Dock - running applications are not/delayed updated when starting with an empty dock

[Awenger]

The running applications, displayed in the dock are sometimes not updated, or only updated with a long delay (after 20-30 seconds). However restarting with `alt`+`F2` -> "r" -> `enter`, fixes the problem temporarily, just to come back shortly after. At first I thought it was something caused by my update to 20.04, but it even happens with a fresh install (dock location is at the bottom). I think there are multiple ways to trigger this behavior, but what worked reliably so far is to close the last running application, so that the dock is completely empty (no favorite applications in the dock - only the "Show applications" button on the dock). So far this triggered the bug every time, but I'm quite sure there were also other ways to get into this "dock no longer/delayed updating" state with other means.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock 67ubuntu20.04.5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-31.35-generic 5.4.34
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-31-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon May 25 16:36:18 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-25 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Awenger (awenger)]

Looks like at least one more person has the same issue: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1234400/icons-take-several-seconds-to-appear-disappear-from-the-dock-when-the-app-is-ope
It also looks like it is happening independently on the dock position, at least with the dock "left", I get the same behavior

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please try:

  gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-mounts false

and log out and in again. If that doesn't fix it then next please wait for the problem to happen again and run:

  journalctl -b0 > journal.txt

and attach the resulting text file here.

Please also ensure you do not have any non-Ubuntu extensions loaded. If so then please unload those.

[Awenger (awenger)]

Hey,
I still get delayed updates of the dock after "gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock show-mounts false".
After the reinstall, I didn't add any extension. I just checked with "Tweaks" and "Extensions" are "enabled". Installed extensions are "Desktop icons", "Ubuntu appindicators" and "Ubuntu dock", but all displayed as disabled. I think I didn't change anything there from the defaults. I attached a screenshot of the Extensions in Tweaks.
I collected the logs as requested and also attached them. Without a "favorite application" in the dock, the dock starts empty. So the described behavior is happening directly from the start. So all I did during that session was to log in, start gedit, start terminal. Both applications only appeared in the dock with a delay. I hope the logs don't contain any sensitive information, I replaced host-/user-/wifi- name and mac addresses were I found them, the rest should be in the original state.

[Awenger (awenger)]

Screenshot of extensions in Tweaks

[Awenger (awenger)]

I just reproduced the error after a restart of the shell with "eyes on the log", this line looks very promising :)

```
JS ERROR: TypeError: firstIcon is undefined
                                           _adjustIconSize@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:605:9
                                           _redisplay@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:834:14
                                           _runDeferredWork@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:689:31
                                           _runBeforeRedrawQueue@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:704:9
                                           _queueBeforeRedraw/<@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:713:13

```

[Awenger (awenger)]

looking at the code, this looks also promising:

- https://github.com/micheleg/dash-to-dock/blame/master/dash.js#L611-L613
- https://github.com/micheleg/dash-to-dock/issues/1188

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Could you try if the update there
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock/68ubuntu1~20.04.1
is heloing with the issue?

[Awenger (awenger)]

I tried to install the update. I haven't done this before, so just to make sure I'm in the right state:

$ apt list gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock -a
Listing... Done
gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock/focal-proposed,focal-proposed,now 68ubuntu1~20.04.1 all [installed,automatic]
gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock/focal,focal 67ubuntu20.04.5 all

This looks correct, right? I then triggered the bug again by removing all "Favorite" Applications, and switching to a Workspace without any applications. And the bug happened again:

$ journalctl -f

Jun 04 11:03:29 xyz boltd[2397]: power: setting force_power to OFF
Jun 04 11:03:29 xyz boltd[2397]: power: state changed: supported/off
Jun 04 11:03:29 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: Refused to change power state, currently in D3
Jun 04 11:03:29 xyz gnome-shell[2002]: JS ERROR: TypeError: firstIcon is undefined
                                           _adjustIconSize@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:612:9
                                           _redisplay@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:841:14
                                           _runDeferredWork@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:689:31
                                           _runBeforeRedrawQueue@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:704:9
                                           _queueBeforeRedraw/<@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:713:13
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: Refused to change power state, currently in D3
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: Controller not ready at resume -19
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: PCI post-resume error -19!
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: HC died; cleaning up
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: remove, state 4
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: usb usb4: USB disconnect, device number 1
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: USB bus 4 deregistered
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: remove, state 4
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: usb usb3: USB disconnect, device number 1
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: Host halt failed, -19
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: Host not accessible, reset failed.
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: xhci_hcd 0000:3c:00.0: USB bus 3 deregistered
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz boltd[2397]: [da010000-0060-ThinkPad X1 Carbon ] removed (/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/0000:06:00.0/0000:07:00.0/0000:08:00.0/domain0/0-0)
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz boltd[2397]: [da010000-0060-ThinkPad X1 Carbon ] dbus: unexported
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz boltd[2397]: [da010000-0060-domain0 ] disconnected from /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/0000:06:00.0/0000:07:00.0/0000:08:00.0/domain0
Jun 04 11:03:30 xyz kernel: pci_bus 0000:07: Allocating resources

[Adam Barton (abarton5)]

I've had this bug constantly since I updated to 20.04. Installing gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock/ 67ubuntu20.04.5 did NOT fix the issue.

[Adam Barton (abarton5)]

If it helps I got the behaviour mostly fixed by disabling show-mounts and clearing out some of the desktop files in ~/.gnome/apps

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

^^^
The problem with show-mounts is bug 1874578

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It looks like the fix went into ubuntu-dock tag ubuntu-dock-68ubuntu20.10.

[Awenger (awenger)]

I don't have the original setup anymore that had this issue, but with my current Ubuntu Hirsute setup I can not reproduce this issue anymore 👍

[Tavin Cole (tavin)]

I'm seeing this issue in Ubuntu 21.10 (gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock 70~ubuntu3). Toggling the show-mounts setting makes no difference. Only having at least one favorite "fixes" it.

[Awenger (awenger)]

^^^
I can confirm that after a update to Ubuntu 21.10 the buggy behavior is back again :-(

[Awenger (awenger)]

Here is the new log for the updated issue:

JS ERROR: TypeError: firstButton.icon is undefined
_adjustIconSize@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:630:38
_redisplay@/<email address hidden>/dash.js:882:14
_runDeferredWork@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:727:31
_runBeforeRedrawQueue@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:742:25
_queueBeforeRedraw/<@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/main.js:751:13