unity can no longer display netbeans window if netbeans is closed while minimized

[Rocko]

I have netbeans 7.1 installed from the netbeans installer (not the repos). If I have it minimized and I close it via the unity launcher right-menu Quit option, unity no longer displays the netbeans window when I next run it - even after a system reboot. The launcher shows the application as running, but it stays minimized no matter what. The expose spread showing all desktops also doesn't show the netbeans window.

This is true for both unity3d and unity2d.

The only workaround I have discovered is to run netbeans from gnome-shell and then log out and back into unity, at which point unity is able to display the netbeans window again.

Where does unity store the application settings? I am guessing it is storing invalid window settings and these persist across sessions.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: unity 5.10.0-0ubuntu2
Uname: Linux 3.4.0-rc2-git-20120413.1818 x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,gnomecompat,imgpng,snap,grid,wall,move,place,vpswitch,session,compiztoolbox,extrawm,resize,regex,animation,workarounds,unitymtgrabhandles,expo,fade,scale,ezoom,unityshell]
Date: Fri Apr 13 19:29:41 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AU:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-03-02 (42 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[setlord (quiroz-alonso)]

I can't find the NetBean's window after I minimize it. With "ps ax" on terminal I see it running, but the Icon on launcher (unity) is useless to bring up the window. If I "kill -9" the app and open it again (from the same icon on the launcher), it works as normal, except when I minimize it.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

That doesn't sound exactly like what I'm experiencing: I can usually restore Netbean's window using the unity launcher icon (either the original icon or the new one that Unity adds for Netbeans once it is running), but in the particular case where Netbeans is closed while minimized I can never display it again (until I run it via gnome-shell).

[Alex Athanasopoulos (filopodaros)]

I'm experiencing setlord's issue: When I start netbeans, it doesn't stay in the unity launcher. If I minimize it, I have no way of restoring it. If I do "Lock in Launcher" while netbeans is starting, the icon stays in the launcher, but pressing it attempts to start a new instance of netbeans instead of bringing up the existing instance. I noticed these issues today, after I upgraded Netbeans (from within Netbeans). I have installed Netbeans from a netbeans installer.

Should we open a new issue for this?

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

@Alex: I think it is a different issue so it might make sense to open another bug - I'm not sure though that the unity devs really care about this kind of thing.

I do get a netbeans icon in the launcher, it's just that I get a separate icon from the launcher. Clicking on either icon in the launcher brings the netbeans window to the foreground (except when I'm affected by this bug, which I think is due to unity drawing the netbeans window off all the desktop screens).

I think your problem is that unity doesn't make a link between the running netbeans application and the desktop file. It is strange that this is so, because all the other launchers I've ever tried in Ubuntu can do this, but I think it's because the netbeans startup program launches a separate application and unity isn't smart enough to realise this.

I installed the netbeans launcher in the unity launcher by going to /usr/share/applications in nautilus and dragging the netbeans.desktop file into the launcher. Did you install that way, and if not, if you try it do you get a functioning launcher?

[Alex Athanasopoulos (filopodaros)]

I entered a separate bug #1001973: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/1001973
It works correctly after a fresh reboot, but breaks after launching and closing netbeans a few times.

[Chris Lees (christopherjameslees)]

I experienced this same problem with Ubuntu 12.04 (Unity) + Netbeans 7.2.1. I managed to get the windows back by clicking on the Netbeans launcher icon (which appears to do nothing) then selecting Window > Reset Windows from the menu bar. Hope this works for others.

[Stanislav Kogut (stasikos)]

Agree, seeking solution to this problem today. Netbeans window is not showing after it's startup and I see only icon on Unity launcher, and it shows Netbeans has window. I can even send keyboard events to it, but can't restore window with hotkeys like "maximize", "minimize".

[Andrew Riddlestone (andrew-riddlestone)]

Came across this today.
Glad Rocko mentioned starting netbeans in gnome - having made sure I could see it there, it now appears in unity again.
Any word on a fix for this? Installing gnome is quite a lot of bandwidth/disk space/time/effort for restoring a window ;)

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

I actually haven't seen this bug for quite some time, but I also haven't used netbeans in ubuntu 12.04 for some time.

Fwiw, this bug definitely isn't occurring in ubuntu 13.04 - I verified this just now.

[Alex Baggott (alex-baggott)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu, but cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu please, comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.