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Glx-Dock / Cairo-Dock Wiki Recurrents problems
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Recurrents problems

Recurring Problems
Our F.A.Q
  • F.A.Q one question one answer



Composite
A black background ?
  • ATI cards: please try to use the latest version of ATI drivers or try without the OpenGL backend (cairo-dock -c) => Drivers aren't correct !
  • Intel cards: some of them work with OpenGL (see the follow section) or try without OpenGL (cairo-dock -c) => Some drivers aren't correct !
  • KDE4 : launch systemsettings and do that: Look & Feel --> Desktop --> Desktop Effects --> Enable Desktop Effects. You can also have a look to this post: here.
  • Gnome without Compiz (just with Metacity): apply this command from a terminal :
    gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager true
    On newer versions (Gnome3), dconf is used instead of gconf, so run this command:
    dconf write /org/gnome/metacity/compositing-manager true
    gsettings set org.gnome.metacity compositing-manager true
  • Mate without Compiz (with Metacity's fork, aka Marco): Install mate-conf-editor and launch mateconf-editor. Now in the mateconf-editor, go to Apps / Marco / General / enable this key: "compositing_manager".
  • XFCE with its Window Manager (XFWM): simply go to Applications / Parameters / Parameters Editor / XFWM4 module / General tab / Enable use_compositing (turn it to TRUE)
  • More details: Composite Manager
  • Another WM without composite manager (like OpenBox (on LXDE) or Musca, etc.): Please have a look at this wiki page OpenBox FAQ



OpenGL
A black background? Invisible icons?
  • Intel cards: Cairo-Dock with OpenGL support seems to be "fully" supported, more informations here
  • Nvidia cards : It has worked for a long time! More informations here
  • ATI cards : Cairo-Dock with OpenGL support seems to be "fully" supported, more informations here

  • But you can use Cairo-Dock with a fake transparency in the System menu in the config panel of Cairo-Dock (or by using it with a black wallpaper )



(S)MPlayer and Kaffeine
If you have any problem with (S)MPlayer or Kaffeine:
    • Try to put the video output to gl2 (in the settings of SMPlayer)
    • Or use this command to launch (S)MPlayer (adapt for Kaffeine):
      export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && smplayer &
      or
      env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 smplayer &
      or
      sh -c "env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 smplayer"



Others apps based on Qt4 like VirtualBox, Skype, VLC
(for VLC, there was a bug only if the option 'Integrate video in interface' is enabled and vlc devs have added this workaround into the application)
  • It's the same problem that (S)MPlayer, so you can use this command in order to launch your application, e.g.:
    export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && skype
  • But you can also make a little script:
    • Create a file with the extention ".sh" (launch_virtualbox.sh for example)
    • Add these two lines :
      export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1
      virtualbox
    • Change the right execution (Right clic on the file / Properties / Permissions / Execution => or directly :
      chmod +x launch_virtualbox.sh
    • Use this file to execute this app.
  • Or edit the launcher and use a command like this one:
    sh -c "env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 kaffeine"



Problem with installation / update ?
If you have something like this:
  • trying to overwrite `/usr/share/cairo-dock/default-indicator.png', which is also in package cairo-dock-data
    dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
  • E: /var/cache/apt/archives/cairo-dock_2.0.0_all.deb: tentative de remplacement de « /usr/share/cairo-dock/icon-mouse.png », qui appartient aussi au paquet cairo-dock-data.

You need to do the following :
sudo apt-get remove cairo-dock* --purge
sudo apt-get install cairo-dock cairo-dock-plug-ins




Problem to change/save your configuration ?
It could be a permission problem:
chmod u+rwx -R ~/.config/cairo-dock/




Problem with a gauge ?
If you have an output like this:
xterm -e ' wget "http://themes.glx-dock.org/gauges/turbo-night-fuel/turbo-night-fuel.tar.gz" -O "/tmp/cairo-dock-net-file.AfLFEO" -t 2 -T 5'

Just swap gauges in your enabled plugins with it s equivalent starting with capital letter (eg. turbo-night-fuel => Turbo-night-fuel).



Problem with wifi applet ?

It's a problem of access right to iwconfig command.
As root (root = sudo for Ubuntu for example), do this commands in a terminal:
chmod u+x /sbin/iwconfig # or "chmod 755 /sbin/iwconfig" if it still doesn't work
ln -s /sbin/iwconfig /usr/bin/iwconfig




Problem when Cairo-Dock is launched on startup?

If you have some bugs when Cairo-Dock is launched automatically at startup and not when it's launched manually : Try to launch it with a delay.

