Hi I just installed linux Mint 9 and having problems with the system tray icons. Im missing the netowork manager icon, mintupdate icon and more. They are checked in the startup applications and I dont get them until i run manually for example nm-applet etc. Its like many of the startup applications are not running. But i do have for example a network connection even if i dont see the applet icon. Any ideas?

The gnome-panel or system tray as you call it does not show the start-up applications, it shows the network icon by default though. Try this;
open a terminal and type:

$ sudo killall nm-applet (from ubuntu forums)
then
$ nm-applet &

Hopefully, you will get the icon back when you reboot again.
For any other application icon that you want to add, right click on the panel and select "Add to Panel">>"Application Launcher"and go crazy if you want to but i suggest you choose only those apps that you need on a regular basis.
Here's a screenshot of mine.

Attached Images

Screenshot.png (23.1 KB, 6 views)

Hi and thanx for the replay. I know not all startup applications show on the gnome panel but some are supposed to by default, for example volume control, network, mintupdate. And they do when i start the programs. Ive used Mint for a long time but just installed mint 9. Those icons were there at startup on every other mint 9 install ive seen and they are supposed show up there when they get autostarted. Another one is dropbox, it is marked to startup at boot, but the icon doesnt show unless i manually start it. I have mint 9 on another computer where i do not have this problem.

And by the way, when i run:

$sudo killall nm-applet

it says no process is running,

$nm-applet &

just starts the applet for the session and does not come back when i reeboot.

Im starting to think I have to reinstall, which is a shame as i have used the last few days to set up my system.

No need to reinstall. Just create the file /etc/xdg/autostart/nm-applet.desktop as follows and restart GNOME

This is a little embarassing..... ehh I seem to have been running Gnome in failsaife mode the whole time, I just noticed on the login screen. Changed it back and everything is running normal sorry. Thanx for your help.