[SOLVED] minimise a window to the panel

[keithw]

I just installed Mint 21.1 after trying out Mint 20.2. On 20.2, when I minimised something (for instance a File Manager window), a blue line appeared at the bottom of the icon in the panel. When the mouse was on this icon, it displayed the windows related to it, and it was possible to select the wanted window. All this seems to have disappeared in Mint 21.1 - If I minimise something, it apparently closes, and when I click on the icon (eg File Manager), a new instance is opened. What am I doing wrong, and how do I recover minimised windows? If this behaviour is normal, it seems to be a backward step to me.

[spamegg]

Hello keithw welcome to the Forum.
Please share your system info by going to:
→→→→ Menu/System Reports/System Information/click "Copy"
and pasting it here.
(Equivalently, you can use the command inxi -Fxxxmprz on the Terminal.)

[keithw]

This is one of the systems I have this problem with - its a laptop. It is also happening on two desktop machines, one AMD 6-core Ryzen, one Intel. All these machines until recently had Linux Mint 20.2 installed, and didn't have this issue. The machines were unchanged between then and updating to LM21.1
If there is no workaround, or I'm not doing something dumb, then I intend to revert to LM20.1, because this problem is causing me real difficulty. For example, if I want to copy a link from Firefox into an email - I minimise the e-mail, copy the linkk out of Firefox - then I can't back to the Thunderbird window, and if I click on the Thunderbird icon in the panel, I get a new instance of Thunderbird - and have lost whatever I have written. This is happening on any window - minimise it - and its gone. (or at least, I cannot find out how to re-open it to continue work.
Regards, Keith

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-58-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.3.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 5.6.7
    tk: GTK 3.24.33 wm: muffin dm: LightDM Distro: Linux Mint 21.1 Vera base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: ASUSTeK product: VivoBook_ASUSLaptop X412FL_X412FL v: 1.0
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: X412FL v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends
    v: X412FL.305 date: 08/16/2019
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 25.3 Wh (100.0%) condition: 25.3/37.1 Wh (68.2%) volts: 7.8 min: 7.8
    model: ASUSTeK ASUS Battery serial: N/A status: Not charging
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i3-8145U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Comet/Whiskey Lake
    note: check rev: C cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 512 KiB L3: 4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2261 high: 2296 min/max: 400/3900 cores: 1: 2293 2: 2296 3: 2255 4: 2200
    bogomips: 18399
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: i915 v: kernel
    ports: active: eDP-1 empty: HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3ea0
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP108M [GeForce MX250] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nvidia v: 525.78.01 pcie:
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 4 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1d13
  Device-3: IMC Networks USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-5:3
    chip-ID: 13d3:56dc
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X: loaded: modesetting,nvidia
    unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 98
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: BOE Display res: 1920x1080 dpi: 158 diag: 355mm (14")
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (WHL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.5 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:9dc8
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-58-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8822BE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi adapter vendor: AzureWave driver: rtw_8822be
    v: N/A pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 3000 bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:b822
  IF: wlo1 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: IMC Networks Bluetooth Radio type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-8:4
    chip-ID: 13d3:3526
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.1 lmp-v: 4.2
    sub-v: 705c
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 46.32 GiB (19.4%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Western Digital model: PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G-1202 size: 238.47 GiB
    speed: 15.8 Gb/s lanes: 2 serial: <filter> temp: 44.9 C
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 233.18 GiB used: 46.31 GiB (19.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 7 MiB (1.4%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 12 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    chip-ID: 1d6b:0002
  Device-1: 1-4:2 info: Realtek RTS5129 Card Reader Controller type: <vendor specific>
    driver: rtsx_usb,rtsx_usb_ms,rtsx_usb_sdmmc rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s chip-ID: 0bda:0129
  Device-2: 1-5:3 info: IMC Networks USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam type: Video driver: uvcvideo rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s chip-ID: 13d3:56dc
  Device-3: 1-8:4 info: IMC Networks Bluetooth Radio type: Bluetooth driver: btusb rev: 1.1
    speed: 12 Mb/s chip-ID: 13d3:3526
  Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 6 rev: 3.1 speed: 10 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C pch: 30.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 1900
Repos:
  Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 2588
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http: //mint.ipacct.com/packages vera main upstream import backport
    2: deb http: //ubuntu.mirrors.linux.ro/archive jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http: //ubuntu.mirrors.linux.ro/archive jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http: //ubuntu.mirrors.linux.ro/archive jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
  Processes: 235 Uptime: 6m Memory: 3.69 GiB used: 2.28 GiB (61.7%) Init: systemd v: 249
  runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.3.0 alt: 11 Client: Unknown python3.10 client inxi: 3.3.13

