Xfce Forum

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Guys,
I've been using XFCE for years now, and I've never seen this problem before.
Now it's been a few weeks (probably since the last update of xfdesktop or thunar) and I just can't use the F2 on my keyboard anymore...

PROBLEM:
I want to rename a file on my desktop.  Any file.
I'm used to press the F2 key on my keyboard (after highlighting the desired file) to rename the file.
I get an error message in a popup:

To make sure the error message gets indexed by search engines, let's re-type it here:

Rename Error
The files could not be renamed
None of the icons selected support being renamed.

This problem occurs ONLY for files on the desktop.  If I select a file on the desktop, and right-click on it, then RENAME, it works!
But I want to use the F2 on my keyboard because I'm used to it 

If I use Thunar to browse folders and I choose any file in any folder, I can press F2 on my keyboard to rename the file.
If I browse the Desktop folder FROM Thunar, I can also rename any file!

Note:
I'm on a desktop, not on a laptop.  The F2 key itself works, because when I press on it, I get the error message.

thunar --version
thunar 4.20.2 (Xfce 4.20)

xfdesktop --version
This is xfdesktop version 4.20.1, running on Xfce 4.20.
Built with GTK+ 3.24.48, linked with GTK+ 3.24.49.
Build options:
    Desktop Menu:         enabled
    Desktop Icons:         enabled
    Desktop File Icons:   enabled

Last edited by lazygeek (2025-04-14 14:32:52)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 746

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

I had to enable icons on the desktop to test, not something I normally have, but it works as it should. I would check your desktop settings. Not sure what would change it.

---

I AM CANADIAN!
Siduction
Debian Sid
Xfce 4.20 with Wayland/Labwc

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Thank you eriefisher!

But I already had desktop icons activated... I tried de-activating them: same problem.
I also tried re-activating them: same problem.

I wonder what @ToZ would think about this?

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Do you have write access to the files on your desktop?

ls -l $HOME | grep Desktop
ls -l $HOME/Desktop

Also, run lsattr on one of the files on the desktop that you want to rename:

lsattr $HOME/Desktop/FILE

...replace FILE with a filename.

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Hi ToZ 

Yes I do have write access to each of the files on my desktop.
The ls commands that you suggested prove it, but not only that, if I right-click on any of these files, the rename function works!
It's weird heh?
The RENAME function from the right-click works, but F2 doesn't...  And only for the files on the desktop!

lsattr for any file on the desktop returns this:

--------------e-------

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

What is the output of:

cat ~/.config/Thunar/accels.scm | grep -i rename

...and:

ps -ef | grep -i desktop

Also, can you try this use case? First:

 touch ~/Desktop/test.txt

...and the test.txt file should appear on your desktop. Then left-click once to select and press F2. What happens?

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

cat ~/.config/Thunar/accels.scm | grep -i rename
; (gtk_accel_path "<Actions>/ThunarStandardView/rename" "F2")

ps -ef | grep -i desktop
lazygeek        1527    1081  0 09:12 ?        00:01:07 xfdesktop
lazygeek        1810    1068  0 09:12 ?        00:00:00 /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal
lazygeek        1858    1068  0 09:12 ?        00:00:01 /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal-gtk
lazygeek        6229       1  0 09:12 ?        00:05:29 /usr/bin/telegram-desktop -many -- %u
lazygeek     3699212    2561  0 19:31 pts/4    00:00:00 grep -i desktop

Note: When I click on the new file test.txt, then press F2 on the keyboard, the same error msg appears (see above).
Right-clicking on it, and "Rename..." is working fine though

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Can you try killing the two xdg-desktop-portal processes and try again?

Which distro is this?

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

I'm on Archlinux.  I should have said it before   

I killed the two processes, and now:

ps -ef | grep -i desktop
lazygeek        1527    1081  0 09:12 ?        00:01:12 xfdesktop
lazygeek        6229       1  0 09:12 ?        00:05:37 /usr/bin/telegram-desktop -many -- %u
lazygeek     3928015    2561  0 20:09 pts/4    00:00:00 grep -i desktop

Hitting the F2 key on any desktop file yields the same previous results: The error message in a popup.
I also tried hitting F5 to force-refresh the files on the desktop, but F2 is behaving the same way.

ToZ:  Have you ever seen this before?

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

No, I can't replicate this. I also use Arch.

Can you show:

ls -al

...of a problem file?

