Just did an in-place upgrade from F29 to F30, following the procedure laid out at https://fedoramagazine.org/upgrading-fedora-29-to-fedora-30/ (System has been progressively upgraded for the last four or five releases via this procedure.)
Coupla issues, one major.
First (minor), after final reboot, I was forced to create a new user, which is now the default user on the login screen. Existing userid is still there, accessible via the "not listed?" link. Everything is intact in home directory.
How to restore my old userid as the default on the login screen?
Second (MAJOR), once logged into my normal account, the graphical desktop no longer shows an "Applications" drop-down; all I get is the "Places" dropdown with no immediate way to start applications.
Browsing Places->Computer->/usr/bin and clicking on applications does not start them. Clicking on those (like Thunderbird) that have a shell script startup displays the text of the script.
Others (gnome-termainal, for example) generate a pop up that says:
"Could not display "gnome-terminal." There is no application installed for "shared library" files. Do you want to search for an application to open this file?"
Now, Alt-F2 brings up a window that says "Enter Command." Typing "xterm" or "thunderbird" or "google-chrome" into this box does start the application. (So, at least, I'm not totally dead in the water here.)
How to get the Applications drop-down back?
On 5/14/19 4:25 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
Second (MAJOR), once logged into my normal account, the graphical desktop no longer shows an "Applications" drop-down; all I get is the "Places" dropdown with no immediate way to start applications.
Answering myself...
The applications menu drop down is an (apparently-not-working-in-F30) Gnome extension. Browsing to extensions.gnome.com generates "We cannot detect a running copy of GNOME on this system" error. Gnome-tweaks reports an error starting the applications menu extension.
On 5/14/19 2:46 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
The applications menu drop down is an (apparently-not-working-in-F30) Gnome extension. Browsing to extensions.gnome.com generates "We cannot detect a running copy of GNOME on this system" error. Gnome-tweaks
Make sure you have the package "chrome-gnome-shell" installed.
On 5/14/19 6:08 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 2:46 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
The applications menu drop down is an (apparently-not-working-in-F30) Gnome extension. Browsing to extensions.gnome.com generates "We cannot detect a running copy of GNOME on this system" error. Gnome-tweaks
Make sure you have the package "chrome-gnome-shell" installed.
Now installed. Have rebooted, and nothing changed. While accesssing the extensions home page, Google Chrome still reports it can't find a "running copy of Gnome," Firefox doesn't complain. However, FF also reports the error starting the extension, as does'gnome-tweaks.'
On 5/14/19 4:04 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
On 5/14/19 6:08 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
Make sure you have the package "chrome-gnome-shell" installed.
Now installed. Have rebooted, and nothing changed. While accesssing the extensions home page, Google Chrome still reports it can't find a "running copy of Gnome," Firefox doesn't complain. However, FF also reports the error starting the extension, as does'gnome-tweaks.'
I don't know about Chrome, I only use Firefox.
If there's an error starting the extension, it's likely no longer compatible with the current version of gnome-shell.
On 5/14/19 7:28 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 4:04 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
On 5/14/19 6:08 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
Make sure you have the package "chrome-gnome-shell" installed.
Now installed. Have rebooted, and nothing changed. While accesssing the extensions home page, Google Chrome still reports it can't find a "running copy of Gnome," Firefox doesn't complain. However, FF also reports the error starting the extension, as does'gnome-tweaks.'
I don't know about Chrome, I only use Firefox.
If there's an error starting the extension, it's likely no longer compatible with the current version of gnome-shell.
Well....a couple of reboots and the extension is now working. As before, accessing http://extensions.gnome.org/ with Google Chrome still generates the error message about not finding a running Gnome. But, all's well that ends well.
Thank you for your help, Samuel.
On 5/14/19 1:25 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
First (minor), after final reboot, I was forced to create a new user, which is now the default user on the login screen. Existing userid is still there, accessible via the "not listed?" link. Everything is intact in home directory.
You had to create a new user? You got the initial-setup screens?
How to restore my old userid as the default on the login screen?
After logging in, it doesn't show up in the list? Is there a file for that user in /var/lib/AccountsService/users/? If so, what is in it?
Second (MAJOR), once logged into my normal account, the graphical desktop no longer shows an "Applications" drop-down; all I get is the "Places" dropdown with no immediate way to start applications.
What desktop are you using? Do you have any extensions that might be failing? If this is Gnome, does pressing the logo key switch to the overview?
Browsing Places->Computer->/usr/bin and clicking on applications does not start them. Clicking on those (like Thunderbird) that have a shell script startup displays the text of the script.
Others (gnome-termainal, for example) generate a pop up that says:
"Could not display "gnome-terminal." There is no application installed for "shared library" files. Do you want to search for an application to open this file?"
That's what Nautilus does in F29 as well. You probably just didn't have any reason to try it.
On 5/14/19 5:55 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 1:25 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
First (minor), after final reboot, I was forced to create a new user, which is now the default user on the login screen. Existing userid is still there, accessible via the "not listed?" link. Everything is intact in home directory.
You had to create a new user? You got the initial-setup screens?
Yes. Could not proceed until I created a user.
How to restore my old userid as the default on the login screen?