In your session manager (help here), use this command :
sh -c "sleep 15 && cairo-dock -o"

Change any parameters according to your configuration (here we have 15 seconds and Cairo-Dock with OpenGL)



A message at startup / Two Docks at startup

Read it or go here for more help !
And if you have two docks at startup: Execute cairo-dock at startup
E.g.:
  • For Gnome 2, open gnome-session-properties (System / Preferences / Applications at startup) / "Options" tab / Disable the option to remember which applications are launched
  • For KDE:
    • Open the panel to configure your desktop / "Advanced" tab / Session Manager / At startup section enable an option to start with an empty session.
    • Or add "cairo-dock" on the option to not restore some applications.
  • For XFCE: Go to your session manager and disable the option to remember which applications are launched
  • For OpenBox: if you use this file ~/.config/openbox/autostart.sh to launch the dock, remove this files:
    rm -f ~/.config/autostart/cairo-dock*.desktop
If you still have a second dock at startup, remove the caches:
rm ~/.cache/sessions/x*




No theme available?
Proxy
Do you use a proxy to be connected to Internet? If yes, you have to configure Curl.
It's easy, edit (or create) this file '~/.curlrc', e.g. with gedit :
gedit ~/.curlrc
Past these informations and modify the last line with the complete URL of your proxy :
#We want a 30 minute timeout:
-m 1800
#. .. and we use a proxy for all accesses:
proxy = proxy.our.domain.com:8080
If you have to use an username and a password, add this line :
user = user:passwd

Old release
After a problem with our registrar (vivadomaine) we have to change our domain name. So if you use an older version that the 2.1.3, please update it !
Something else?
Maybe your connexion is too slow (or you're too far from our server), open the config panel of Cairo-Dock (right click on the dock / Cairo-Dock / Settings), click on the Advanced Mode (on the bottom-left) / System module / Connexion to the server / and increase all numbers.


No icon on menu, GMenu, etc. on Gnome 2.28?
Two possible methods to fix this problem :
From a terminal
Simply apply this command :
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /desktop/gnome/interface/menus_have_icons true && gconftool-2 --type bool --set /desktop/gnome/interface/buttons_have_icons true


With a GUI
Open 'gconf-editor', go Desktop / Gnome / Interface and enable "menus have icons" and also "buttons have icons"


Themes Manager only displays the _default_ theme?
If you have the version 2.1.3 (newer or equal), there is maybe a little problem with IPv6 (due to an old DNS server we guess). You can try this workaround:
  • Edit this file ~/.curlrc with a text editor, e.g. with gedit
    gedit ~/.curlrc
  • Add this line
    --ipv4
If you still have the bug, please report this bug to our forum!


Skype is launched twice
If your Skype launcher launches a new instance rather than maximizing the existing instance from the Notification Area, you can use this method.
(NB:This issue is true for Ubuntu (please update if this is true for other distro or OS.)
Credits go to Jackwizard (More info on http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=332401)

sudo mv ~/Desktop/skype-single-instance /usr/local/bin/

  • Then change the command-line of your Skype launcher to
skype-single-instance

  • If you intend to merge your launcher with the taskbar-instance of Skype, you need to edit the extra parameters of your launcher and specify the class of program as:
Skype

  • As you launch the script for the first time, a prompt will ask you to authorise it to use Skype, accept that.
Now each time you click on the Skype launcher, the existing instance should be maximised.


Trash applet tries to open Nautilus in Xfce
in a terminal type:
gconftool --set --type=string /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/trash/command 'thunar %s'



Wrong application used when opening a file
If the Folders or Quick-Browser or Trash applets open files with a wrong application, it's because you have to specify in your file-manager the association between a kind of file and the program that should open it.
On Gnome, open Nautilus, then right-click on the file -> properties, then in the "Open with" tab, you select the desired application.
On XFCE, you can use gconftool to do that manually.
On KDE, try with Dolphin.


Dock is not placed correctly on the screen
If you use Metacity as the Window Manager, and the dock is not placed correctly (its orientation is good but it's as if the screen size was 0), then try to launch this command:
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/metacity/general/disable_workarounds false




The dock is very slow to hide itself only with OpenGL backend?
It's possible that your video card doesn't support well some OpenGL functions. So the auto-hide effect works but "its very glitchy like a vsync on it is messed up". The better thing to do is to report this bug to drivers devs but you can also use a workaround since the version 2.3.0: you can disable the effect through the config panel (Visibility module)



The dock is in the middle of both monitors (dual screen)
Simply enable multi-monitor option (right click on the dock / Cairo-Dock / Settings / (Advanced Mode) / Position module / Multi-Monitor).



The dock or its dialogues are invisibles
A few window manager (like Metacity) doesn't handle correctly the opacity (_NET_WM_OPACITY). This is why the dock or its dialogues can be invisible (e.g.: when we click on the 'Shutdown' menu entry of the Logout applet, nothing happens). As workaround, you can use this option to launch the dock -W (since the version 3.1.0)
cairo-dock -W




Icons are corrupted after wake-up from suspend
It seems that there is a bug with some icons when resuming from suspend/hibernation but only when using nVidia proprietary drivers.
This bug has already been reported a few years ago but feel free to add new comments there: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2289131 (and/or report this bug to nVidia devs again ).
But there is a workaround: you can launch a daemon which will quickly relaunch the dock when resuming from suspend/hibernation.

Note: you can also use a program which do the same thing but coded in C: https://bugs.launchpad.net/cairo-dock-plug-ins/+bug/535065/comments/12


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