org.gtk.setting.file-chooser.location-mode setting is not respected and is reset to path-bar

[Dan Kortschak]

The org.gtk.settings.file-chooser.location-mode="filename-entry" setting is not respected by open and save (other?) file dialogs. Whenever a file dialog is opened it is in bread crumb ("path-bar") mode irrespective of the state the conf was set to (in this case "filename-entry"). On opening dconf-editor, the setting has reverted to "path-bar".

Nautilus does respect the equivalent setting org.gnome.nautilus.preferences.always-use-location-entry.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gnome-core (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-20.21~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-20-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu May 30 07:48:16 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-05-22 (7 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190210)
SourcePackage: meta-gnome3
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ivan Zakharyaschev (imz)]

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/938 :

In a reddit thread [1] someone pointed to the source code where location-mode is not loaded when the dialog opens [2] (presumably using the default) but it does save the value when closed. [3]

[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/7579w0/gsettings_value_getting_overwritten_after_setting/
[2]: https://git.gnome.org/browse/gtk+/tree/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c?h=gtk-3-22#n3877
[3]: https://git.gnome.org/browse/gtk+/tree/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c?h=gtk-3-22#n3916

GTK developers' response https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/938#note_111883 :

It is a private gtk setting, you don't really have any business tweaking it. It may disappear at any point.

* * *

As for me personally, I'd still like to be able to configure it, particularly, for typing the path on the File Chooser in Firefox, as discussed in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=374011#c133 and https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1518742

[Ivan Zakharyaschev (imz)]

This issue is also discussed at <https://unix.stackexchange.com/q/385729/4319>.

[Cochy (acquadoria)]

Technically, this problem is a grain of sand, but the absurd behavior of the save as dialog box changes the perception of Linux, making it a cheesy system. This is not an anecdotal issue, it is a small melanoma. The attitude of the GTK developers is irresponsible.