[SOLVED] Cannot read file permissions of shortcuts created on desktop

[JerryF]

Hi all,

I'm getting prepared to move my partner from 18.3 to 19. I don't want to do an in-place upgrade because I've run the simulation and there were LOTS of errors, plus his system is getting strange, hence the fresh install of 19.

Here's the situation: right now, he has URL shortcuts on his desktop. Most work fine, a couple hang and give a message about needing to create Permissions...

I've been trying to check on the permissions of these shortcut files using his file manager (18.3 Cinnamon) and none can determined. I get the message:

The permissions of <nameofshortcut> could not be determined. When I check the ownership and permissions of Desktop with stat -c '%a %A %U %G %n' *, I get

Code: Select all

755 drwxr-xr-x jim jim Desktop

and the files within Desktop are all

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664 -rw-rw-r-- jim jim <filename1>.desktop
664 -rw-rw-r-- jim jim <filename2>.desktop
664 -rw-rw-r-- jim jim <filename3>.desktop

They are exactly like mine are on my laptop, but obviously with me as owner and group.

Now here's the kicker---after installing a fresh Mint 19, I copied those shortcuts to the 19 desktop and the results are the same: The permissions of <nameofshortcut> could not be determined.

What could be happening with the files in 18.3 and 19?

[lsemmens]

I have a heap of those sorts of launchers that do that on a first run after installing a new OS, but once I double click on them and Linux tells me that the permissions are suspect, if I tell it to allow them, I never have the trouble again with that launcher on that computer. If you have hundreds of launchers, however, it could be a bit tedious working through each one.

[JerryF]

I have a heap of those sorts of launchers that do that on a first run after installing a new OS, but once I double click on them and Linux tells me that the permissions are suspect, if I tell it to allow them, I never have the trouble again with that launcher on that computer. If you have hundreds of launchers, however, it could be a bit tedious working through each one.

Thanks for replying. When I click on the launchers, they open Chrome and go to the URL. I don't get a message about the permissions being suspect and no prompt to allow them.

I'm at the point where I'm going to reinstall 19 and create the shortcuts one by one, instead of copying them from 18.3

[JerryF]

Well, I just did a fresh install of 19 on the desktop.

The first thing I did was to open Firefox. In a fresh install, that opens the Linux Mint page.

I then proceeded to drag the URL onto the desktop.

When I clicked on the newly-created shortcut, it opened Linux Mint page, which it should.

Then I checked permissions by right-clicking and choosing Properties.

Again, permissions can't be determined.

[kukamuumuka]

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find /home/jim/Desktop -type f -print0 | xargs -0 chmod 744

[gm10]

I then proceeded to drag the URL onto the desktop.

When I clicked on the newly-created shortcut, it opened Linux Mint page, which it should.

Then I checked permissions by right-clicking and choosing Properties.

Again, permissions can't be determined.

I already explained this to you a few months ago when you asked the same question:

The question is what's in those .desktop files. If they are of type=link then it's normal that the permissions fail because the file browser tries to determine the permissions of the link target, and a linked URL doesn't have any.

You can avoid that by creating them as application type with xdg-open <url> as the command.

I feel slightly hurt that you would forget. <3

[JerryF]

I then proceeded to drag the URL onto the desktop.

When I clicked on the newly-created shortcut, it opened Linux Mint page, which it should.

Then I checked permissions by right-clicking and choosing Properties.

Again, permissions can't be determined.

I already explained this to you a few months ago when you asked the same question:

The question is what's in those .desktop files. If they are of type=link then it's normal that the permissions fail because the file browser tries to determine the permissions of the link target, and a linked URL doesn't have any.

You can avoid that by creating them as application type with xdg-open <url> as the command.

I feel slightly hurt that you would forget. <3

Really sorry about that gm10. So much has been going on in my life and my memory retention isn't what it used to be. I can remember things from 35 years ago, but ask me about last year (or whenever),

Side note: I did another installation of 19, now it was Xfce instead of Cinnamon and dragging a URL to the desktop works. I can see the permissions from Properties and the link opens the web browser to the URL.

My partner is going to get Xfce, which I have on my laptop.

[JerryF]

Code: Select all

find /home/jim/Desktop -type f -print0 | xargs -0 chmod 744

As I told gm10, I'm going to install Xfce. Seeing permissions works from properties and the links open the URLs.

Thanks!

[gm10]

Really sorry about that gm10. So much has been going on in my life and my memory retention isn't what it used to be. I can remember things from 35 years ago, but ask me about last year (or whenever),

No worries, I was joking. In fact I was astonished at myself for remembering that we had even talked about it. It was so insignificant. I probably lost some important information instead to make room for this.

Side note: I did another installation of 19, now it was Xfce instead of Cinnamon and dragging a URL to the desktop works. I can see the permissions from Properties and the link opens the web browser to the URL.

Interesting. I know that both Cinnamon and MATE show you the properties of the link target, not the link itself. It's probably by design. I didn't know Xfce took a different approach.

[lsemmens]

The only issue I foresee with using xfce is that file sharing is a little more convoluted than in Cinnamon. I had to set xfce up on a small lappy that is my spare and file sharing does not work "out of the box" on that.

[JerryF]

The only issue I foresee with using xfce is that file sharing is a little more convoluted than in Cinnamon. I had to set xfce up on a small lappy that is my spare and file sharing does not work "out of the box" on that.

Thanks for that advice. I've never had good luck with file sharing in either DE.

[lsemmens]

It was simple enough to set up, it just does not work "out of the box" There is a thread that I started asking about it. If you can find that, you'll see some very useful answers there.

[luth3r]

Thanks mate been looking for a solution on this for a while.

[JerryF]

It was simple enough to set up, it just does not work "out of the box" There is a thread that I started asking about it. If you can find that, you'll see some very useful answers there.

I will! Thanks.