Application doesn't close to icon (no tray icon)

[JackJeisly]

Steps to reproduce

1. Where are you starting? What can you see?
   I start a Element Nightly and doesn't see icon in tray.

Doesn't work option "Show tray icon and minimise window to it on close". In "Preferences" this option are enabled. If I close window application just close.

Outcome

What did you expect?

I expect that window will be closed to tray icon

What happened instead?

when I close window application just close.

Operating system

Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS

Application version

Версия Element Nightly: 2022121401 Версия Olm: 3.2.12

How did you install the app?

From repo "https://packages.element.io/debian/ default main"

Homeserver

matrix.org

Will you send logs?

Yes

[G2G2G2G]

Yep happens to me in nightly as well on arch, something broke system tray icon in last few updates

it does stay running in the background fine, the icon just doesn't show up regardless

[t3chguy]

The upstream tray icon implementation changed, no longer using libappindicator.
electron/electron#36472

Looks related to electron/electron#36602

Depends on your DE and whether it seems to support StatusIconLinuxDbus

[G2G2G2G]

It doesn't even work on OpenSUSE KDE tumbleweed that I see.. (I use a WM on my main machine)
I assume what works is gnome, looks like other guy has XFCE working which is GTK too so maybe that's it.

looking at this comment electron/electron#36471
"we believe we've done a better job this time but I don't want to send this to an existing stable line"
lol, yea definitely just needs a fallback to the libappindicator

I only see mention of "StatusIconLinuxDbus" on chromium, and election nothing else.. there's a GTK.h file in some mailing list but it's part of electron too
Is it called something else? I'd add it to my WM

[JackJeisly]

yea definitely just needs a fallback to the libappindicator
If it isn't work in popular distrs - needs a fallback to the libappindicator. And ideally fallback from electrone and chromium to C or C++. :)

[AffSeda]

Same issue on Debian testing/MATE. I assume this "StatusIconLinuxDbus" isn't just some package I can install ?

[G2G2G2G]

@AffSeda no, from what I see the "libappindicator" was the easy one that you could "just install" and it'd make everything work magically.

The new one they do now is something to do with this https://github.com/AyatanaIndicators/libayatana-indicator (which is linked to on the rocket chat github below)

This was supposed to be fixed when electron 22 is used, but I think it is already used and still didn't get fixed
Rocket chat and several other programs have the same issue, it's all cuz of electron stuff.
see here: RocketChat/Rocket.Chat.Electron#2536 (comment)

Sooo unless my element user agent is wrong, we are on version 22 of electron and it still doesn't work, so no idea... unfortunately we can't just install something though

Botspot/pi-apps#1930 version 22 got added to the list lmao, looks like they broke a lot of stuff on a lot of different things

[mairacanal]

I'm also having this problem with Fedora 37/GNOME 43.2 and Element 1.11.17. I installed libappindicator, but it didn't solve my problem.

[AffSeda]

@AffSeda no, from what I see the "libappindicator" was the easy one that you could "just install" and it'd make everything work magically.

That's unfortunate. I never thought the icon would annoy me that much.. but it actually does, lol. I keep losing the Element window, and for some reason sometimes my system opens a new Element instead of bringing the other window to the front if I relaunch it while it's running. I've downgraded for now.

[JackJeisly]

I frost Element updates on 1.11.16 too, becouse it normal work.

[G2G2G2G]

@AffSeda

and for some reason sometimes my system opens a new Element instead of bringing the other window to the front if I relaunch it while it's running. I've downgraded for now.

yea that's been a bug for like 2 years lol. It is a funny one, careful not to close the old one with the new one up or it'll delete your login session and reset both elements to default non logged in

[JokerGermany]

Same problem here with Ubuntu Mate 22.04
Updated today to 1.11.17 and got this.
downgraded to 1.11.16 and tray icon is there again.

Really severe bug...

[JokerGermany]

Would be nice if you would stop the rollout for the linux version, this will be a support nightmare for me who support some people...

Will do an every device which I get access to the following:

sudo sh -c 'echo "Package: element-desktop" >> /etc/apt/preferences.d/element-desktop'
sudo sh -c 'echo "Pin: version 1.11.17" >> /etc/apt/preferences.d/element-desktop'
sudo sh -c 'echo "Pin-Priority: -1" >> /etc/apt/preferences.d/element-desktop'

And then install 1.11.16 if 1.11.17 is installed...

