gnome main menu applet makes panel size to large

[Frank Niedermann]

If the panel size is smaller than 24 pixels, the gnome main menu won't fit on it.

Example:

New panel with size of 19 pixels. Adding some icons and applets works fine, panel stays in size (19 pixels). If adding the gnome main menu to the panel, it will grow to 24 pixels of size. It can be resized to 19 pixels in the properties of the panel but it won't actually get smaller than 24 pixels as long as the gnome main menu exists on the panel.

It seems that the gnome main menu applet is keeping the panel from getting smaller.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report. Could you make a screenshot of the issue?

[Frank Niedermann (fbn)]

sure, I've attached the screenshot with comparison of the size and description. does that help? need anything else? but I believe the issue is reproduceable on every Ubuntu Hardy installation ... just create a new panel, set size to 17 pixel, add the gnome main menu and it will get bigger automatically.

could it be that it's the ubuntu icon next to the gnome main menu that's forcing the size? because the font itself is small enough ...

thanks for your help,
  Frank

[Frank Niedermann (fbn)]

Hi,

is this bug still incomplete? What information is missing?

Some other people have this issue too: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=758957

[jarav (jagrav)]

I can confirm this bug/issue. Happened after upgrade to Hardy from Gutsy. Changing the panel font or changing the icon scheme ( even if I use scalable icons) does not help. gconf-editor says that the minimum panel size is determined by the font and 'other indicators'. Don't know what those 'other indicators' are.

[Frank Niedermann (fbn)]

Hi,

why is this bug still incomplete - what information is missing?

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

there is just lot of bug and really few ressources to work on those, unconfirming for now, somebody should send that to bugzilla.gnome.org

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Thanks for your bug report. This bug has been reported to the developers of the software. You can track it and make comments here: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=537661

[ChAnGFu (changfu972)]

I comfirm this bug on my laptop from upgrading to Hardy from Gutsy.

[madmax1735 (rebel1735)]

bug also comfirmed on ubuntu intrepid 8.10

in configuration editor setting option:

/desktop/gnome/interface/toolbar_icons_size = small-toolbar

does not work.
at boot briefly though icons apper in 16x16 size for a sec or two and then change size back to 24x24

changing importance to high as its a bug in panel , something which is always visible and projects on build and quality of ubuntu and also prevents users from having a neat looking system.

also if u install mac4lin size of icons can be set to smaller 16x16 by just reducing the size of panel from right click panel properties.

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Please do NOT change bugs from Triage status to Confirmed, thanks.

[coCoKNIght (cocoknight)]

Got the same problem with 8.10 and 9-04, it's quiet annoying since I'm trying to save as much pixels as possilbe on my hp mini with 1024x600 but the menu doesn't adjust its size like everything else...
At least the bottom panel does get smaller though I think it could be even smaller with a font size of 6...

[coCoKNIght (cocoknight)]

btw. if in system -> preferences -> appearence -> Interface you disable the option 'show icons in menus' then the panel will get smaller as it should be.

[paul boyle (p-launchpad-boyley-org)]

My humble contribution (running asus eeepc900 2Gram eeebuntu 2.0):

Unchecking 'show icons in menus' does indeed allow 19pix resizing of panel but has the unfortunate side-affect of INCREASING panel menu item size. Having only 1024x600 real estate, the extra pixels do count. This approach allows you to keep icons in menus and gets the right panel size.

This hack is for the desperate and the curious. It will be overwritten by theme upgrades and pays no heed to security concerns. If you don't understand what the following commands do then PLEASE don't execute them. You should always know how to undo changes YOU make to YOUR system.

I sledgehammered a dirty fix by backing up then soft linking all relevant "icon size" directories to the 16x16 counterpart. e.g. using icon set Gion (these settings trickle through a hierarchy specific to your setup - this is for guidance only!!):

cd /usr/share/icons/Gion
sudo mv 24x24 24x24_bak
sudo ln -s 16x16 24x24

Repeat for any size/icon that you think might be relevant (including 'scalable'). Reboot X.

I suspect a more rigorous approach will identify the panel's interpretation of the 'start-here' icon as the culprit but I am currently too lazy/drunk to prove this. Fyi, I installed a new icon theme (sudubuntu for netbooks) and the correct scale was preserved. Since this theme does not override 'start-here', I am even more inclined to believe that 'start-here' is at the root of this feature.

I will try to upload a screen shot of my darling little eee's desktop (modified BlueHeart controls, Mist borders, Sudubuntu icons).

BTW - I wouldn't hold your breath for a fix for this. It ain't going to happen. People like big icons ;o)

Good Luck Forum Forna
Paul

[Pierre Slamich (pierre-slamich)]

In my case, it scales the 16 icon placed in the 24 folder to 24 pixels :-S

[Andrzej Kłapeć (solidslash)]

Why isn't it fixed already?
That bug is so annoying..

[Yalçın Can (yalcin.can)]

Problem still exists.

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

You can submit a patch and help this bug to be fixed soon, otherwise adding comments like those doesn't help at all. thanks.

[Zach McCullough (nosrepa)]

We are here to report problems, especially ones that need fixing. I know this is a low-priority bug, but it also an outstanding one. Comments like *yours* discourage bug reporting and do not help as well.

[madmax1735 (rebel1735)]

also effects ubuntu karmic 9.10

and the workaround posted above does not work when using the new ubuntu "HUMANITY" icon set

help!

[tomazzi (tomazzi-wp)]

I've just upgraded my laptop to 9.10 and as expected menu toolbar gets fat ;)
What I discovered: Changing icon theme solves the problem, but I like my icons - so the simplest way is to copy f.e. <my_icons>/22x22/places/start-here.png to 32x32/places/... Then we need to delete icon-theme.cache in /usr/share/<my_icons>/ and restart gnome-panel (killall gnome-panel). That works perfectly for me ;)
conclusion: for some reason gnome-panel ignores panel size and sets icon-theme to 32x32 after distro upgrade. But where these settings are stored?

[coCoKNIght (cocoknight)]

Note that this problem doesn't occur any more since 10.04 I believe. I'm running 10.10 atm and the panel resizes as would be expected.

[klerfayt (klerfayt-deactivatedaccount)]

>I'm running 10.10 atm and the panel resizes as would be expected.

I am running 10.10 and panel height doesn't go lower than 24pixels

[coCoKNIght (cocoknight)]

Right, my fault, sorry. I forgot that I'm not using the default menu bar anymore, instead I'm using the "main menu" (the one with only the ubuntu logo).
So yeah, please ignore my previous post, this is still an issue in 10.10