[SOLVED] Can't edit the Main Menu > Other
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- overkill22
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[SOLVED] Can't edit the Main Menu > Other
Right click on the menu icon > configure > select tab MENU > open the menu editor.
I want to move some application from being under "internet" to "Other" or anywhere I want in the menu. I can copy/move, but when I paste nothing happen.
I tried to create new launchers, but when I check the properties of the application I want to copy, in the command line there's nothing, so I don't know where the launcher goes (but if I use the original launcher from the menu, it actually launch the application).
Why am I not able to change the menu?
I want to move some application from being under "internet" to "Other" or anywhere I want in the menu. I can copy/move, but when I paste nothing happen.
I tried to create new launchers, but when I check the properties of the application I want to copy, in the command line there's nothing, so I don't know where the launcher goes (but if I use the original launcher from the menu, it actually launch the application).
Why am I not able to change the menu?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Check file ownership in your home folder.
If that command produces output run this command to fix the issue
To avoid recurrence don't open GUI apps with sudo
find $HOME ! -user $USER
If that command produces output run this command to fix the issue
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER $HOME
To avoid recurrence don't open GUI apps with sudo
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Smurphos hi, (quoted so you'd see this)
I ran your first command for the heck of it, as I have no issues I'm aware of.
I got a result: /home/rick/.cache/dconf
It seems that it is not my fault, and that it is a known bug reported on Github some 2 years ago, https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate/issues/169
You'll see from that github page that something as benign as refreshing update manager can cause root owned stuff in home.
Anyway, either looking at the folder with file manager as administrator or chown of that empty folder has created another root owned file; /home/rick/.config/dconf/user
I decided to check my other "almost identical" Mint 18.0 thinkpad it had the same root owned /.cache/dconf empty folder as well as two other empty files.
/.config/enchant/en_CA.dic
/.config/enchant/en_CA.exc
I wonder what bug produced those?
EDIT: correct typo
Last edited by rickNS on Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mint 20.0, and 21.0 MATE on Thinkpads, 3 X T420, T450, T470, and X200
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
How did you launch the file manager as Admin?rickNS wrote: ⤴Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:40 pm Anyway, either looking at the folder with file manager as administrator or chown of that empty folder has created another root owned file; /home/rick/.config/dconf.user
I decided to check my other "almost identical" Mint 18.0 thinkpad it had the same root owned /.cache/dconf empty folder as well as two other empty files.
/.config/enchant/en_CA.dic
/.config/enchant/en_CA.exc
I wonder what bug produced those?
~/.config/dconf.user
or ~/.config/dconf/user
. You definitely don't want the latter owned by root - it contains most of your desktop environment related settings. Root owned enchant config files? Enchant is a spell-check engine - so as a wild guess at some point you ran a GUI text editor opened with sudo, and installed a Canadian English dictionary from that sudo instance.
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
I had a bunch of stuff showing up (mainly icons links) and fixed with your second command.
1. last time I was using gksu if I'm not mistaken, not it doesn't work anymore. What should I use if I want to open nemo GUI (for example) with sudo permission?
2. the fix didn't fix the menu problem. It looks like I can't really paste anything in the folder I go after cutting or copying. Example:
I'm in the main menu editor.
I select internet > firefox
then I click on copy/cut either from the right side of the window or right-click copy/cut
then I go to "Other" . Click paste, it will still paste under Internet, as if I never moved out of that directory.
This doesn't happen in other directories.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
OK - so not an entirely useless exercise, you fixed some ownership issues -overkill22 wrote: ⤴Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:12 am I had a bunch of stuff showing up (mainly icons links) and fixed with your second command.
1. last time I was using gksu if I'm not mistaken, not it doesn't work anymore. What should I use if I want to open nemo GUI (for example) with sudo permission?
2. the fix didn't fix the menu problem. It looks like I can't really paste anything in the folder I go after cutting or copying. Example:
I'm in the main menu editor.