[JokerGermany]

@G2G2G2G

@AffSeda

and for some reason sometimes my system opens a new Element instead of bringing the other window to the front if I relaunch it while it's running. I've downgraded for now.

yea that's been a bug for like 2 years lol. It is a funny one, careful not to close the old one with the new one up or it'll delete your login session and reset both elements to default non logged in

Do you have an link to that issue? Think that happens to some of the peoples i support...

[mcuguy]

Same here. On Ubuntu.
The only way to have the icon back is to disable the option in Preferences|General and close Element.
Re-open Element and enable the icon again and it shows back.
Unfortunately, at the next opening it is not shown again, unless you remember to disable the option before closing and re-enabling it at the next run.
But still a bad workaround. Please fix it!!!

[G2G2G2G]

@JokerGermany no link, can't figure out how to reliably reproduce it so figuring out why it happens might be impossible - waste days on someone's time where they can be doing something of more importance
if I figure out exactly how to guarantee it opens a second one, I'd make an issue or just fix it myself

[FizzyTea]

I have attempted to downgrade to 1.11.16 using apt but this versions appears unavailable.
sudo apt install element-desktop=1.11.16
results in
E: Version '1.11.16' for 'element-desktop' was not found

Can I downgrade with apt or do I need to build from source? (Ubuntu 20.04 with XFCE)
`

[JokerGermany]

@FizzyTea
https://packages-old.element.io/debian/pool/main/e/element-desktop/
Download it and then i use sudo dpkg -i

[FizzyTea]

@JokerGermany

@FizzyTea https://packages-old.element.io/debian/pool/main/e/element-desktop/ Download it and then i use sudo dpkg -i

Thanks for your help.

[JackJeisly]

@InklingGirl , i checked it in the last version of "element-nighly". Yes, it work.

[InklingGirl]

@t3chguy when is the ETA for a new release?

[t3chguy]

Every two weeks on a tuesday, next is scheduled to go into RC tomorrow, stable a week on tuesday.

[JokerGermany]

Is it in 1.11.23?
I don't find this in the patch notes:

Update to Electron 22.2.0 - fix tray icons in Linux (element-hq/element-desktop#530). Fixes #23993.

[t3chguy]

@JokerGermany you might want to try Ctrl F

[JokerGermany]

¯\(ツ)/¯ I tried Ctrl F, looks like i have other patchnotes:

[t3chguy]

@JokerGermany are you looking at the wrong repo maybe? Electron is only in the desktop repo as it doesn't affect the webapp.

[JokerGermany]

@JokerGermany are you looking at the wrong repo maybe? Electron is only in the desktop repo as it doesn't affect the webapp.

ups yes, sorry didn't know that desktop has it's own release notes...

[Z-Brox]

Unfortunatley no tray icon on Debian 11 (XFCE) after updating to 1.11.23 yesterday. Funny enough the tray icon worked before installing that version … scratching my head … went back to 1.11.16 and the icon's back.
Same problem with the latest nightly version.

[aidaho]

Unfortunatley no tray icon on Debian 11 (XFCE) after updating to 1.11.23 yesterday. Funny enough the tray icon worked before installing that version … scratching my head … went back to 1.11.16 and the icon's back. Same problem with the latest nightly version.

Are you sure you've terminated all Element processes? I had to run `killall -v element-desktop` after closing the main window in order to actually get an updated Electron instance. I can confirm the tray icon is back in Debian 11/TDE with Element 1.11.23

[GitMeier]

Element version: 1.11.23
Olm version: 3.2.12

Tray icon is back on Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS (focal)

[InklingGirl]

It is back for me too on Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish).

[floviolleau]

Hi,

I have the issue on Ubuntu Budgie 22.10
Element version: 1.11.23
Olm version: 3.2.12

Any clues?

[enigma9o7]

If you're new to element, you could confirm its the same issue by testing 1.11.16 and making sure its working there.... cuz I think this issue is fixed for the rest of us. If it doesn't work for you in that version, then it's a different issue completely, just same symptom.

