Hello,

I upgraded to Slackware 14.2 from Slackware 14.1.

I am using XfCE as main desktop.

And after the upgrade every time i login the icons on the desktop get a new different place on the desktop.

I already tried to chattr +i to the directory ~/.config/xfce4/desktop and the only file which is within this directory. But this doesn´t seem to solve the problem.

Thanks for hints on that.

might need to rename xfce4 configs then logout and back in, maybe old configs are messing it up.

A common problem. A well known bug with XFCE.
If you have lots of icons then this problem shows up. Only 5 or less icons and it will not happen. Clear the clutter and the problem will go away

I have dozens of icons on my Xfce desktop, and I don't have this problem. Here's what you can do to start fresh:

Logout, start with the default configuration and tweak Xfce as you wish.

Cheers,

Niki

... so... every upgrade requires an individual to wipe config and start all over in configuring their desktop? How is this a good thing? Not trying to bash but it is really frustrating to read things like this. Especially if you spend hours tweaking your desktop to a particular look and feel. I take it from an earlier post this is an XFCE bug?

That's a bit broad spectrum for an XFCE desktop icon problem! (Obviously that rm command will nuke the configuration for all programs that store their settings in ~/.config -- which might be very annoying for someone, depending on the situation).

1 members found this post helpful.

Over the years I have found that when I have close to two columns of icons this problem shows up. If I clean up to one column the problem goes away. I tried it again and again and that is what happens. I tried deleting the files in ~/.config/xfce4/desktop/ and the effect didn't last for very long. Save one more icon and the mess is back. Move some of them into another location and things settle down.

Try it yourself and see. This is an oft reported bug with XFCE. I am highly sceptical of someone who says they have a desktop load of icons and don't have a problem because Google is full of responses to a search about this and no solutions are to be had

i would suggest a less radical

and start by selectively copying the old content back to the new empty one?

;B-]

2 members found this post helpful.

Thanks for the hints.

I have been trying the "radical" way and removed all of the xfce4 config and reordered the desktop icons logged out and in again and they changed their position again - so removing the config(s) didn´t help.

I tried to delete all desktop icons just keeping enough for one column, changed their position logged out and in again and they all get mixed up again - so unfortunately didn´t help either.

The strange thing is that under Slackware 14.1 with XFCE 4.10 i had no problem at all, even with a completely new installed Slackware 14.2 and XFCE 4.12 (on another machine) the desktop icons mix up every login...

One more idea: When logging out of Xfce, uncheck "save session for future logins" once you position everything to your liking. I've found that leaving that check box checked can create unstable desktop behaviour in my system after version upgrades - its been that way since 4.4. You can mitigate the issue by starting clean on each upgrade.

The whole desktop menu and icon thing is quirky to from inconsistent standards for .desktop and xml.

1 members found this post helpful.

FWIW: I turned icons off altogether on desktop.
All I need i put on the launcher(s) on the panel.
XFCE has great options for launchers and reasonably easy to fathom?

1 members found this post helpful.

Delete the files in ~/.config/xfce4/desktop/
XFCE will make a new file upon using your right mouse button on the desktop to "arrange desktop icons".
This will settle things down for a little while but not permanently. As soon as you rename an icon or change the number of icons on the desktop things will get wild again

1 members found this post helpful.

Yes, thanks, either deleting and (re)-"arrange desktop icons" or uncheck "save session for future logins" did the trick :-)

Everything´s find now. Still wonder a bit what got messed up from Slackware 14.1 (Xfce 4.10) to 14.2 (Xfce 4.12) :-)

tz