Icons in Files don't work

Hi there

As a newbie who is enormously grateful to the excellent advice I have received so far, I have a problem I can't find anywhere else. Until recently the icons under "Files" took me to my Documents, Videos, Pictures, Music etc without problem but suddenly they take me to empty directories. I panicked and thought I had lost everything but found them by trial and error.

I can't remember the previous path which showed the icons in the side panel as well, but the new path for My Files takes me to My Disk:/// whereas my folders (Pictures, Documents, Music w) can be found in File System /home/user/. I am not aware of having changed anything. How do I get back to the original paths from the desktop please?

 

I'm having some problem understanding exactly what the problem is. In Thunar, clicking on "My Disk" in the left pane should take you to My Disk:/// In terminal, this is the same as being at /home/user -- which seems to be what you are reporting. Again, My Disk:///Documents is the same as /home/user/Documents

These are just different representations of the same directory structure.

Have you tweaked home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml ? This is the XML file that defines the Linpus desktop. The various file views are defined in group id8, which takes the form of something like this:

<id>8</id>
<sequence>7</sequence>
<directory_file exec="" tag_background="/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-title.png">/usr/share/desktop-directories/Files.directory</directory_file>
<background_picture>/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-large.png</background_picture>
<app is_arrow="1" name="" sequence="-10">/usr/share/applications/green-back.desktop</app>
<app sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/Thunar.desktop</app>
<app sequence="1">/usr/share/applications/Document.desktop</app>
<app sequence="2">/usr/share/applications/Download.desktop</app>
<app sequence="3">/usr/share/applications/Picture.desktop</app>
<app sequence="4">/usr/share/applications/Music.desktop</app>
<app sequence="5">/usr/share/applications/Video.desktop</app>

 

HI elizabethamb

I am not sure if you have a problem or if it is confusion with the way the File Manager works. It may be useful if you could explain what you see when you open File Manager.
Just to clarify a bit about the file system and assuming you have the SSD system though I imagine it will be the same on the Linpus hard disk version.

The SSD contains a data folder under File System and the path to it is /home/user and then the standard folders Documents etc. This is a "real" directory like C: on a windows PC.

Because the Acer has been set up to "merge" the files with any from an SD card in the left slot it by default creates a "virtual" directory under the path /mnt/home and then the standard folders Documents etc.

The File Manager defaults to show the /mnt/home directory BUT displays MY DISK in the left hand pane with the various Docs etc folders under it and MY DISK:/// in the browse bar above the right pane. You can change how the panes display this by selecting View in the top line, then Side Pane then tick. You will see that the contents of the panes have changed but the folders are still displayed.

If you have no SD card inserted the data in the folders under /mnt/home will be the same as that under /home/user.

If an SD card is inserted into the left slot this is "merged" into the /mnt/home directory and is also given the Document etc. folders. The path to the SD card "real" directory is /media/disk and then also Documents etc. With the SD card inserted the data in /home/user will be different from /media/disk but both sets of data will appear under /mnt/home. (Assuming you have different data in the real directories.)

I hope this has helped and not confused. I discovered all this when I mounted an SD card and could not understand where data was going.

Best wishes

 

Dear Libssd and Solpuerto

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

Libssd - if I have tweaked something I am not aware of it. The only time I have changed a directory is to /home/user/Videos when using get_iplayer. I don't understand how to check the information you quote - how do I get to that?

I think it's best if I try to explain better.

When I first got my machine there were shortcut icons on the Files Section - Documents, Music, Videos etc. When I clicked on them it took me to the folder where these items were stored. I have transferred files using a USB key and also an SD card (from my camera) in the card slot on the right hand side) In all cases I was able to click on the appropriate icon and there they were.

When I clicked on My Files (or right click - File Manager) icons for these folders would appear in the main window and also in the side pane (rather like a favourites column). I don't remember what the parent directory was - I didn't need to look.

Now, when I click on my Documents or Videos icon in the main screen nothing happens. When I click on Music or Pictures the folder opens as My Disk:///Music (or Pictures) but there's nothing listed (I have files in all these directories). When I click on My Files I get to My Disk:/// In the main screen there are icons for Music and Pictures but there are no documents. In the side panel there are shortcuts for home, trash and file system. The home directory only contains the Music and Picture folder mentioned above - they are empty. If I click on file system I get a series of folders under an icon followed by a /. To find my files I have to go from file system then /home/user/ and there are lots of folders, including Documents, Music, Videos, Pictures and Downloads and all my files are there.

