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View Full Version : [ubuntu] Desktop task bar is screwy... How and why?



SandWrrm
September 8th, 2010, 05:53 PM
I have an HP pavilion, Windows 7 laptop that I dual-booted with Lucid a couple months ago. So far all is well, aside from the fact that every once in a while, the upper taskbar on my desktop freaks out. Usually, a black "break" looking box-thing appears in front of the internet icon, and right now it also morphed the power icon with my profile icon (I think that's what it is, anyway...) so that I can't see the power icon. Here's a screenshot, if it helps:
file:///tmp/moz-screenshot.png168870

I don't know how to make it go away, much less make it stop forever.

randallecook
September 8th, 2010, 08:02 PM
The same thing is happening on my system, at this very moment. Basically certain upper taskbar/panel items on the right side are duplicated in the space to the right, where another item used to be. Consequently, the menu I use to choose shutdown has been replaced with another copy of the menu with IM status options. I also have two copies of the date/time/calendar item. Not good.

I run Ubuntu 10.04 both at home and at work, and it has occurred in both places. It started about 2-3 months ago. Sometimes it happens when I start up, sometimes things are normal. I always install all the updates. Both systems have been upgraded from earlier Ubuntu versions.

To work around this problem, I have resorted to four things:

1. Hit the power button on the computer itself and choose shutdown in the dialog box that appears.

2. Add "Indicator Applet Session" to the panel to get a new shutdown menu to appear.

3. Run 'gnome-session-save --shutdown-dialog' from a terminal window.

4. I tried deleting what I guessed to be relevant "dotfiles" from my home directory (basically anything having to do with gnome). These are files and folders that start with a period and contains settings. This helped a little, but it still happens.

The cause is clearly a bug in gnome. Hopefully someone can provide some advice to clear this up, or else escalate the issue so it gets investigated and solved. I would hate to have to reinstall Ubuntu just to fix a GUI glitch.

Randall

DrMelon
September 8th, 2010, 08:04 PM
A quick temporary fix for me is to right click on the bar in question, choose properties, and then show the hide arrows. Then, hide them again.

randallecook
September 8th, 2010, 08:14 PM
DrMelon,

That did the trick! The panel redrew itself properly and all is well. Thanks for the tip!

Randall

SandWrrm
September 8th, 2010, 08:25 PM
Thanks guys! That fixed it right up. I still wish I knew what was happening to it, but at least I can make it go away now .