Score:2

Updating to Ubuntu 21.04 created duplicate/dummy desktop files/folders

us flag

After updating from Ubuntu 20.10 to Ubuntu 21.04 I've noticed that all the files on my desktop have duplicated themselves, but the duplicate version cannot be opened or interacted with.

The dummy files are slightly smaller than the original, and are overlapped by the original. If I move the actual file, the dummy stays where it is until I either restart the PC or restart gnome desktop by pressing ALT + F2 and typing restart which causes the dummy file to be back under the original.

Here is a screenshot of some of the icons and their duplicates

Here is a screenshot of some of the icons and their duplicates

How can I fix this?

[Edit]

I just wanted to mention that the duplicates/dummies are not seen by Ubuntu as actual files, and are not shown in terminal by using ls ~/Desktop or in the Files program, and that they are only visible on the actual desktop.

This also means that I cannot interact with them in any normal way, meaning I can't delete them by right clicking and selecting delete, or using rm

[Edit 2]

System details:

Graphics: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 [GeForce GTX 1660]

Gnome Version: 3.38.5

windowing System: X11

vanadium avatar
cn flag
Would it be possible that both the old "Desktop Icons" and the new "Desktop Icons NG" are active at the same time? Try `sudo apt remove gnome-extension-desktop-icons` to remove that old extension if that would be the cause. Alternatively, it may be a graphics issue. Include info on your graphics card. Third possibility: you moved to Wayland. Does it also happen on Xorg?
nose_gnome avatar
us flag
@vanadium I tried your suggestion to remove gnome-extension-desktop-icons but it said that it could not find the packages, meaning that it does not still have the old Desktop Icons. My Graphics: `NVIDIA Corporation TU116 [GeForce GTX 1660]`. My Windowing system: `X11`
FedKad avatar
cn flag
If nothing else helps, disable all GNOME add-ons and enable them one by one...
nose_gnome avatar
us flag
@FedonKadifeli I feel like a fool now. I went to do what you said through the Extensions tab in Gnome Tweaks app where I found both "Desktop icons" & "Desktop icons ng (ding)". `Desktop icons` was turned on and `Desktop icons ng` was off. Turning `Desktop icons` off fixed it, meaning that @vanadium 's suggestion was sort of the answer.
Score:1
us flag

Thanks to both @vandium & @FedonKadifeli I found that Desktop icons was causing the issue.

Although @vandium's suggestion to use sudo apt remove gnome-extension-desktop-icons did not work, making me believe that Desktop icons was not installed/causing the issue. It turned out that it was installed and turned on.

Turning off Desktop icons using the Gnome Tweaks fixed the issue.

I also noticed that Desktop icons ng (ding) was already turned off, and changing its status did not change anything.

Example showing the desktop icons being turned on in Gnome Tweaks

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