A problem with Plank and Firefox [Solved]

[andymx]

I installed Plank dock and it's working pretty well, except for one thing. When I install Plank a Firefox button appears by default on the dock, without a Firefox icon. The button is blank. If I launch Firefox from that blank button another instance of Firefox but with an icon appears on the dock. If I click on the icon-less button again, another Firefox instance launches, stacked on the newly created button on the dock. If I right click on the new button I see the two Firefox instances.
I looked at the details of what's going on and this is what I found.
The dock launch files are kept in /home/andy/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/ directory. Each launcher contains text like this example:

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[PlankDockItemPreferences]
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop

However, Firefox doesn't work with a firefox.dockitem file like the above, that is

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[PlankDockItemPreferences]
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop

creates the problem that I describe.

Firefox works properly if the firefox.desktop file (that is the default icon-less created by Plank) is

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[PlankDockItemPreferences]
Launcher=file:///home/andy/.local/share/applications/userapp-Firefox-B79MB2.desktop

This file however doesn't have the Firefox icon and hence my problem with the dock appearance plus the fact that a new dock item is created every time that I click on the Firefox button.

[siamhie]

Post your QSI.


I don't use Plank but could you not just delete the FF button and add it back?

[andymx]

I tried deleting and adding back the Firefox button, but the newly installed button opens a second instance (another button) when I run it twice. Thus the problem is not solved.
Please noet that I managed to find a non-dock solution to what I was looking to doing, but the mystery about Plank remains unsolved.

My QSI:

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Snapshot created on: 20231014_0939
System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-13-amd64 [6.1.55-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-13-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
    init=/lib/systemd/systemd
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.18.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.1_x64 Libretto October 14  2023 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Convertible System: Dell product: Inspiron 5482 v: N/A serial: <superuser required>
    Chassis: type: 31 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0JGVW4 v: A00 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Dell v: 2.18.0
    date: 11/11/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 39.1 Wh (100.0%) condition: 39.1/42.0 Wh (93.1%) volts: 12.6 min: 11.4
    model: BYD DELL FW8KR87 type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: full
  Device-1: apple_mfi_fastcharge model: N/A serial: N/A charge: N/A status: N/A
  Device-2: hid-0018:04F3:2751.0002-battery model: ELAN2097:00 04F3:2751 serial: N/A charge: N/A
    status: N/A
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-8565U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Whiskey Lake gen: core 8 level: v3
    note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x8E (142) stepping: 0xB (11)
    microcode: 0xF4
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 475 high: 700 min/max: 400/4600 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 700 2: 400 3: 400 4: 400 5: 700 6: 400 7: 400 8: 400
    bogomips: 31999
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS, IBPB: conditional, STIBP: conditional, RSB filling,
    PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] vendor: Dell Inspiron 5482 driver: i915
    v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: HDMI-A-1 off: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3ea0 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-6:9
    chip-ID: 0bda:5521 class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x286mm (20.00x11.26") s-diag: 583mm (22.95")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 pos: primary model: BenQ GW2480 serial: <filter> built: 2018
