Bug 492983 - Unable To Open Items On The Desktop
Summary: Unable To Open Items On The Desktop
Status: RESOLVED WAITINGFORINFO
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Desktop icons & Folder View widget (show other bugs)
Version: 5.27.11
Platform: Kubuntu Linux
: NOR major
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-09-11 17:50 UTC by thewormuths
Modified: 2024-09-19 16:28 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
No Folder Options (245.06 KB, image/png)
2024-09-17 17:04 UTC, thewormuths
Details
Terminal Output (74.07 KB, image/png)
2024-09-17 22:38 UTC, thewormuths
Details

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Description thewormuths 2024-09-11 17:50:07 UTC
SUMMARY
Cannot open folders directly on the desktop.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Make a folder on the desktop.
2. Double click to open.
3. Nothing happens.

OBSERVED RESULT
I have this issue on Kubuntu 24.04 on multiple machines, both old and new.  I cannot open a folder with Dolphin whether I select the single-click or double-click option.  The icon appears for a second, then stops without opening the folder.  I have also noticed this behavior when clicking to open a mounted location from the notification tray "Mount and open..." as well.

If I right-click a folder on the desktop, there is no "Open" command either.

EXPECTED RESULT
I expect to be able to open items on the desktop, without opening by first launching Dolphin.  

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS

Linux/KDE Plasma:  Kubuntu 24.04
KDE Plasma Version:  5.27.11
KDE Frameworks Version:  5.115.0
Qt Version:  5.15.13

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I have seen similarly reported bugs, but none seem to apply to me.  However this happens on both old and new hardware on a default install.
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-09-16 23:28:52 UTC
Does it also happen in a new clean user account on the same machine?

Does it still happen if you switch to single-click mode?
Comment 2 thewormuths 2024-09-17 15:08:10 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> Does it also happen in a new clean user account on the same machine?

Yes, every account I created has the same problem.

> Does it still happen if you switch to single-click mode?

Yes, same issue...

I've seen various reports of similar issues, but nothing seems to apply to me.  I've installed fresh on another, much older laptop with the same result.  Also, if I insert a USB drive and select "Mount and open", the drive mounts, but does not open from there either.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2024-09-17 17:03:24 UTC
It sounds more like apps aren't launching in multiple contexts, not just the desktop. Can you launch apps from Kickoff, KRunner, or the Task Manager?
Comment 4 thewormuths 2024-09-17 17:04:07 UTC
Created attachment 173782 [details]
No Folder Options

There are no folder options in the context menu...
Comment 5 thewormuths 2024-09-17 17:08:10 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)
> It sounds more like apps aren't launching in multiple contexts, not just the
> desktop. Can you launch apps from Kickoff, KRunner, or the Task Manager?

I am usually going to the application launcher menu, and selecting Dolphin from there.  Once I'm in Dolphin, the folders open just fine, complete with context menu options.  I attached an image from the right-click menu for a folder on my desktop, and you can see there isn't even an "Open" option on the desktop.
Comment 6 Nate Graham 2024-09-17 17:10:20 UTC
Does the menu have relevant items if you right-click on a file, as opposed to a folder? Does opening files work?

Do you have any file managers besides Dolphin also installed?
Comment 7 thewormuths 2024-09-17 21:48:12 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #6)
> Does the menu have relevant items if you right-click on a file, as opposed
> to a folder? Does opening files work?

Yes.  I verified both HTML files and TXT files.  I get "Open with Firefox" and "Open with Kate" as expected.

> Do you have any file managers besides Dolphin also installed?

I installed Thunar intending to change the "Open With" in settings to try and correct this, but the problem was prior to that.  I had intended to change the application used to open folders in System Settings, but I would rather not do that without trying to troubleshoot this bug first.  I'd really like to stick with the default file manager.

Thanks.
Comment 8 Nate Graham 2024-09-17 21:52:28 UTC
Ok, so you can't open folders from the desktop, basically. And Dolphin is installed alongside Thunar, but the issue reproduces no matter which ones are installed? Is that right?
Comment 9 thewormuths 2024-09-17 21:55:28 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #8)
> Ok, so you can't open folders from the desktop, basically. And Dolphin is
> installed alongside Thunar, but the issue reproduces no matter which ones
> are installed? Is that right?