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Arch is great!   

ls -al screenshot1.png 
-rw-r--r-- 1 lazygeek lazygeek 143K Mar 31 17:14 screenshot1.png

User has R/W access, but the group (same name) only has READ access..
I tried:

chmod 644 screenshot1.png 
ls -al screenshot1.png 
-rw-rw--r-- 1 lazygeek lazygeek 143K Mar 31 17:14 screenshot1.png

Same results   

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Try running xfdesktop in debug mode:

xfdesktop -Q
xfdesktop -e

...and performing the same steps. What gets posted to the terminal window when you press F2?

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Hey ToZ,
thanks for all the suggestions...

When I restart xfdesktop in debug mode, nothing shows up in the logs (at least, nothing significant)!
The reason is, the F2 key is working fine all of a sudden (I can rename the desktop file!) after a restart of xfdesktop.

So this is a bit weird...
Most of the time, after a clean boot, the F2 key doesn't work (popup message appears).
After I restart xfdesktop, now the F2 key is working fine!

I've been testing this a couple of times...  I tried logging out and back in, same results...
The F2 key works only after a restart of xfdesktop!

Last edited by lazygeek (2025-04-16 03:13:06)

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Do you have an ~/.xsession-errors log file? If so, can you share it?

Otherwise:

journalctl --user -b 0 --no-pager

Possibly a race condition of some sort?

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Hello @ToZ,
sorry for the late reply.

I wanted to test this again (after a few reboots) to see how it would react.
As mentioned earlier, after a clean boot, sometimes the F2 works.  Sometimes it doesn't.
(I guess it's due to a race condition, yes!)

But I've also noticed something:  If the F2 key is fine after a clean boot, after a few hours, then it's no longer working (annoying error msg in a popup comes haunting me again).
What happened from the time I booted my computer, to the time where it no longer works?
I think it's when the computer gets suspended after a while.  Then I need to enter my password to unlock the computer, and it's at this moment I realize, the F2 key doesn't work anymore.  It's possible that the screensaver - or maybe the suspending mode - has something to do with this... Let's see..

I do have an ~/.xsession-errors log file.  So for now the F2 works, but as soon as it's "dead" again, I will post the two log files as you requested.

lazygeek

Member

Registered: 2021-01-11

Posts: 16

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Hi @ToZ!
After a few days of testing this issue, I can tell I still have this annoying problem 

Here's the thing:
When I just booted my computer and the issue is there right after opening my XFCE session, I can't check the logs for xfdesktop.
I need to enter the two commands as you suggested:

xfdesktop -Q
xfdesktop -e

But by doing so, the issue no longer reproduces itself, as xfdesktop has just been restarted.

So it's like a chicken n' egg problem:
Either I have the issue, but with no accessible logs for xfdesktop...
OR I have access to the logs, but the issue is no longer there.

Is there any way we could edit a file somewhere - to have xfdesktop start in debug mode right after opening my XFCE session?
Also, can we save those logs in a separate .log file somewhere, for easy access?

This way, after a fresh boot, I could easily:

tail -f /path/to/xfdesktop.log

and see what's going on when trying to rename via the F2 key.

Added later 09 min 30 s:
To add to the weirdness,
here are some new infos...

I have 6 monitors, on a 3x2 setup.
3 monitors on top, 3 on bottom.

Most of my icons are visible on the top-left monitor, because that's where they are placed once these files are created.
After a fresh boot, I just take a random icon and try to rename it:  95% of the time, it won't work: the popup appears with the error message.

But hey, I also have icons on the bottom-left monitor... But I can rename those icons using the F2 key!

Now check this out:
I grab a random icon from the top-left monitor (one file that just can't be renamed via the F2 key), and I move it down, to the bottom-left monitor.
From there, I can rename the file via the F2 key!

If I try to move the icon on each monitor, here's what happens if I hit the F2 key on it:

• Monitor 1 (top left): Can't rename
  Monitor 2 (top center): Can't rename
  Monitor 3 (top right): ok!
  Monitor 4 (bottom left): ok!
  Monitor 5 (bottom center): ok!
  Monitor 6 (bottom right): Can't rename

I don't understand what's going on 

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,016

Re: F2 (rename) doesn't work for files on Desktop

Interesting. It might be a good time to create a bug report.

---

Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
--- How To Ask For Help | FAQ | Developer Wiki  |  Community | Contribute ---