    res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 93 gamma: 1.2 size: 527x296mm (20.75x11.65") diag: 604mm (23.8")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: eDP-1 note: disabled model: AU Optronics 0x453d built: 2018 res: 1920x1080 dpi: 158
    gamma: 1.2 size: 309x174mm (12.17x6.85") diag: 355mm (14") ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (WHL GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Dell Inspiron 5482
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_skl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:9dc8 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-13-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP CNVi [Wireless-AC] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl
    bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:9df0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: ASIX AX88179 Gigabit Ethernet type: USB driver: ax88179_178a bus-ID: 2-1:6
    chip-ID: 0b95:1790 class-ID: ff00 serial: <filter>
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: eth1 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth 9460/9560 Jefferson Peak (JfP) type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 1-10:12 chip-ID: 8087:0aaa class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 3.0 lmp-v: 5.1
    sub-v: 100 hci-v: 5.1 rev: 100
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:4 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch sniff link-mode: peripheral accept
    service-classes: rendering, capturing, object transfer, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 20.47 TiB used: 369.41 GiB (1.8%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Kingston model: SNV2S250G size: 232.89 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
    rev: ELFK0S.6 temp: 28.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 type: USB model: External USB3.0 size: 238.47 GiB block-size:
    physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 0204 scheme: GPT
  ID-3: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 type: USB model: External USB 3.0 size: 3.64 TiB block-size:
    physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 0104 scheme: GPT
  ID-4: /dev/sdc maj-min: 8:32 type: USB vendor: Western Digital model: WD20 EZRZ-00Z5HB0
    size: 1.82 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 80.0
    scheme: GPT
  ID-5: /dev/sdd maj-min: 8:48 type: USB vendor: Western Digital model: WD40NDZW-11MR8S1
    size: 3.64 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    rev: 1018 scheme: GPT
  ID-6: /dev/sde maj-min: 8:64 type: USB vendor: Western Digital model: WD40EMAZ-11LW3B0
    size: 3.64 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    rev: 1030 scheme: GPT
  ID-7: /dev/sdf maj-min: 8:80 type: USB model: TO Exter nal USB 3.0 size: 3.64 TiB block-size:
    physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 0104 scheme: GPT
  ID-8: /dev/sdg maj-min: 8:96 type: USB vendor: Seagate model: ST4000DM000-1F2168 size: 3.64 TiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 4096 B type: HDD rpm: 5900 serial: <filter> rev: 0202
    scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 238.47 GiB size: 233.67 GiB (97.99%) used: 47.12 GiB (20.2%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 256 MiB size: 252 MiB (98.44%) used: 608 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 maj-min: 259:4
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 6 GiB used: 2.5 MiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0 C pch: 48.0 C mobo: 46.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Repos:
  Packages: 2116 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2108 libs: 1051 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 8
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/mx/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nordvpn.list
    1: deb https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plex-mx.list
    1: deb https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/deb public main
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sonarr.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/sonarr.gpg] https://apt.sonarr.tv/debian buster main
Info:
  Processes: 302 Uptime: 5h 47m wakeups: 10 Memory: 7.43 GiB used: 3.13 GiB (42.2%) Init: systemd
  v: 252 target: graphical (5) default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

