Firefox icon SOLVED

[Maik]

The Firefox icon on my desktop has increased in size by about 100%. Others remain at original size. Happened not long after I updated to latest version of Firefox but can't be totally sure that's anything to do with it.

Tried right clicking on icon and Resize Icon, doesn't work (but works on other icons).

Anyone else having this problem / know of a cure?

[Cosmo.]

What is your version of Mint and what is the desktop environment? Which kernel and which architecture? If you don't know open a terminal and enter:

Code: Select all

inxi -Sz

Paste the output here.

You need to give this information for every help request in every thread.
Do not forget this in the future.

[Maik]

Thanks for the quick reply, here's the information-

Kernel: 4.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit)
Desktop: MATE 1.18.0
Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia

[Cosmo.]

Try to remove the desktop icon and to set it anew. I don't use Mate, so I cannot be more specific.

[Maik]

Tried that. I deleted the icon then did 'add to desktop' to get a new icon - still extra large.

[Cosmo.]

As said, I cannot tell you something about the internals of Mate. But for investigation you might create a fresh new user account and check the issue there. This might give a hint.

[Maik]

Not sure I understand, do you mean create a new Firefox profile?

[Cosmo.]

No. I spoke about a new user account in your system. You can do it easily by using the tool Users & Groups.

[Maik]

Interesting, as the icon for the new user is the correct size (same as all others).

[Maik]

If I use the standard 'square' icons then the Firefox icon is the correct size but it's supersize if I revert back to the round icons.

[Cosmo.]

Interesting, as the icon for the new user is the correct size (same as all others).

This means, that the culprit is in your main account. But to investigate into it somebody must help, who is knowledgeable with Mate.

[Maik]

Ah, it's the same size if I use the 'square' icons, if I change to round icons then the Firefox icon is supersize, same as if I log-on in my own account.

[darkstrike]

Having the same issue here on two machines - both different laptops:

One laptop:
Kernel: 4.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit)
Desktop: MATE 1.18.0 Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia


I don't have the details of the other laptop with me other than it is the exact same desktop version (MATE 1.18.0) and the same distro....pretty certain it is on a slightly older kernel than 4.13.0-37 though.

[stushug]

Has anyone found the fix for this? I have the same problem.

[lmuserx4849]

...
Tried right clicking on icon and Resize Icon, doesn't work (but works on other icons).
...

You mentioned Resize, did you try Restore Icon's Original Size on the right click.

If you look at $HOME/Desktop/firefox.desktop, what is "Icon=" set to.

On LM18.3, Mate, my firefox icon is /usr/share/icons/Mint-X/apps/32/firefox.png. It was installed by package mint-x-icons (dpkg -S).

It's weird that it seems to be happening to 1 particular icon, or maybe that's a coincidence.

If it isn't firefox, or the icon, I'd start circling around desktop properties in the Control Center, or even dconf-editor.

[Maik]

Yes, I tried to resize but it has no effect.

If you look at $HOME/Desktop/firefox.desktop, what is "Icon=" set to.

Sorry, can you explain that a bit more, I'm (still) a newb when it comes to the Terminal, etc.

[lmuserx4849]

Yes, I tried to resize but it has no effect.

If you look at $HOME/Desktop/firefox.desktop, what is "Icon=" set to.

Sorry, can you explain that a bit more, I'm (still) a newb when it comes to the Terminal, etc.

You'll see a lot of references to .desktop files. These files are a common and consistent way to represent applications. A desktop file will look the same no matter if I am using KDE, Cinnamon, or Mate, etc. There are a few exceptions. If you right clicked > Add to desktop, underneath the covers a .desktop file (application launcher) was created. You can think of it as a text configuration file to run an application. In this case, firefox. You can browse and view that text file. $HOME is a bash variable. bash is layer of software that process commands you type on the command line in a console. You can view $HOME's content by typing on the command line echo $HOME. It is a shortcut way of saying your home directory, which is /home/YOUR_USER_ID (echo $USER).

If you open Mate's file manager, Nemo, and open the Desktop folder and right click and select Open With > Text Editor, scroll down to the Icon= line.

I'm less convinced that this is the problem, but let's make sure.

So... when you right click the firefox icon on the desktop and select Resize Icon, does it look like the attached image? If you click and drag one of the blue handles, in or out, does the icon get smaller or larger?

How did you update firefox?

Here's an entry where someone was having a problem with the chrome icon on their desktop (don't let the Unity desktop confuse you). I wonder if you simply right click the firefox icon on your desktop and select Properties. If you click the icon on the Basic tab, it will open a file browser and then just browse to a firefox icon file, which should be located /usr/share/icons/Mint-X/apps/32/firefox.png.

Sometimes the desktop file will contain "icon=firefox". I'm not exactly sure how an icon is picked, but it starts with your theme.
Find theme from command line: gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme
Find theme from GUI: Control Center > [Look & Feel] Appearance

I hope some of this helps

[Maik]

Sorry, I must be really thick. The stuff about bash means nothing to me and I thought Nemo was a Cinnamon thing. If I try to open the Desktop folder and right click then select Open With > Text Editor I get a load of gibberish, nothing about an icon= line. I'm doing something wrong!

I update via the Update Manager.

Here's what the icon looks like, I can move it around but it won't drag smaller or larger.

firefox-supersize.jpg

[lmuserx4849]

Sorry, I must be really thick. The stuff about bash means nothing to me and I thought Nemo was a Cinnamon thing. If I try to open the Desktop folder and right click then select Open With > Text Editor I get a load of gibberish, nothing about an icon= line. I'm doing something wrong!

I update via the Update Manager.

Here's what the icon looks like, I can move it around but it won't drag smaller or larger.


firefox-supersize.jpg

You are absolutely right about Nemo. You'll have to excuse me, I'm trying to change my default desktop from KDE to something else, and right now that is Mate. It's a long story... I think I'll stick to the generic term from now on, File Manager

I'm assuming you clicked on one of those blue squares and held the mouse button down, the cursor changed (see my previous image), and you dragged in to make it smaller. And that is the part that didn't work. If you just click in the middle of the icon and drag the mouse, the cursor changes to a hand and the icon will just move.

Also, when you right click the icon is "Restore Icon's Original size" greyed out so it isn't clickable or when you click it nothing happens.

I just found this entry - Desktop icon size.

I figured out that opening the file explorer (Caja) and going to edit --> preferences and changing the default sizes affects the desktop view globally.

I did not know this! If you open Mate's File Manager and go to Edit > Preferences > View tab, if you change zoom level it affects the Desktop icons too. I changed "Icon View Defaults > Default zoom level" to 200% and sure enough the desktop icons increased in size. But you are only have problems with just firefox.

It sounds like you did the right thing regarding right clicking the desktop icon and selecting open with Text Editor. There is different kinds of gibberish Did it look anything like the attached image? If it does, see the 2 lines icon= and #icon=, add the #icon line to your file, remove the # from this line and put it on the original line (the # is a comment). This can also be done via right clicking the desktop icon, selecting properties, clicking the image and drilling down to find the firefox.png file.

[stushug]

I think the problem is with the icon itself. I changed it to a random picture I had on my drive and it went back to the proper size. I was also able to right click and resize the picture no problem.