Can't launch file managers

This happens to me too.
I quit Docky and launch again and Nautilus starts.
I think that there was a similar problem in Docky 1, wasn't?
I'm running r1092.

>I think that there was a similar problem in Docky 1, wasn't?
Yes, see https://bugs.launchpad.net/do/+bug/290136

Just change "Exec=nautilus" to "Exec=nautilus ." (add a whitespace and point) in file /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop, it should work then.

This workaround has the negative side effect, that a nautilus window is opened each time after the gnome desktop is loaded at system startup

changing command from the starter in the menu from "nautilus --no-desktop --browser %U" to "nautilus --no-desktop --browser" and then just pull that starter in docky seems to work.

I've tried both of the methods suggested here and as was mentioned with the first one you get the negative side effect. The second one didn't work for me unless I added the period but that gave the side effect still. I found a way that has worked on multiple machines with no side effect:

1.) In the terminal: sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/nautilus-browser.desktop
2.) Change the following lines and then save and close the file:

a.) "Exec=nautilus --no-desktop --browser %U" should be changed to "Exec=nautilus --browser ." (You can probably leave in --no-desktop if you want, I tried it with and without it).
b.) "NoDisplay=true" should be changed to "NoDisplay"=false

3.) Navigate to /usr/share/applications and find the File Browser (not the File Manager). Drag and drop the File Browser into Docky and it should start working right away!

As I said, I've tried this on several different machines and it seems to work on each one without any troubles or side effects. If you have issues post again and let me know.

@Kevin

That didn't work for me. I'm using ubuntu 10.04 64 bit.

This worked for me, on Arch Linux:

Copy the launcher from the GNOME Menu, or /usr/share/applications/nautilus-browser.desktop to a (hidden) directory within your home folder.
Edit the launcher to start "nautilus --no-desktop --browser ." and drag it to Docky (make sure Nautilus is not already displayed).
Don't delete the launcher.

Kevi's solution worked for me on ubuntu 64 bit, but I hope a proper solution is found within Docky.

@JC

I personally use the same (10.04 64 bit) and have done it on 32 bit machines so we'll see if we can get it to work for you too. I realized that the usage of quotation marks in my post wasn't very clear. Start with the first step in my post above again. Then here's what's inside my /usr/share/applications/nautilus-browser.desktop file so you can just cut and paste:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=File Browser
Comment=Browse the file system with the file manager
TryExec=nautilus
Exec=nautilus --browser .
Icon=system-file-manager
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
Type=Application
NoDisplay=false
Categories=GNOME;GTK;System;Utility;Core;
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Bugzilla=GNOME
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Product=nautilus
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Component=general
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Version=2.30.1
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=nautilus

Finish up with Step 3 again. Make sure that you haven't done anything else (such as anything mentioned in posts prior to mine - no offense) or else it likely won't work as I've found. Hope this helps.

Gosh, this is so obvious and major bug that I still cannot understand why won't you just fix it with some hack. Please, this is really important. How can you explain to someone: "ok, I'll install you this great shiny dock called docky, but there's one... hmmm... problem. You'll have to restart it every time you boot or you won't be able to launch the file manager." Please, where is your PayPal account, I'll put $10 and try to call more people to contribute, just please fix it! :-)

I renounce my further comment - the proposed solution does not work for me either... I join the Bebix's plea.

Sorry for those struggling...but Kevin's solution worked for me. Thanks!!

Hi!

I dont like changing the system (/usr /... stuff)
the "." solution works, dunno about side effects tho... may be cuz of changing system stuff..

Just "create launcher..." at your deskop,
put this command "nautilus ." and click "ok".

Drag it to docky and it works fine!! (the nautilus icon will show also!)

I've tried the various solutions here and none work, including using existing launchers, modifying launchers, etc.. I have 32-bit 10.04

I had it working after I created a link to the folder I wished to load and then dragged this launcher to the dock. The pin method doesnt work for nautilus and some applications like Rhythmbox

I'm not sure why it doesn't seem to work for everyone. The only thing I can suggest is to make sure that you follow the directions carefully in my post #5, except for Step 2 in which case you need to skip down to #9 and just copy and paste what should go into the nautilus-browser.desktop file. Finish up with Step 3 in #5. Also, make sure you're using the File Browser and not the File Manager found in the /usr/share/applications directory. This will not work if you're using the File Manager.

Post if you keep having troubles...

Upgrading to 10.10 reverts Kevin's fix, but reapplying it seems to work fine.

Just something to be aware of.

I don't know why it didn't work on my earlier installation. Just did the same thing now on a fresh install (google brought me back here :) and it worked fine.

Ubuntu 10.10 same Problem. Kevins fix seems to work.

I still think Docky need a 'helper' för nautilus to solve this properly, something that knows it's a starter and an 'open-window-handler' (if you get what I meen). Though it's easy for me to say 'it shouldn't be that hard to fix' not knowing Python at all, hehe... ;)

A note though, the "exec=nautilus ."-thingie solved it for me but as I understood it, it's a temporary 'fix'... Not to big a deal.

I can confirm this. Is there anyone accually having no problems with nautilus integration in docky at all? I had this with gnome-do in 10.04, and now the same again with docky in 10.10, on different hardware and installations, so it looks like a very general issue!