[siamhie]

I found this guide on using Plank.


How to access the Plank preferences
https://www.linuxuprising.com/2019/12/a ... linux.html

[andymx]

I found this guide on using Plank.

Thanks for the link. There's some useful information there, but unfortunately the Guide doesn't address my weird problem with Firefox.

[l0dr3]

@andymx

plz post the output of

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cat /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop

...

greetz l0dr3

[andymx]

@l0dr3
Here you go:

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[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
Comment[en_US]=Browse the World Wide Web
Comment=Browse the World Wide Web
Comment[bg]=Сърфиране в Мрежата
Comment[ca]=Navegueu per el web
Comment[cs]=Prohlížení stránek World Wide Webu
Comment[de]=Im Internet surfen
Comment[el]=Περιηγηθείτε στον παγκόσμιο ιστό
Comment[es]=Navegue por la web
Comment[fa]=صفحات شبکه جهانی اینترنت را مرور نمایید
Comment[fi]=Selaa Internetin WWW-sivuja
Comment[fr]=Navigue sur Internet
Comment[hu]=A világháló böngészése
Comment[it]=Esplora il web
Comment[ja]=ウェブを閲覧します
Comment[ko]=웹을 돌아 다닙니다
Comment[nb]=Surf på nettet
Comment[nl]=Verken het internet
Comment[nn]=Surf på nettet
Comment[no]=Surf på nettet
Comment[pl]=Przeglądanie stron WWW
Comment[pt]=Navegue na Internet
Comment[pt_BR]=Navegue na Internet
Comment[ru]=Обозреватель Всемирной Паутины
Comment[sk]=Prehliadanie internetu
Comment[sv]=Surfa på webben
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=firefox %u
GenericName[en_US]=Web Browser
GenericName=Web Browser
GenericName[bg]=Интернет браузър
GenericName[ca]=Navegador web
GenericName[cs]=Webový prohlížeč
GenericName[de]=Webbrowser
GenericName[el]=Περιηγητής ιστού
GenericName[es]=Navegador web
GenericName[fa]=مرورگر اینترنتی
GenericName[fi]=WWW-selain
GenericName[fr]=Navigateur Web
GenericName[hu]=Webböngésző
GenericName[it]=Browser Web
GenericName[ja]=ウェブ・ブラウザ
GenericName[ko]=웹 브라우저
GenericName[nb]=Nettleser
GenericName[nl]=Webbrowser
GenericName[nn]=Nettlesar
GenericName[no]=Nettleser
GenericName[pl]=Przeglądarka WWW
GenericName[pt]=Navegador Web
GenericName[pt_BR]=Navegador Web
GenericName[ru]=Интернет-браузер
GenericName[sk]=Internetový prehliadač
GenericName[sv]=Webbläsare
Icon=firefox
MimeType=text/html;image/png;image/jpeg;image/gif;application/xml;application/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;
Name[en_US]=Firefox
Name=Firefox
Name[bg]=Firefox
Name[ca]=Firefox
Name[cs]=Firefox
Name[el]=Firefox
Name[es]=Firefox
Name[fa]=Firefox
Name[fi]=Firefox
Name[fr]=Firefox
Name[hu]=Firefox
Name[it]=Firefox
Name[ja]=Firefox
Name[ko]=Firefox
Name[nb]=Firefox
Name[nl]=Firefox
Name[nn]=Firefox
Name[no]=Firefox
Name[pl]=Firefox
Name[pt]=Firefox
Name[pt_BR]=Firefox
Name[ru]=Firefox
Name[sk]=Firefox
Name[sv]=Firefox
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=Firefox
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-GNOME-FullName=Firefox Web Browser
X-GNOME-FullName[bg]=Интернет браузър (Firefox)
X-GNOME-FullName[ca]=Navegador web Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[cs]=Firefox Webový prohlížeč
X-GNOME-FullName[el]=Περιηγήτης Ιστού Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[es]=Navegador web Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[fa]=مرورگر اینترنتی Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[fi]=Firefox-selain
X-GNOME-FullName[fr]=Navigateur Web Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[hu]=Firefox webböngésző
X-GNOME-FullName[it]=Firefox Browser Web
X-GNOME-FullName[ja]=Firefox ウェブ・ブラウザ
X-GNOME-FullName[ko]=Firefox 웹 브라우저
X-GNOME-FullName[nb]=Firefox Nettleser
X-GNOME-FullName[nl]=Firefox webbrowser
X-GNOME-FullName[nn]=Firefox Nettlesar
X-GNOME-FullName[no]=Firefox Nettleser
X-GNOME-FullName[pl]=Przeglądarka WWW Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[pt]=Firefox Navegador Web
X-GNOME-FullName[pt_BR]=Navegador Web Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[ru]=Интернет-браузер Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[sk]=Internetový prehliadač Firefox
X-GNOME-FullName[sv]=Webbläsaren Firefox
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=
X-MultipleArgs=false

[l0dr3]

@andymx

try to change the 'Exec' statement into

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Exec=firefox --class=Firefox %u

does this solve the problem with opening a second dock-entry?

greeetz l0dr3

[andymx]

does this solve the problem with opening a second dock-entry?

Yes it does! You found the answer.
To be precise, upon installing Plank among the automatically generated entries were Firefox and Thunderbird. Both of them had blank icons. I opened Thunderbird and it showed a new entry on the dock with the normal Thunderbird icon. I removed the blank icon from the dock and closed Thunderbird. I reopened Thunderbird and then I had the option to enable "Keep in Dock". So I did that and now it's fine. I did something similar with Firefox. Now I have a single entry on the dock for each of them.

So, a big thank you for solving this.

[l0dr3]

@andymx

glad to be of help ...

... i stumbled over this problematic when using 'Docklike Taskbar' w#docklike-layout instead of 'Windows Buttons' in my advanced vertical panel tryouts, i now use exclusively with all my XFCE4 DEs

it affects most often all self-defined or even auto-defined desktop-launchers when it comes to integrate AppImages or java-based apps

greetz l0dr3