LXPanel random missing icons

The standard panel of LXDE - http://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXPanel
peebee
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:24 pm

LXPanel random missing icons

Post by peebee »

I have 2 panels - the top one just has an "Application Launch Bar" with 12 apps in it.....

Most times the panel starts up with some apps/icons missing - seemingly randomly but the bigger apps (e.g. Chromium & Thunderbird) are the most likely to be missing.

I have to do repeated calls to:
lxpanelctl restart
and eventually all apps/icons appear.

Questions:
1. Anybody know what causes this behaviour?
2. What checks is LXPanel running to decide that an icon cannot be displayed?
3. Is there a record of which icons opened successfully and which could not be opened?
4. Is there a test I can do to ensure that all apps are ready to be displayed?

Many thanks
drooly
Posts: 791
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:45 am

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by drooly »

Please try to start lxpanel from the command line.
Then please show us the configuration file (in my case it would be ~/.config/lxpanel/default/panles/panel).
Then please tell us where the .desktop files in the launchbar section are located. Is it possible they're on a slow (external) hard drive that isn't yet present when you start lxpanel?
peebee
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:24 pm

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by peebee »

drooly wrote: Sun May 01, 2022 5:42 pm Please try to start lxpanel from the command line.
Then please show us the configuration file (in my case it would be ~/.config/lxpanel/default/panles/panel).
Then please tell us where the .desktop files in the launchbar section are located. Is it possible they're on a slow (external) hard drive that isn't yet present when you start lxpanel?
Sorry - only just seen your reply......

This is LXDE on Puppy Linux so all .desktop files are in ram.

If I start lxpanel from the terminal I do see some:
** (lxpanel:25639): WARNING **: 09:52:49.093: launchbar: desktop entry does not exist

The contents of the config file are:

Code: Select all

# lxpanel <profile> config file. Manually editing is not recommended.
# Use preference dialog in lxpanel to adjust config when you can.

Global {
  edge=top
  allign=center
  margin=0
  widthtype=percent
  width=36
  height=42
  transparent=1
  tintcolor=#1406a4
  alpha=0
  autohide=1
  heightwhenhidden=0
  setdocktype=1
  setpartialstrut=0
  usefontcolor=0
  fontsize=10
  fontcolor=#000000
  usefontsize=0
  background=0
  backgroundfile=/usr/share/lxpanelx/images/background.png
  iconsize=36
  loglevel=2
  align=center
  monitor=-1
}
Plugin {
  type=space
  Config {
    Size=2
  }
  expand=1
}
Plugin {
  type=launchbar
  Config {
    Button {
      id=thunderbird.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=defaultbrowser.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=pcmanfm.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=ROX-Filer-file-manager.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=lxterminal.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=geany.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=libreoffice-startcenter.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=galculator.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=Wizard-Wizard.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=Change_appearance.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=puppyhelp.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=session.desktop
    }
  }
}
Plugin {
  type=space
  Config {
    Size=2
  }
  expand=1
}
drooly
Posts: 791
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:45 am

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by drooly »

peebee wrote: Sat May 28, 2022 9:01 am If I start lxpanel from the terminal I do see some:
** (lxpanel:25639): WARNING **: 09:52:49.093: launchbar: desktop entry does not exist
And it doesn't say which one :(

Code: Select all

Plugin {
  type=launchbar
  Config {
    Button {
      id=thunderbird.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=defaultbrowser.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=pcmanfm.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=ROX-Filer-file-manager.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=lxterminal.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=geany.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=libreoffice-startcenter.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=galculator.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=Wizard-Wizard.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=Change_appearance.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=puppyhelp.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=session.desktop
    }
  }
}
This is all there is to it.
Each of this .desktop files should be found in either /usr/share/applications or in $XDG_DATA_HOME/applications.
XDG_DATA_HOME usually defaults to $HOME/.local/share.
Apparently it cannot find these files.
Again: is one of those two locations inaccessible for some reason? Like a slow external hard drive maybe? This could be Puppy-specific...
peebee
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:24 pm

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by peebee »

Hi @drooly

All .desktops are in /usr/share/applications and all are in ram.....

I don't think its a "slow startup" problem because various icons appear and disappear at random each time
lxpanelctl restart
is run.

It's very perplexing!!!

I'll maybe try to record a video to show the phenomenon....
peebee
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:24 pm

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by peebee »

Here is a video - watch the top panel as a number of
lxpanelctl restart
are done

lxpanel-290522.mp4 1.3MB
User avatar
justinsb
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:37 am

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by justinsb »

I have exactly the same problems as @peebee demonstrated in the video. Freshly installed Arch running LXDE. I have an extra panel on the left, with an Application Launch Bar containing 3 icons. At the moment, because I am testing new hardware I literally only have gedit, SecureCRT, Qterminal and Firefox installed on my system - and my icons come and go just like @peebee

If I run lxpanelctl restart from a command line, I get different icons each time. I get no errors or mesages. After a few restarts, finally I will get the 3 icons that I'm supposed to have. My Arch is installed on a Samsung SSD on an EFI booting i7 system with 32Gb of RAM. All Desktop files are as installed, and are located in /usr/share/applications - so it definitely isn't a slow disk startup or missing files.

This is the config of my Left hand panel. As you can see, it's about as standard as you can get.

Code: Select all

# lxpanel <profile> config file. Manually editing is not recommended.
# Use preference dialog in lxpanel to adjust config when you can.

Global {
  edge=left
  monitor=0
  height=24
  width=95
}
Plugin {
  type=launchbar
  Config {
    Button {
      id=org.gnome.gedit.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=qterminal.desktop
    }
    Button {
      id=SecureCRT.desktop
    }
  }
}
peebee
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:24 pm

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by peebee »

justinsb wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:13 am I have exactly the same problems as @peebee demonstrated in the video.
Many thanks @justinsb - pleased to have confirmation from somebody else that it is a real problem...... was beginning to think it only affected my setup.

It does appear to only affect the 2nd panel - I don't have any similar problems with the bottom main panel......

Should it be reported somewhere else as well as the forum? If so where? or has all LXDE development now stopped (which would be a shame)?

Cheers!
peebee
User avatar
justinsb
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:37 am

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by justinsb »

@peebee Yes, it only happens on my 2nd panel too - exactly the same. You are not alone & this bug has been independently corroborated & duplicated. I'll have a look to see where it can be reported & post it back here if/when I find something. Fingers crossed...
User avatar
justinsb
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:37 am

Re: LXPanel random missing icons

Post by justinsb »

I added my symptoms to the bug report that you posted to the LXPanel issues page on April 30th at https://github.com/lxde/lxpanel/issues/43
Let's hope that someone follows it up...!
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