gdm3 requires a restart to show a change in the list of desktop environments

[Scott Cohen]

When installing or deleting desktop environments, gdm3 doesn't update the list of desktop environments when logging out. It requires a reboot in order to show a change. Lightdm requires a simple logout in order to update the list of desktop environments. This is an inconvenience and a nuisance if this were to be default behavior.

1.
Description: Ubuntu Bionic Beaver (development branch)
Release: 18.04
2.
gdm3:
  Installed: 3.26.2.1-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.26.2.1-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 3.26.2.1-2ubuntu1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
3. I expected the list of desktop environments in gdm3 to update when logging out.
4. I didn't get an updated list of desktop environments in gdm3 logging out but instead after a reboot.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gdm3 3.26.2.1-2ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-16.19-generic 4.13.4
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-16-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.8-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Nov 23 12:25:30 2017
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-07-20 (126 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.04 "Zesty Zapus" - Release amd64 (20170412)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gdm3
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2017-11-23 (0 days ago)
mtime.conffile..etc.gdm3.custom.conf: 2017-08-14T11:30:53.892633

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. The issue you are reporting is an upstream one and it would be nice if somebody having it could send the bug to the developers of the software by following the instructions at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/GNOME. If you have done so, please tell us the number of the upstream bug (or the link), so we can add a bugwatch that will inform us about its status. Thanks in advance.

[Scott Cohen (yetoo)]

This isn't a new bug, but it has been fixed in the past. I'm not sure whether to make a new bug or just link to it so it inevitably gets reopened. I'll post the link to the bug here: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=746798

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.