I also think this is a serious issue, because it is wide-spread (everyone uses a file-browser every day, and wants to use it in docky)
If you look at the bug heat, this bug is the hottest in docky, so IMHO it shouldnt be considered as "low" importance!

I tried the mentioned hack by kevin consisting of dragging an application launcher to docky. This worked at first, but for some reason doesnt work anymore, and I didnt upgrade. The nautilus icon just bounces up and down and nothing happens.

I really don't understand how this bug can be considered new or of low importance. I second what karlrt said that this is the hottest bug in docky. Is anyone developing this project anymore? It seems like a program designed to launch programs should be able to launch a file browser if it can launch anything. All this button action needs to do is perform something like system("nautilus");

I really love docky and it comes much closer to meeting my needs than the competition, but an obvious atrocious bug that renders the program virtually useless which has gone on unfixed for this long makes me seriously doubt the abilities and motivation of the developers. It's time for a fork.

ANOTHER WORK AROUND

I've tried the solutions mentioned above without any luck. So I did a bit of experimentation and found a workaround.

I copied the "File manager" launcher found in usr/share/application and renamed it. (In my case "File Browser Docky")
I opened the launcher in g-edit:-

sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/"File Browser Docky".desktop
 and edited the entry to look like this
--------------------------------------
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=File Browser
Comment=Browse the file system with the file manager
Exec=nautilus /home
Icon=system-file-manager

Name[en_GB]=File Manager docky

---------------------------------------

Notice that I have added a file path at the end of the Exec line which points the the folder I want to open, change this to the one you want to open.
for example
Exec=nautilus /home/reginald/music/sugarcubes
OR
Exec=nautilus /home/ronny/pictures/muckypictures

Save the file and drag it to Docky.

Hope this helps someone.

Ta
Rich

I am using Ubuntu 10.10 64 bit. I also could not open nautilus from docky with the command: "nautilus". I had to change the command to "nautilus /home/[user name]"

What worked for me was...
1. created a panel shortcut for my home folder
1.1 rt click on panel (brings up menu) and select "Add to Panel"
1.2 choose "Custom Application Launcher"
1.2.1 for field "Name": [type in any description you want]
1.2.2 for field "command": nautilus /home/[user name]
1.2.3 for field "comment": [type in anything you want]
1.3 Drag new shortcut icon to Docky
Chad

oKtosiTe's solution works perfectly on Ubuntu 10.10 x64, no side effects!
Simply copying the existing File Manger launcher from ~/.local/share/applications and changing the command from "nautilus --no-desktop --browser" to "nautilus --no-desktop --browser ." (adding a space and a period) works absolute wonders!

sometimes it will work and sometimes it wont, ill try what ##chadchenault## suggested

@Peter, it is very deterministic. The problem only manifests when Docky auto-starts. When that happens, Nautilus fails to launch. I believe the issue is that some environment variable(s) are not fully set at that point, Docky inherits that (incomplete) environment, and then passes it on to Nautilus when it launches.

The solution is to start Docky after your desktop has loaded. If you auto-start, close and restart Docky and it works perfect.

The other solution is to edit your launcher to add the 'space period' at the end of the exec. With this solution, Nautilus always launches.

Solved my issue creating the launcher from desktop, with command:
nautilus /home/<user>

The workaround that involves making a launcher that points to /home/user seems to end up having two nautilus icons in the dock when I click it which is quite annoying.

Very silly that this bug still exists, especially considering the program has been rewritten. I can't believe its considered low importance, being able to launch things properly is pretty essential for a launcher.

Confirmed for Plank-Marlin pair: https://bugs.launchpad.net/marlin/+bug/792733/comments/5
Same workaround - "marlin ."
This bug also haunts Slingshot.
The funny thing is that if I set Marlin as the default file browser, put a file or folder in Plank and open containing folder via right click, everything works.

Let me be quite blunt about why this bug is not fixed in Docky. I believe it is either a problem with Nautilus or whatever session manager you use. Here is my logic.

The bug only happens when Docky auto-starts, usually via a session manager (gnome-session, etc). Docky will inherit the environment *at the point it starts*. Thus, I believe the issue is that something in the environment is not set prior to Docky auto-starting and Nautilus will not work (without an explicit path passed in!) without whatever that missing environment is.

So either, Nautilus has a bug and needs to be smarter and start without that environment (seems reasonable to me... if I ask Nautilus to start, why won't it show a window??).

Or you need a session manager smart enough to order the startup such that Docky starts after whatever starts that sets up that missing environment.

In either case, there is nothing Docky can do. I have been kind enough to not mark this a Invalid/WontFix, mostly so it shows up in our bug list. But basically I consider it a non-Docky bug and thus it is out of my hands.

PS, this logic applies to any app having this issue such as Plank and Slingshot.

I mean think about it people, Docky (plank/slingshot) is running the command 'nautilus' (and you can indeed verify it runs this, and Nautilus just exits). What more can we possibly do?

FYI I think this bug was just fixed in Nautilus. See this: http://mail.gnome.org/archives/commits-list/2011-May/msg00340.html

See the original Nautilus bug: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=649063

Note the similarity to this bug. ;-) I'm marking this Invalid for everything.

For anyone impatient that is stuck on the older Nautilus and wants a workaround, the attached patch will do that for Docky.

Note that this is patched against bzr trunk and you will have to build it yourself. I have tested this and can confirm it works around the issue.