[Z-Brox]

Hi, folks,

during the weekend I've tested the new version 1.11.23 on my second PC (Debian 11, XFCE). Works without problems, icon's back in the tray.
But today in the office (Debian 11 and XFCE, like the other computer) I upgraded again from 1.11.6 to 1.11.23, restartet the machine and the problem's back - no icon in the tray but element is running. Purged the new version and reinstalled 1.11.16 and the icon is back. The same happens with both the Flatpak and the Debian package.

I'm starting to suspect there may be a problem just with that specific PC (maybe unregarded with element?).

[rwjack]

~ ❯ element-desktop
...

Icon is in taskbar, but element is blurry because running in wayland

~ ❯ element-desktop -enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland
...

Icon missing in taskbar, but element is sharp as a crystal

Is this related to this issue?

[floviolleau]

Hi,

I have another computer on Ubuntu 22.10
Element version: 1.11.23
Olm version: 3.2.12

And it is working fine, I have the tray icon (despite the blank screen at start up which is another issue).

[Z-Brox]

Hi, folks,

during the weekend I've tested the new version 1.11.23 on my second PC (Debian 11, XFCE). Works without problems, icon's back in the tray. But today in the office (Debian 11 and XFCE, like the other computer) I upgraded again from 1.11.6 to 1.11.23, restartet the machine and the problem's back - no icon in the tray but element is running. Purged the new version and reinstalled 1.11.16 and the icon is back. The same happens with both the Flatpak and the Debian package.

I'm starting to suspect there may be a problem just with that specific PC (maybe unregarded with element?).

Hi,

as suspected the problem of Element still not showing up in the tray is related with that one specific system (other apps like onwcloud etc. don't show up from time to time, too). Can't find the reason but I want to set it up with a new installation anyway.
Element works on all of my other Linux systems flawlessly.

[drskalman]

It still does not show up in my tray.

Arch Linux
element-desktop 1.11.26-1
exwm

Downgrading to element-web-1.11.10-2 resolves the problem (I don't have 11.16 package cached). I have also no problem with nextcloud and other apps in my tray.

[t3chguy]

@drskalman the arch package is community maintained, please report issues with it to its maintainer.

[G2G2G2G]

@drskalman this isn't an issue anymore, it's your system. I have it working across different WMs and DEs on different machines

[jahway603]

Still having this issue. It was never resolved.

[jahway603]

This PR element-hq/element-desktop#530 shows that an "upgrade" to Electron 22.x occurred that fixed this issue. I have Electron 25.x & this is still an issue. Any ideas?

[Mi-La]

I just installed the electron app on xubuntu for the first time and I have no tray icon. I don't care if it's problem of my particular system, it's still the FIRST TIME USER EXPERIENCE.

[shivajiva101]

If you're coming here because this issue isn't fixed for your system build, maybe try an alt matrix client such as Schildichat it might not be bleeding edge, but that isn't necessarily a problem.

If you're capabilities include scripting, don't use the Element setting, just launch Element after a few seconds delay with a script and the tray icon will be present every time. At least that is what consistently works for me. An easy test to check if delayed start works on your system is to disable launch on startup and manually launch it after a reboot. If Element launches with a tray icon present then scripting a delayed start will definitely work. Reducing the delay in the script below a threshold that's likely system specific, 5 seconds for my system, does duplicate the issue of a launched process with no tray icon to access it.

[Mi-La]

It simply doesn't work even when I run Element manually. It works e.g. with Nheko, but Nheko is not based on Electron. Schildichat has the same problem. There are various issues across github related to the Electron + tray icon + libappindicator, but I wasn't able to fix it in a reasonable time.
I just don't understand why the issue is closed while it clearly doesn't work for more users.

[Mi-La]

Ok .. after yet more struggling I've seen the tray icon for the first time! So for others (maybe related only to Xubuntu users):

First I've found this topic on the XFCE forum: https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=16436. It leads to the following bug report: https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-panel/-/issues/599.

When I removed the ayatana-indicator-application which I've never installed (probably was installed automatically since it's recommended by xfce4-indicator-plugin which is recommend by ...).

Hope it helps to someone else! I'll give the element-desktop a try :-).