HPLIP hp-systray tray icon does not show dropdown menu in Unity Panel on 18.04 LTS

[Norbert]

Steps to reproduce:
1. Install Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with `ubuntu-unity-desktop` all updates
2. Install HPLIP into it with `sudo apt install hplip-gui`
3. Log out.

Expected results:
* HPLIP shows hp-systray icon and its fully functional

Actual results:
* HPLIP shows hp-systrat icon but it is non-functional (see screenshot)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: hplip-gui 3.17.10+repack0-5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-43.46-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-43-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
Architecture: amd64
CupsErrorLog:
 W [14/Aug/2018:13:47:13 +0300] Notifier for subscription 25 (dbus://) went away, retrying!
 W [07/Jan/2019:13:51:06 +0300] Notifier for subscription 39 (dbus://) went away, retrying!
CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7:ubuntu
Date: Mon Jan 7 14:00:31 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-04-28 (253 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
Lpstat: Error: command ['lpstat', '-v'] failed with exit code 1: lpstat: No destinations added.
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: innotek GmbH VirtualBox
PackageArchitecture: all
Papersize: a4
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-43-generic root=UUID=b7cab74d-ae3c-460b-95fe-5f8e8a45ff56 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: hplip
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: innotek GmbH
dmi.bios.version: VirtualBox
dmi.board.name: VirtualBox
dmi.board.vendor: Oracle Corporation
dmi.board.version: 1.2
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: Oracle Corporation
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvninnotekGmbH:bvrVirtualBox:bd12/01/2006:svninnotekGmbH:pnVirtualBox:pvr1.2:rvnOracleCorporation:rnVirtualBox:rvr1.2:cvnOracleCorporation:ct1:cvr:
dmi.product.family: Virtual Machine
dmi.product.name: VirtualBox
dmi.product.version: 1.2
dmi.sys.vendor: innotek GmbH

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

Hmm...Is this same for mate too. No? What is the content of etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop ? For some reason it is not generating the menu. Though for me, it works fine. May be something to do with LP: #1688684

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

The desktop-file is default:

$ cat /etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Version=0.6
Type=Application
Name=HP System Tray Service
GenericName=Printer Status Applet
Comment=HP System Tray Service
Exec=hp-systray -x
Icon=/usr/share/hplip/data/images/128x128/hp_logo.png
Terminal=false
Categories=Application;Utility;
X-KDE-StartupNotify=false
StartupNotify=false

The MATE problem is solvable by using dbus-launch (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mate-panel/+bug/1810745/comments/8).

But this method does not fix problem on Unity. Here the problem is solvable by installation of 3.18.12 from hplip site as discribed in https://askubuntu.com/a/1056078/66509 .

[Khurshid Alam (khurshid-alam)]

It seems dbus realted issue, on unity it simply couldn't get the bus. But dbus-launch works for me. Ask the maintainer (~till-kamppeter )to upload new version of hplip.