[Moem]

It sounds like you lost the Windows List applet or don't have one installed. Please check this post for how to add it (back): viewtopic.php?p=2225820#p2225820

[billyswong]

For another time how to get back a minimized window when the panel is broken, use Alt+Tab.

[keithw]

Thanks for the input - I installed Windows List from the Applets, and that works. No idea why it wasn't installed. A small point: as I described above, a minimised window, or windows, put a blue line under the icon of the particular application in the left panel (for example, if I had several File Manager windows open, then minimised them, a blue line appeared under the Files icon in the panel. (talking about Linux Mint 20.X). Hovering the mouse over that icon produced a thumbnail showing the windows concerned, and I could select the one I wanted to open. Installing WIndows List has not "repaired" this. When I minimise something now, I get an icon representing that window at the right side of the panel. Clicking this resurrects the window.
I can work with this, but curious to know why the 'underlining' doesn't work any more.

[billyswong]

Your expected behaviour come from "grouped window list", not "window list".

One of the ways to reset Cinnamon panel is go to Menu > Welcome Screen > First Steps > Panel Layout > Modern.

[keithw]

Billyswong - many thanks for that input - it has sorted the problem properly. How do you learn all these tricks and peculiarities, because they don't seem to be documented anywhere?. I suppose I'm being a bit dogmatic, but I want to use the machine, not mess around with getting it running right (its one reason I switched to LM). My problem is that once its all going, I expect it to stay like that, and its a bit disconcerting when it doesn't.

Now I would like to know how it happened (on three different machines). It doesn't seem to be a corrupt installation iso - I verified the download, and it didn't show any problems. Maybe I should download it again, and re-install one of the machines and see if it happens again?

[billyswong]

No idea why. Your said you faced the same issue for 3 different machines while nobody except you have faced the same issue and complain here. So it is either your download is corrupted or your USB stick is broken or your installation procedure is jinxed.

[Moem]

nobody except you have faced the same issue and complain here.

Well, losing an applet from the panel does happen sometimes, and it can be the windows list applet... but it generally happens during usage, not directly after installation.

[billyswong]

Well, losing an applet from the panel does happen sometimes, and it can be the windows list applet... but it generally happens during usage, not directly after installation.

Oh yeah, I didn't express clear enough.

[keithw]

Hey Guys - why the argument? I had a problem, BillySwong produced an answer that fixed it - end of problem. I was simply asking if anyone had an idea why this could happen - I don't deny it could be a corrupt download (it checked OK), it could be a faulty USB stick - but it seems to work OK otherwise, or my installation is jinxed - or any one of thousands of other things. As a relative beginner, I am simply interested in how such a thing could happen. Also as a beginner, I want to learn more - so I asked how people learn to do what BillySwong suggested, since I can't find it documented anywhere.
I have many times seen sarcastic or unpleasant remarks on Forums directed at beginners who just want to learn - if documentation doesn't exist, or is hard to find, or out of date, we have to rely on the experts, which is what I did, and I am grateful for their help.

[billyswong]

Hi Keith, it is just healthy discussion, not emotional arguments. We all learn from healthy discussion.

About where do one know those "undocumented" stuff... well, one accumulate experience and knowledge from all the seemingly unrelated information, then consolidate and analyse them. Setting panel layout through welcome screen was introduced in Mint 19.1 https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_tessa_cin ... atsnew.php Then people came to find out setting the panel layout there will remove panel layout customization, effectively perform a panel layout reset. So it become a compensation for the lack of panel reset in Cinnamon. (In Mate, I can right click on a panel > Reset All Panels)

[Moem]

There's no argument, just a conversation.