[lubuntu] Moving and locking position of desktop icons

[lonewolfLINUX]

Hi everybody!

I've installed Lubuntu 13.04 (LXDE) on a laptop ASUS A6VA-Q021H (http://notebookitalia.it/review-asus-a6va-q021h.html) with just one user, only me. That is normal installation.

Everything works fine, except one:
I would like to move and lock the position of my desktop icons wherever I want,
but everytime I do it with restart/logout/switch-user the all automatic align to the left of the screen!

I tried all the combinations of Stick to current position and Snap to grid options (visible on right-click menu)
and also I tried to move them one by one or in group, but with next restart/logout/switch-user they are auto-aligned again on the left.


Suggestions? Solutions? There is a kind of system file for icons positions in LXDE?

Thank you!

[toxicbreakfast]

Well, the system file is at ~/.config/pcmanfm/lubuntu/desktop-items-0.conf



[foo.desktop]
x=100
y=100

[bar.desktop]
x=200
y=200


etc.

[IbsUser]

Well, the system file is at ~/.config/pcmanfm/lubuntu/desktop-items-0.conf



[foo.desktop]
x=100
y=100

[bar.desktop]
x=200
y=200


etc.
Hi,

Comment #2 is correct. But I believe it's not necessary to change that file whenever you need to move icons.

In order to replicate, I did the same you did at comment #1 and it worked for me on my Lubuntu 13.04 32 bits. However, yes, sometimes after shutdown/reboot some of my icons changed place a little.

A friend at LXDE forum feels the same:
http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=36341&p=48376&hilit=desktop+icons#p48378

Would that be a bug on PCManFM?

Cheers!

[lonewolfLINUX]

Thank for the answer, I studied that file and I discovered that (http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=3094187&group_id=156956&atid=801864) "bug":


desktop-items-0.conf isn't writing changes when "Stick to Current Position" is unchecked.
The file is changed (updated) only when some icon is moved to a sticky position. If files are unsticked, no changes are made to desktop-items-0.conf

Expected behaviour would be to delete the information for the icon in desktop-items-0.conf when uchecking "Stick to Current Position".

It is dated 2010!

And my problem persists... that is, I observed that desktop-items-0.conf just maintains the positions of icons of the last time I moved them and I clicked on Stick to current position and Snap to grid.
When I reboot the icons are again on the left side and desktop-items-0.conf contains the correct positions I set before.

[lonewolfLINUX]

Another strange effect is the following.

When I reboot all icons are automatically realigned on the left side
and if I right click on every single icon, the option Stick to current position is unchecked.

If I drag and drop one of these icons somewhere on the desktop
and then I right click on it, now Stick to current position is checked! Also if I didn't checked it!

And if uncheck it the icon automatically moves and realigns itself on the left side!

[lonewolfLINUX]

I didn't resolve anything, anyway I report that I changed the permissions of the file running:

chmod 777 ~/.config/pcmanfm/lubuntu/desktop-items-0.conf

Then I deleted all the content of the file, I saved and closed it.
I dragged and dropped some of my icons on the desktop, than I reopened desktop-items-0.conf (before it was empty)
and now it contained the coordinates of the icons I moved.

I set the immutabiliy to that file with:

sudo chattr +i ~/.config/pcmanfm/lubuntu/desktop-items-0.conf

I rebooted and icons were all again on the left side, automatically realigned...
I reopened desktop-items-0.conf and it still contained the coordinates of the icons I moved before.

If anyone knows something please let me know!

[Dreamer Fithp Apprentice]

Bumping this because I also seek to lock them in place after I put them where I want them. Or at least change the way the autoarranging is done so I can keep the upper left corner area vacant.