After logging in, it doesn't show up in the list? Is there a file for that user in /var/lib/AccountsService/users/? If so, what is in it?
Original userid:
# cat tkevans [User] Language= XSession= Icon=/home/tkevans/.face SystemAccount=true
Newly created user:
# cat evanstimk [User] Language=en_US.UTF-8 XSession= PasswordHint= Icon=/var/lib/AccountsService/icons/evanstimk SystemAccount=false
On 5/14/19 4:07 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
# cat tkevans [User] Language= XSession= Icon=/home/tkevans/.face SystemAccount=true
There's the problem, change that to false. I wonder if this is such an old install (originally) that the userid is below 1000. What are the results of "id tkevans" and "id evanstimk"?
On 5/14/19 7:31 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 4:07 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
# cat tkevans [User] Language= XSession= Icon=/home/tkevans/.face SystemAccount=true
There's the problem, change that to false. I wonder if this is such an old install (originally) that the userid is below 1000. What are the results of "id tkevans" and "id evanstimk"?
Thanks, again, Samuel.
Making this edit did not change anything. The newly created userid (that created at first boot of the upgraded system) is still the default shown by the GDM login screen. clicking "not listed?" allows login via the original account.
So, I deleted this new userid. After logging out from the old account, I was again forced to create a new user, it was set to the default on the login screen, and the SystemAccount flag on the old userid was set back to "true." So we're back where we started.
Old userid was not below 1000; it is 1000. New userid is 1001.
id tkevans uid=1000(tkevans) gid=1000(tkevans) groups=1000(tkevans),10(wheel)
id snavemit uid=1001(snavemit) gid=1001(snavemit) groups=1001(snavemit),10(wheel)
On 5/15/19 6:59 AM, Tim Evans wrote:
On 5/14/19 7:31 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 4:07 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
# cat tkevans [User] Language= XSession= Icon=/home/tkevans/.face SystemAccount=true
There's the problem, change that to false. I wonder if this is such an old install (originally) that the userid is below 1000. What are the results of "id tkevans" and "id evanstimk"?
Making this edit did not change anything. The newly created userid (that created at first boot of the upgraded system) is still the default shown by the GDM login screen. clicking "not listed?" allows login via the original account.
Did you reboot after changing that file? Otherwise, you need to at least restart the account service (can't remember the name) and gdm.
On 5/15/19 11:21 AM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/15/19 6:59 AM, Tim Evans wrote:
On 5/14/19 7:31 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/14/19 4:07 PM, Tim Evans wrote:
# cat tkevans [User] Language= XSession= Icon=/home/tkevans/.face SystemAccount=true
There's the problem, change that to false. I wonder if this is such an old install (originally) that the userid is below 1000. What are the results of "id tkevans" and "id evanstimk"?
Making this edit did not change anything. The newly created userid (that created at first boot of the upgraded system) is still the default shown by the GDM login screen. clicking "not listed?" allows login via the original account.
Did you reboot after changing that file? Otherwise, you need to at least restart the account service (can't remember the name) and gdm.
Yes, several times. I have also successively: (1) restored the contents of /var/lib/AccountsService/users from my last F29 backup; (2) moved the newly created userid's file completely out of that directory; and (3) moved my normal userid's /etc/passwd entry to the end of the file (i.e., after the new userid's entry), retaining UID and GID of both. Each step with a reboot.
Nothing's changed. Does gdm have a config somewhere that controls this? Nothing I can see in /etc/gdm or /var/lib/gdm.
What tells the system to run 'gnome-initial-setup'? (As noted, deleting the (new) userid it creates causes it to run again as soon as you log off, intercepting the gdm login screen and forcing creation of a user.)
On 5/15/19 8:59 AM, Tim Evans wrote:
Yes, several times. I have also successively: (1) restored the contents of /var/lib/AccountsService/users from my last F29 backup; (2) moved the newly created userid's file completely out of that directory; and (3) moved my normal userid's /etc/passwd entry to the end of the file (i.e., after the new userid's entry), retaining UID and GID of both. Each step with a reboot.
You can delete all the files out of the users directory, they will get created next login.
Nothing's changed. Does gdm have a config somewhere that controls this? Nothing I can see in /etc/gdm or /var/lib/gdm.
Not that I know of.
What tells the system to run 'gnome-initial-setup'? (As noted, deleting the (new) userid it creates causes it to run again as soon as you log off, intercepting the gdm login screen and forcing creation of a user.)
If Gnome thinks there is no existing user, it will run that. So it's very strange that the old user appears to be invisible for some reason.
On 5/15/19 12:11 PM, Samuel Sieb wrote:
On 5/15/19 8:59 AM, Tim Evans wrote:
Yes, several times. I have also successively: (1) restored the contents of /var/lib/AccountsService/users from my last F29 backup; (2) moved the newly created userid's file completely out of that directory; and (3) moved my normal userid's /etc/passwd entry to the end of the file (i.e., after the new userid's entry), retaining UID and GID of both. Each step with a reboot.
You can delete all the files out of the users directory, they will get created next login.
Where does the account service find the info to fill these back in?
And, hand-edits get overwritten, then. (Just verified this.)
My original userid's SystemAccount flag has now been re-set to 'true.'
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Samuel Sieb -
Tim Evans