Xfce Forum

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

Not being too bright when it comes to both xfce and Devuan I apologize if this more a Devuan than an XFCE issue:

I use empty launchers as invisible spacers, their default plain square icons used to be invisible (unless moused-over).

Having just upgraded my Devuan system to Chimaera I see that all the earlier invisible panel icons that were the default for Launchers with nothing in them have been changed to a kde-ish cogwheel icon that is NOT invisible.

I now have to create as many dummy launchers called MT with ls as the command and associate them with an icon of my own that is empty transparency to make them invisible.  There's gotta be a better way...  where is this new default icon to be found? I want to change it to an invisible image. 

TIA

KBar

Member

Registered: 2021-11-05

Posts: 689

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

That's probably an icon theming issue. First thing we need to do is to ascertain which GTK theme is being used.

1. From within the graphical interface: launch the Appearance dialog and switch to the Icons tab. The highlighted item in the list is your current icon theme.

2. From within the shell: run

   xfconf-query --channel xsettings --property /Net/IconThemeName

For each icon theme, there is a subdirectory in /usr/share/icons.

As for determining the name of the icon being used, you're going to need GtkInspector. That's the only way that I know.

Or, you can try your luck and search for this file name in the icons directory: "image-missing". At least, that's what Xubuntu uses for empty launchers. This is what that icon looks like with 48px.

To find the icon:

1. [*}from within the graphical interface: head over to /usr/share/icons, right-click inside, select Find in this folder, and type in its name.

2. from within the shell: run find

   find /usr/share/icons -type f -name 'image-missing.*'

---

Remember to edit the subject of your topic to include the [SOLVED] tag once you're satisfied with the answers or have found a solution (in which case, don't forget to share it as well), so that other members of the community can quickly refer to it and save their time. Pretty please!

peter.48

Member

From: France, sud-ouest

Registered: 2017-01-31

Posts: 152

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

I use empty launchers as invisible spacers

And why don't you simply use expanded and transparent separators?

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

That's probably an icon theming issue. First thing we need to do is to ascertain which GTK theme is being used.

1. From within the graphical interface: launch the Appearance dialog and switch to the Icons tab. The highlighted item in the list is your current icon theme.

2. From within the shell: run

   xfconf-query --channel xsettings --property /Net/IconThemeName

For each icon theme, there is a subdirectory in /usr/share/icons.

As for determining the name of the icon being used, you're going to need GtkInspector. That's the only way that I know.

Or, you can try your luck and search for this file name in the icons directory: "image-missing". At least, that's what Xubuntu uses for empty launchers. This is what that icon looks like with 48px.

To find the icon:

1. [*}from within the graphical interface: head over to /usr/share/icons, right-click inside, select Find in this folder, and type in its name.

2. from within the shell: run find

   find /usr/share/icons -type f -name 'image-missing.*'

Thanks very much for the detailed response, it's much appreciated.

I had Oxygen in use but I had probably gone to it subsequent in an effort to TS.  So I clicked up a new Launcher to the panel and the subject cogwheel- icon appeared (all the others I had already replaced with my own tansparent non-icon).

I went through that folder tree and found only one that vaguely resembles the subject icon without being "it". 

So, while I have no solution the workaround is effective.

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

I use empty launchers as invisible spacers

And why don't you simply use expanded and transparent separators?

They don't give me blank space (no lines, dots or handles), or I don't know how to turn them into blank space  :-)

My workaround works quite well but it was a clickathon setting it up on 2 machines.

peter.48

Member

From: France, sud-ouest

Registered: 2017-01-31

Posts: 152

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

panel preferences-->items tab-->separator-->edit, and here you have only "style" (transparent, separator, handles, dots) and "expand" or not. Then it's just a matter of playing with the number of separators if you want "free" spaces of different widths:

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

panel preferences-->items tab-->separator-->edit, and here you have only "style" (transparent, separator, handles, dots) and "expand" or not. Then it's just a matter of playing with the number of separators if you want "free" spaces of different widths:

https://i.postimg.cc/rKCvHwFV/panel-separadores.png

I tried that already but didn't notice the invisible option.
It gives me an expanded checkbox which results in almost
no separation (if unchecked) or the equivalent of two icon
areas  (if checked). What I'm looking for is complete control
of everything in every panel, we're not there yet, but I like to
get as close to it as possible. For now blank launcher icons
fill the bill  ..ideally I would like separators that can be set to
X% of panel length or of icon size or visually sized somewhat
like in kde.

KBar

Member

Registered: 2021-11-05

Posts: 689

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

Pixel-resizing is not available at the time but what you can do is add as many of them as you deem necessary to fill up only the required space. If I recall correctly they have a width of 6 pixels.

Also, select Transparent from the drop-down to make them invisible. There is Expand, too, but that will fill all free space, which you don't want if I understand.

Last edited by KBar (2022-01-11 04:00:02)

---

Remember to edit the subject of your topic to include the [SOLVED] tag once you're satisfied with the answers or have found a solution (in which case, don't forget to share it as well), so that other members of the community can quickly refer to it and save their time. Pretty please!

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

Pixel-resizing is not available at the time but what you can do is add as many of them as you deem necessary to fill up only the required space. If I recall correctly they have a width of 6 pixels.

Also, select Transparent from the drop-down to make them invisible. There is Expand, too, but that will fill all free space, which you don't want if I understand.

thanks buddy,

<turn redder than a tomato>I didn't think of that one </turn redder than a tomato>

Seeing that I use two Deskbars with (mostly) dual columns each, the combination of spacers and empty icons lets me slide groups to where I want them and also to set any left/right 'loners' at will.

peter.48

Member

From: France, sud-ouest

Registered: 2017-01-31

Posts: 152

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

I tried that already but didn't notice the invisible option.
It gives me an expanded checkbox which results in almost
no separation (if unchecked) or the equivalent of two icon
areas  (if checked). What I'm looking for is complete control
of everything in every panel, we're not there yet, but I like to
get as close to it as possible. For now blank launcher icons
fill the bill  ..ideally I would like separators that can be set to
X% of panel length or of icon size or visually sized somewhat
like in kde.

As I have written and shown in the printscreen, you can do whatever you want - you just have to play with the number of separators. Show me what you want and I'll tell you how to do it (or describe it in detail)...

badsector

Member

Registered: 2014-08-28

Posts: 24

Re: Default (empty) Launcher (non)icons?

I tried that already but didn't notice the invisible option.
It gives me an expanded checkbox which results in almost
no separation (if unchecked) or the equivalent of two icon
areas  (if checked). What I'm looking for is complete control
of everything in every panel, we're not there yet, but I like to
get as close to it as possible. For now blank launcher icons
fill the bill  ..ideally I would like separators that can be set to
X% of panel length or of icon size or visually sized somewhat
like in kde.

As I have written and shown in the printscreen, you can do whatever you want - you just have to play with the number of separators. Show me what you want and I'll tell you how to do it (or describe it in detail)...

https://i.postimg.cc/r0mDy45V/panel-x.png

That's very kind of you, am I to take that as an offer with respect to
just spacers or for XFCE at large?  :-)

I'm setting up to run 5 distros, one for every weekday, three with Plasma
and two of them with XFCE and I *will* have other issues to tweak soon
enough. First and foremost I'm trying to have very similar deskbars so as
not to get too lost in the confusion.