/folder" with your wallpaper folder. For example, mine would be: ls -Al ~/Pictures/Wallpapers

Which desktop environment are you using? Such as XFCE and Cinnamon. Also, are you using the standard system software, like the file manager, which came with Mint?

[Moem]

Mod note:
Split this off into a new topic as it's a very different problem, and it's always best to start a new topic for a new question.

[mrjimphelps]

If I put my pics on my data drive (my secondary internal hard drive), I have problems using them as wallpaper: either I can't select them, or they won't stay selected. But If I put my pics in the /Home/Pictures folder, I have no problem at all using them as wallpaper. Most importantly, however I set them sticks; the wallpaper doesn't become unset.

[JosephM]

Mod note:
Split this off into a new topic as it's a very different problem, and it's always best to start a new topic for a new question.

I understand why you do this but this one is so out of context you don't even really know what it's about

[Moem]

There wasn't any context really, the only similarity between the two cases in the original thread was that someone was saying 'I can't set a wallpaper'. Not all that useful, is it.

[kukamuumuka]

What tells the next command

Code: Select all

find $HOME ! -user $USER -type f

[Termy]

What tells the next command

Code: Select all

find $HOME ! -user $USER -type f

It recursively finds and outputs all files (strictly files) in your /home/username directory which are not owned by you, the current user. $HOME and ~ by default show the same thing. Using ! with the find command tells find that the proceeding argument is to be negated. $USER is a variable assigned to the value of the current username, which means, it's like a box with your username stored in it, and that box can later be unpacked and used with stuff, like right here in the command you showed. $HOME is also a variable, by the way. The tilde (~) is similar to a variable, at least in this case, but it's actually called tilde expansion.

[Moem]

Termy, I think administrollaattori knows what the command does; I think they're asking the OP for the output of the command.

[kukamuumuka]

Termy, I think administrollaattori knows what the command does; I think they're asking the OP for the output of the command.

Actually yes.
Anyway thanks to Termy for a good explanation.

[Termy]

Oops. I love this stuff, so it's no problem.