How do I get back to the stage where I just click on the shortcut icons on the opening screen please? At the moment My Disk:/// is not the same as /home/user/

I hope I have explained enough to enable you to help me.
Thanks and best wishes
elizabethamb

 

Elizabeth,

Thanks for the additional information. I wish I could offer an intelligent suggestion, but I can't. The information I provided was from the Linux command line, which sounds like a place where you may not be comfortable. Your best bet may be to contact Acer tech support. I did shortly after acquiring my AA1, and (after a few false starts) someone there provided some useful suggestions to a problem that I was having with installing new software.

http://acer.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/acer.c ... er/ask.php

Good luck, and please share if they give you a useful answer to your question.

 

Hi elizabethamb

Thanks for the description of what you see when you are in File Manager as it has clarified the problem. As to a solution, well ????
One particular comment you made may hold a clue to the problem and is where you say;

At the moment My Disk:/// is not the same as /home/user/

My Disk is the directory /mnt/home and though it is a different directory from /home/usr on the standard Acer Linpus their contents should be the same, provided no card is mounted in the left slot.

With no cards or USB sticks installed I tried to replicate what you see. I deleted and added folders to each in turn and whatever I did was automatically replicated in the other. For example when I deleted "Documents" from /mnt/home, "Documents" was also deleted from /home/user. Yet you appear to have found your "Documents" folder there.
Below is a screen shot of File Manager for both directories on my install and you will see that I have added a folder called AAAA. This was added to the /mnt/home directory. The Folders are identical apart from the icon graphics.

[attachment=0:20rsvkhh]LIZ.png[/attachment:20rsvkhh]
/home/user is on the left and next to it /mnt/home.

I ask if you will compare the two directories shown in the left hand pane in your File Manager, they both sit under File System. The /mnt/home folder sits amongst other folders and you will notice has a disk icon beside it (My Disk).
Can you confirm they are different and if so can you let me know what the difference is and particularly the contents of /home/usr?
If they are different something has changed the Root directory structure or the Linpus coding that sets the two directories to be the same.
If this is the case it is beyond my knowledge.

I took the opportunity to look at your other posts and notice that you started posting about problems after following the “BBC iPlayer Thread” where there were instructions to use “Sudo Thunar” in the terminal. This gives Root permissions to directories and may be the reason for the problem.

You also said; Now, when I click on my Documents or Videos icon in the main screen nothing happens.

I no longer have the default acer desktop, as I have modified mine, so was not able to test this and you may have deduced that the “Documents” short cut does not work as its associated folder in My Disk no longer exists.
You could try this by right clicking on /mnt/home folder and adding a folder called Documents. You may also then see what happens to the /home/usr directory.

You could use this last procedure to recreate the standard structure of the /mnt/home directory but it may still leave the problem you currently have.

As a last resort you may need to use the recovery CD but be sure to take a copy of any data files.

Best wishes

 

Thanks guys. Your help looks good but a bit too technical for me (I occasionally wish I'd done for the Windows version but, when it works, I love my Linpus Lite).

Anyway, I decided the best thiing would be to copy all my data and start again. I haven't made too many changes and am confident I can redo the ones I need so I thought I'd go back to the original factory settings but how to I do that? I don't think the AA1 came with a CD (I have an external drive)? I have been reading posts about system recovery CDs but I am not sure I want to backup the errors I have made and don't really understand how it works.

What is recovery XP? I tried clicking it but nothing happens - is this something to do with Windows XP?

Sorry, lots of questions.
Thanks

 

You must think I'm very stupid. Have found recovery dvd at bottom of box (under layers of cardboard). Will report on how I get on.

 

OK, much later...

Recovery DVD used to reinstall from scratch, live update run and all additional software installed. All working fine!

Lesson learned - do not mess with anything you don't understand!

Thanks to the AA1 forum for all help on this and the reinstallation of other packages.
:?:

 

Hi elizabethamb

Glad you have it all working again.
You may like to look at the web site below as it contains a lot of good hints and tips about the aspire. One in particular covers a backup/restore functionality. I find it much better than the factory restore as it allows you to make a backup of a good working position and if you try anything different that causes problems you can restore to the working backup. I no longer worry about what I might mess up when I try something new.

http://macles.blogspot.com/

Best wishes

 

I'm going to disagree -- if you have a good recovery plan in place, this (plus asking for advice from those who have gone before) is often the best way to learn how things work.