Right.  The issue was happening since a fresh install on both machines I tried.  I only installed Thunar to see if it would correct folder associations somehow, but it didn't.  I have not yet tried changing the association for folders to Thunar yet, in case you need something else before I try...
Comment 10 Nate Graham 2024-09-17 22:08:00 UTC
How strange. Can you run `journalctl -f` in a terminal window and see if anything is printed there when you try to open a folder on the desktop?
Comment 11 thewormuths 2024-09-17 22:38:39 UTC
Created attachment 173803 [details]
Terminal Output

See the attached screenshot.
Comment 12 thewormuths 2024-09-18 01:44:33 UTC
Found this in a quick search....  

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wslu/+bug/1981349
Comment 13 Nate Graham 2024-09-18 16:43:22 UTC
That does look related. Am I understand that you have WSL (Windows Subsystem For Linux) installed... on your Linux machine?
Comment 14 thewormuths 2024-09-18 17:41:48 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #13)
> That does look related. Am I understand that you have WSL (Windows Subsystem
> For Linux) installed... on your Linux machine?

It appears I do, although it's nothing I chose...  It must be installed by something else, or a default Kubuntu install...?

apt list --installed | grep wslu

wslu/noble,now 3.2.3-0ubuntu3 amd64 [installed,automatic]
Comment 15 thewormuths 2024-09-19 15:29:11 UTC
So I reinstalled the second laptop since I hadn't really set anything up yet, and the issue does not happen on default installation of Kubuntu.  The "wslu" package must be getting pulled in by something I usually install, but I don't know what.  Maybe a "restricted-extras" package or something?
Comment 16 Nate Graham 2024-09-19 15:57:37 UTC
Could be. With wslu installed, can you try `xdg-open [path to a folder]` while no file manager is running? I'm guessing that breaks too?
Comment 17 thewormuths 2024-09-19 16:03:52 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #16)
> Could be. With wslu installed, can you try `xdg-open [path to a folder]`
> while no file manager is running? I'm guessing that breaks too?

grep: /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/WSLInterop: No such file or directory
WSL Interopability is disabled. Please enable it before using WSL.
grep: /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/WSLInterop: No such file or directory
[error] WSL Interoperability is disabled. Please enable it before using WSL.
user@computer:~$ /usr/bin/wslview: line 216: /mnt/c/Windows/System32/reg.exe: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/wslview: line 308: [: -ge: unary operator expected
[error] This protocol is not supported before version 1903.

Nate for the win!  LOL

Maybe this is pulled in from VirtualBox?  Something for interoperability?
Comment 18 Nate Graham 2024-09-19 16:07:15 UTC
So basically, wslu is registering itself as a thing that can open folders and overrides your file manager, but it's broken. Thus, whenever you try to open a folder in a way that needs to launch an app, wslu tries to do it and fails.

Definitely a not-our-bug situation. :) I would say there are three-other-people's-bugs though:
- wslu got installed when it probably shouldn't have (this is a packaging bug in the distro)
- wslu registers itself as a handler for folders and overrides everything else (this is a bug in wslu)
- wslu is broken (this is another bug in wslu)
Comment 19 thewormuths 2024-09-19 16:13:17 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #18)
> So basically, wslu is registering itself as a thing that can open folders
> and overrides your file manager, but it's broken. Thus, whenever you try to
> open a folder in a way that needs to launch an app, wslu tries to do it and
> fails.
> 
> Definitely a not-our-bug situation. :) I would say there are
> three-other-people's-bugs though:
> - wslu got installed when it probably shouldn't have (this is a packaging
> bug in the distro)
> - wslu registers itself as a handler for folders and overrides everything
> else (this is a bug in wslu)
> - wslu is broken (this is another bug in wslu)

Is there a command that tells me what installed it so I can report it to the appropriate place?  I wonder if anything breaks when I remove it...  LOL

I appreciate the help with this.  Sorry for the distraction.  I'll head over to report WSLU.
Comment 20 Nate Graham 2024-09-19 16:18:39 UTC
Maybe? I'm not very familiar with how package management works on Ubuntu-based distros though, sorry. You might want to ask in an Ubuntu-specific forum.
Comment 21 thewormuths 2024-09-19 16:28:16 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #20)
> Maybe? I'm not very familiar with how package management works on
> Ubuntu-based distros though, sorry. You might want to ask in an
> Ubuntu-specific forum.

Created a bug here for anyone interested in following along...

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wslu/+bug/2081205

I appreciate your help.  Have a great day, and take care.