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#1 2018-12-13 15:12:43

Yoru
Member
Registered: 2018-12-08
Posts: 2

Stop desktop Icons rearranging or migrating to the left

Hi all,

My first post in the forum.

I assume this one is an xfce issue, although apparently the phenomenon has been known about by others for several years. But it has still not been resolved, or identified where it might be occurring. It is know that it occurs on both Linux Lite and Mint distros.

Until now, I have been using Linux Lite on Netbooks, where it has been used almost as fresh installs, with very few additional applications, and have had no desktop Icon problems.

However, I am now migrating from Windows 7 to Linux Lite 4.2, as my main PC. Which means it has become populated with many more applications and desktop Icons, ranging from very simple single file Windows executables running under Wine, to complicated Windows applications such as Winamp using their installer programs, to Virtualbox supporting many guests, such as Windows 3.1, Windows 98 and other operating systems, in addition to what is now a couple of dozen native Linux applications. All of which now have their desktop Icon.

Whilst much of all this is now working well, and Linux looks as if it will be a good replacement for Windows 7 main machine, at some point during the increasing desktop complexity, the Icons started migrating to the left had side, without any user actions.

There does not seem to be any pattern to what type of Icons move, or how many move at the start of each session. Until at this point, all but one have migrated and arranged on the left side, with the total now being 30.

It also makes no difference if the Desktop folder is made read only, with padlocks on the Icons. They will still be seen to have moved to the left side, at the start of a session. But does not seem to be predictable when and how many Icons move each time.

Which is probable why it has not yet been resolved.

The trouble is that it is impossible to organise the desktop, and its more than likely that it will put many new users off at an early stage, and create a bad experience, of what should be a great alternative to Microsoft Windows.

Does anyone have any idea what or where the problem might be?

Thank You

Using Linux Lite 4.2 (64bit), with xfce4
Display BENQ GL2580 (1920x1080)
On mini-itx ASUS E2KM1I-Delux motherboard, 16GB ram

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#2 2018-12-14 01:06:11

ToZ
Administrator
From: Canada
Registered: 2011-06-02
Posts: 10,948

Re: Stop desktop Icons rearranging or migrating to the left

Hello and welcome.

Yoru wrote:

Does anyone have any idea what or where the problem might be?

xfdesktop is designed so that icon placement is done starting the top left corner, working down and then across with the framework of a grid. The grid takes into account the panel dimensions. Note that it does not use a placement model like Windows.

In a nutshell, the changing icon positions is a result of the interaction between xfdesktop and xfe4-panel and the changing available dimensions based on xfdesktop load times, axfce4-panel load times and changing dimensions (actually a little more complicated, but that is the gist of the issue). You can see these many dimension config files in ~/.config/xfce4/desktop.

Here is a detailed bug report about the issue.

One of our members, has written a script that attempts to workaround this problem. There have also been other workarounds.

The real fix to this problem is to re-code xfdesktop so that it uses a placement model instead. Work is pending a volunteer.


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#3 2018-12-15 16:24:53

Yoru
Member
Registered: 2018-12-08
Posts: 2

Re: Stop desktop Icons rearranging or migrating to the left

ToZ,

Thanks for the response.

I can see it's not a trivial problem, and I greatly appreciate all the good work that yourself and others put into the design and support of these fundamental packages.

But IMHO 4 years without resolution to such a basic and significant problem will of had its consequence to the uptake rate of Xfce, and undoubtedly will be influencing distro future development under pressure from their users.

I did start to do a simple fix, along the lines that others have done, by just storing away the ~/.config/xfce4/desktop folder, by using a command in the ~.bash_logout folder, and then say another command to restore in the ~.bash_profile.

However, after the machine being up and running for more than 48 hours, I first just tried xfdesktop -R at a command prompt, and result was it cleared the desktop and placed the Icons. But two of those desktop Icons had moved to the left side.

It seems xfdesktop -R   does much more in it's Reload all Settings command than just the reloading of Icons.

Perhaps as an interim, it might help if an additional Application option was added to xfdesktop. One that just reloads the Icons from the ~/.config/xfce4/desktop folder, and assumes no other changes. It could then be used in the simple approach above, whilst also allowing Icons to be added and moved as usual by the user.

Incidently, even Windows has the occasional problem with Icons, and has a repair procedure.

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#4 2018-12-21 01:47:41

Misko_2083
Member
Registered: 2015-10-13
Posts: 191
Website

Re: Stop desktop Icons rearranging or migrating to the left

I've got a couple of emails a few day ago from bugzilla.
Dev was able to reproduce the bug. Icons reset when the panel is resized and then logout/login is made right after that.
He hopes to find some time to work on the solution.
Fingers crossed.


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