Missing desktop icons

horrido · 2019-01-05 15:27:47

I'm running Ubuntu Server 18.04.1 LTS in a VPS (from OVH). I've installed Xfce4 using the following command:

sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

I notice that nearly all of the desktop icons are missing. They're missing in the File Manager. They're missing in the top-level Applications menu (oddly, they're not missing in the submenus). On the desktop, I do see the icons for Trash, File System, and Home.

In the dock, the icons are missing for Terminal Emulator and Web Browser, but not for "Minimize all open windows and show the desktop" and File Manager.

What the devil is going on???

ToZ · 2019-01-05 16:56:46

Hello and welcome.

Which icon theme are you using?

xfconf-query -c xsettings -p /Net/IconThemeName

...and which icon themes have you installed? You should have gnome-icon-theme and tango-icon-theme installed at a minimum.

Also check your ~/.xsession-errors log file - there might be some useful information in there.

horrido · 2019-01-05 17:27:11

Apparently, the theme is "elementary-xfce-dark".

The log file is very long and I have no idea how to interpret it. If it helps, here are some lines:

(xfdesktop:1211): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.823: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfce4-session:1192): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.824: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(Thunar:1209): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.831: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(Thunar:1209): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.832: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfdesktop:1211): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.833: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfce4-session:1192): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.848: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
Xlib: extension "RANDR" missing on display ":1.0".

(Thunar:1209): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.871: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfdesktop:1211): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.872: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfce4-session:1192): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.886: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(migrate:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.909: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(migrate:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.910: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(migrate:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.943: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(migrate:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:16.944: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: The display does not support the XRender extension.

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: The display does not support the XRandr extension.

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: The display does not support the XComposite extension.

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: The display does not support the XDamage extension.

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: The display does not support the XFixes extension.

(xfwm4:1203): xfwm4-WARNING **: 12:56:17.029: Compositing manager disabled.

(xfwm4:1203): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:17.041: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfwm4:1203): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:17.047: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfwm4:1203): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:17.048: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfwm4:1203): Gtk-WARNING **: 12:56:17.049: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

(xfwm4:1203): GLib-CRITICAL **: 12:56:17.073: g_str_has_prefix: assertion 'prefix != NULL' failed

ToZ · 2019-01-05 18:51:11

Is the elementary-xfce theme installed?

Also, install gtk2-engines-pixbuf to get rid of those messages. It might also clean up the icon issue,

horrido · 2019-01-05 23:00:27

I'm new to Linux and Xfce4. How does one install this theme?

I would've thought that installing Xfce4 would pull in everything I need. Why is elementary-xfce lingering around without being installed???

ToZ · 2019-01-05 23:14:11

horrido wrote:

I'm new to Linux and Xfce4. How does one install this theme?

Here is the Ubuntu wiki article about package management. Themes are usually available as packages.

To install the missing icon themes from the terminal:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-icon-theme gnome-icon-theme tango-icon-theme

To fix the error message:

sudo apt-get install gtk2-engines-pixbuf

I would've thought that installing Xfce4 would pull in everything I need. Why is elementary-xfce lingering around without being installed???

Probably best to ask the distro makers themselves.

horrido · 2019-01-05 23:41:54

Still no joy. Ubuntu 18.04.1 may be broken. The Settings for Appearance fail to change anything at all. I will ask at the Ubuntu forum.

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#1 2019-01-05 15:27:47

Missing desktop icons

#2 2019-01-05 16:56:46

Re: Missing desktop icons

#3 2019-01-05 17:27:11

Re: Missing desktop icons

#4 2019-01-05 18:51:11

Re: Missing desktop icons

#5 2019-01-05 23:00:27

Re: Missing desktop icons

#6 2019-01-05 23:14:11

Re: Missing desktop icons

#7 2019-01-05 23:41:54

Re: Missing desktop icons

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