I select internet > firefox
then I click on copy/cut either from the right side of the window or right-click copy/cut
then I go to "Other" . Click paste, it will still paste under Internet, as if I never moved out of that directory.
This doesn't happen in other directories.
pkexec nemo
to open nemo with admin privileges from the command line in Cinnamon 19. Or just right click in any folder in regular nemo and click open as root.I can reproduce your bug with the example given - investigating....
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
1) It happens in a fresh user account.
2) The underlying config files changes by copying / pasting to 'Other' appear to look as they should.
3) Copying and pasting to other categories works fine.
4) I tried Mate to see if the same bug occurs - the Mate menu editor doesn't have a facility to copy and paste menu entries so couldn't test.
5) This used to work, but I have't needed to move menu items around since Cinnamon 18.3 so don't know when the breakage occured.
6) Cinnamon-menu-editor hasn't had commits for about 10 months so I don't think it's a bug with the menu editor per se
7) A workaround is to create a new launcher in Other - coping the entry from the Properties tab of the launcher you want to emulate and then hide or delete the unwanted launcher.
I'll have another look when i've got more time and will raise a bug report..
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Thanks mate! That's a good job!smurphos wrote: ⤴Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:25 am1) It happens in a fresh user account.
2) The underlying config files changes by copying / pasting to 'Other' appear to look as they should.
3) Copying and pasting to other categories works fine.
4) I tried Mate to see if the same bug occurs - the Mate menu editor doesn't have a facility to copy and paste menu entries so couldn't test.
5) This used to work, but I have't needed to move menu items around since Cinnamon 18.3 so don't know when the breakage occured.
6) Cinnamon-menu-editor hasn't had commits for about 10 months so I don't think it's a bug with the menu editor per se
7) A workaround is to create a new launcher in Other - coping the entry from the Properties tab of the launcher you want to emulate and then hide or delete the unwanted launcher.
I'll have another look when i've got more time and will raise a bug report..
I thought to do the point 7 too, but for some applications I have the "command" field in the launcher properties empty! But the launcher is working...
Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
By right click -> open as administrator.
Yes the first one is a typo. I certainly won't argue with you, but I do not recall installing any dictionary. That said, apt list --installed shows the enchant package is on both computers.~/.config/dconf.user or ~/.config/dconf/user. You definitely don't want the latter owned by root - it contains most of your desktop environment related settings.
Root owned enchant config files? Enchant is a spell-check engine - so as a wild guess at some point you ran a GUI text editor opened with sudo, and installed a Canadian English dictionary from that sudo instance.
I guess the most important point I wanted to make (did you read that github link ?) is that sometimes root owned files do get created on /home that are not the users fault. Starting in mint 18, and according to cosmo in that linked github post the "problem" gets worse in mint 19. Maybe that's why cosmo is no longer around here ? Switched distros ?
Also curious that if it is considered a "bug", why did that thread just die. How serious is it ?
Mint 20.0, and 21.0 MATE on Thinkpads, 3 X T420, T450, T470, and X200
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Hi,
Yeah I'm aware of that 'anomaly' - it occurs on every fresh install as far as I can tell and it's been around since 18 I think. Whether it's a bug or not that particular file being root owned doesn't appear to cause any harm.
Interestingly after posting on this thread I also had
Anyway fixed ownership, rebooted and all has been normal since.
Anyway checking and fixing any none user owned files in home is a good basic troubleshooting step. It doesn't cause any harm and does often fix unusual issues.
Enchant is a default package - it's in the dependency chain of lots of common packages that include a spell-check function.
Yeah I'm aware of that 'anomaly' - it occurs on every fresh install as far as I can tell and it's been around since 18 I think. Whether it's a bug or not that particular file being root owned doesn't appear to cause any harm.
