DietPi-Software | MATE: No desktop icons + context menu on root session

[MichaIng]

Many thanks for reporting @Gokujo: #3159
Due to: mate-desktop/caja#871

Workaround:

mkdir -p /root/.config/autostart
cat << _EOF_ > /root/.config/autostart/caja.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=caja --force-desktop
Hidden=false
X-MATE-Autostart-enabled=true
Name=root-desktop
_EOF_

• Should not be applied by default due to security aspects with caja + root.
• Handle as known limitation but enhance non-root user desktop session, e.g. (offer to) pre-create default desktop icons (with sudo prefix where required) automatically when user chooses custom auto-login user. Or check for automated solution via skeleton desktop content on first login of any user?

[Joulinar]

@MichaIng
Not sure if there is a relation but we have a report on the forum https://dietpi.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8949
There is a challenge to launch most System Tools apps from menu.

I did a test and could verify the behaviour. Even creating the desktop shortcuts using the workaround did not change anything. Even these items are not working and don't do anything.

[MichaIng]

Since all of these are console applications, probably there is no default terminal applied? Does running x-terminal-emulator from terminal emulator work (should start another one)?

[Joulinar]

this doesn't change anything. The 2nd terminal is open but still our shortcut's don't do anything

---

EDIT
it is working if I adjust the shortcut like this

#Terminal=true
Exec=mate-terminal -x /boot/dietpi/dietpi-config

hash Terminal=true and add mate-terminal to the Exec command

[MichaIng]

Is x-terminal-emulator actually starting the MATE terminal or a different one? From all I know desktop shortcuts with Terminal=true invoke x-terminal-emulator, so it would be bad if MATE either doesn't do it or if mate-terminal was not compatible with other X terminal emulators so that the default invocation did not work, still making itself an "alternative" for x-terminal-emulator.

I guess apt install xterm would solve it as well (replacing the alternative), but xterm looks quite ugly compared to the native desktop terminal emulators.

But just to rule it out, is the issue the same when logging in as non-root user?

[Joulinar]

mate-terminal is used to start MATE terminal according the shortcut. I can do some more test later the evening if you like. Especially with non-root user dietpi

[Joulinar]

thats the Exec command for the terminal inside mate-terminal.desktop

TryExec=mate-terminal
Exec=mate-terminal

as you already indicate, apt install xterm will fix it. However there is a huge difference in look & feel

xterm

vs mate-terminal

[MichaIng]

Jep that difference is the reason why xterm is not installed anymore by default, as it always is the highest priority x-terminal-emulator.

Little background on x-terminal-emulator:

• x-terminal-emulator is not an own tool but an "alternative" command, a symlink that points to /etc/alternatives/x-terminal-emulator which points to any compatible X terminal emulator, controlled by the "alternatives" system: update-alternatives --help
• All terminal emulators add themselves as x-terminal-emulator alternative, with a specific priority and the system creates the symlink for the one with highest priority. Admin can change priorities or manually select a specific one via update-alternatives command.
• Of course, every alternative MUST be compatible with the basic syntax expected. E.g. xterm uses -e option to call scripts, so I guess that desktop shortcuts as well call x-terminal-emulator -e <Exec command>. If mate-terminal requires a different option/syntax, then it is not compatible, and it would be a bug that it adds itself as x-terminal-emulator, I'd say. It has the -e option, but the -x option as well, which you used successfully, and I didn't understand the difference from the man page so far.

sh, editor, pager and awk work the same way. ToDo: Replace all nano calls with editor, to have the user preferred editor used 😃.

Would be good to know if the issue is the same with a non-root user. Then we could further check why it does not work with mate-terminal, and in case send a bug report to Debian.

[Joulinar]

for the user on the forum, should I offer apt install xterm as workaround? even if it is not perfect?

[MichaIng]

Yes, at least it's an easy solution and restores DietPi v6.34 behaviour where xterm was installed together with the X server automatically.

[MichaIng]

Interesting. x-terminal-emulator points to a wrapper perl script /usr/bin/mate-terminal.wrapper which does the -e => -x translation, when arguments are passed. Obviously this is required in case of arguments:

    elsif ($opt eq '-e')
    {
        $arg = shift(@ARGV);
        if (@ARGV)
        {
            push(@args, '-x', $arg, @ARGV);
            last;
        }
        else
        {
            push(@args, '-e', $arg);
        }
        last;
    }

---

Using the -e option with our script makes the terminal starting and stopping immediately, with -x it works. Strangely here, using mate-terminal -x /boot/dietpi/dietpi-config exits as well immediately.
... ahh, mate-terminal must call the script without any option and -x is dropped by /usr/bin/mate-terminal.wrapper, that's the reason.

Okay the way MATE sets this up currently, is not compatible with native desktop console shortcuts. I'll re-add xterm install for MATE, as an ugly terminal is better than no terminal 😉: 5cb27f0

[Joulinar]

ok, again we learned something today :)

[MichaIng]

While there are ways for start Caja as root user and hence show desktop icons and enable menu entries for root sessions, it's not good to hack around this "security feature" of MATE.

#4390 addresses the issue by making it much easier and reliable to autologin as non-root user into a desktop in general. It is now done via LightDM as well, but making use of its autologin capabilities. So no need to apply any custom permissions or mess with legacy X server wrapper, but using the same reliable method that works for the manual desktop login as well.

[MichaIng]

Marking this as closed in faviour of #3586.