.desktop files inside folders on the Desktop cannot be launched

[Timur Tabi]

I can create a folder on the desktop (right click -> New Folder) and if I move a .desktop file into that folder, I can no longer launch the program. Right-clicking on it gives me the "Run" menu option, but that option does nothing.
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.8
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-06-02 (329 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo" - Release amd64 (20190416)
Package: nautilus 1:3.34.1-1ubuntu1
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-46.38-generic 5.3.18
Tags: eoan
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-46-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to eoan on 2020-03-29 (29 days ago)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
usr_lib_nautilus:

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1875204/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:

  apport-collect 1875204

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Could you also make a small video showing the issue?

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

apport information

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

apport information

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

apport information

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

If you're curious, here's the contents of gedit.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Name=GEDIT
Exec=/usr/bin/gedit

Note that when gedit.desktop is located in ~/Desktop, the icon just says "GEDIT" (which is what the "Name" field says above). However, when it's located in ~/Desktop/TEST, it's treated like a normal file and is labeled "gedit.desktop".

I just don't understand how Ubuntu could be missing basic GUI features that literally every other operating system has had for decades. What is so controversial about putting desktop icons in folders?

There so many things that I can't do with the Desktop:

1) I can't drag/drop files from the desktop to/from other folders. Did you notice that I had use the Copy and Paste context menus to copy the file to the TEST folder?

2) I can't drag/drop files to applications in the launcher.

3) I can't drag/drop files from the Desktop to any open application.

The root cause for all these problems is that the Desktop is not treated like any other Nautilus folder. It's its own special, dysfunctional thing. This is in contrast to every other GUI out there.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks for the video, the problems you mention come from nautilus upstream decisions. Weird that it displays the action since they removed handling for .desktop, see https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/nautilus/issues/184

The desktop limitations you mention are known, also down to nautilus upstream deciding to remove that feature
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/nautilus/-/issues/158

The new component used for the desktop is https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

So I'm confused. You say it's an upstream Gnome issue. The desktop-icons developer says it's a Nautilus issue, since Nautilus handles folders. Issues 158 and 184 imply that Nautilus is not going to implement anything. Everyone is blaming everyone else. So who's really responsible?

[Timur Tabi (timur-tabi)]

The desktop-icons developer denies responsibility for this bug and says the bug belongs to Nautilus. But you're saying that Nautilus is removing that feature. So who's responsible for fixing it?

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

The view is handled by nautilus so it would be up to nautilus to resolve it, but the nautilus upstream said they are no interest in keeping that feature so in practice it means it's not going to be resolved. You can probably try other file manager applications though...