Interestingly after posting on this thread I also had
~/.config/dconf
mysteriously go to root ownership. It was very odd - I was applying an update and the update manager started spewing out error messages about a faulty theme (not one of the defaults) that would normally be in ~./xsession-errors
and then told me I had broken packages. Did a quick check with apt for broken packages - nada and then checked ownership of home and ~/.config/dconf
was owned by root. I don't really understand how that could cause the problem I saw or how it happened... The only thing I'd done that was unusual immediately prior was testing the theme in question (breeze-gtk from software manager) and testing downgrading thunderbird via deb. It was update manager updating thunderbird again when it all went strange.Anyway fixed ownership, rebooted and all has been normal since.
Anyway checking and fixing any none user owned files in home is a good basic troubleshooting step. It doesn't cause any harm and does often fix unusual issues.
Enchant is a default package - it's in the dependency chain of lots of common packages that include a spell-check function.
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
This bug exists on an up to date Cinnamon 18.3 as-well so it looks like its been around a while. I think I was on 18 or 18.1 the last time I moved a bunch of menu items into the 'Other' category.overkill22 wrote: ⤴Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:35 am
Thanks mate! That's a good job!
I thought to do the point 7 too, but for some applications I have the "command" field in the launcher properties empty! But the launcher is working...
What applications have an empty command field? That's fairly strange. What happens if you click and drag in the box (as if you were highlighting text contents for copy and paste)?
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
I'm not sure I understood this, you mean drag and drop? If this, I can't drag anything.smurphos wrote: ⤴Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:16 pmThis bug exists on an up to date Cinnamon 18.3 as-well so it looks like its been around a while. I think I was on 18 or 18.1 the last time I moved a bunch of menu items into the 'Other' category.overkill22 wrote: ⤴Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:35 am
Thanks mate! That's a good job!
I thought to do the point 7 too, but for some applications I have the "command" field in the launcher properties empty! But the launcher is working...
What applications have an empty command field? That's fairly strange. What happens if you click and drag in the box (as if you were highlighting text contents for copy and paste)?
You can find the app with the empty command field here https://electrum.org/#download , it's weird indeed.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Not drag and drop, I mean drag and highlight. Anyway i think i'm barking up the wrong tree.overkill22 wrote: ⤴Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:04 pm I'm not sure I understood this, you mean drag and drop? If this, I can't drag anything.
You can find the app with the empty command field here https://electrum.org/#download , it's weird indeed.
Does
cat /usr/share/applications/electrum.desktop
return any output - if it does the command after Exec=
should be the command line needed.If that doesn't return output try
cat /.local/share/applications/electrum.desktop
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
smurphos wrote: ⤴Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:11 amNot drag and drop, I mean drag and highlight. Anyway i think i'm barking up the wrong tree.overkill22 wrote: ⤴Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:04 pm I'm not sure I understood this, you mean drag and drop? If this, I can't drag anything.
You can find the app with the empty command field here https://electrum.org/#download , it's weird indeed.
Doescat /usr/share/applications/electrum.desktop
return any output - if it does the command afterExec=
should be the command line needed.
If that doesn't return output trycat /.local/share/applications/electrum.desktop
Exec=sh -c "PATH=\"\\$HOME/.local/bin:\\$PATH\" electrum %u"
But still if I go in the menu there's no command but the application starts anyway. Did you see?
and a message before
Code: Select all
# If you want Electrum to appear in a Linux app launcher ("start menu"), install this by doing:
# sudo desktop-file-install electrum.desktop
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
I didn't install it to check - but I had a look for the .desktop file in the download.
What does
What does
whereis electrum
return?For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
electrum %u
should work as the command in a custom menu entry.For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- overkill22
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- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
Well you've got a working workaround so I guess marking the thread as solved will help others identify the workaround until the bug is fixed.
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.
- smurphos
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Re: Can't edit the Main Menu
For custom Nemo actions, useful scripts for the Cinnamon desktop, and Cinnamox themes visit my Github pages.