Does not correctly restore saved state from state file

[jimav]

Binary package hint: gnome-session

System->Preferences->Startup Applications->Options ->
   "Automatically remember running applications when logging out"
does not work correctly, forgetting about some or all apps.

For example, I started two Gnome terminals (via Applications->Accessories->Terminal) and then logged out and logged back in. Only one terminal was restored.

Expected behavior: The terminal windows would both be restored.

Comment: Gnome session management suffered a disastrous and embarrassing regression in Intrepid. Let's not do that again...

New clean install of 9.04beta 32-bit, ran online updates, and rebooted.
Running in a VirtualBox VM in case that matters.

$ lsb_release -rd says
Description: Ubuntu 9.04
Release: 9.04
$ apt-cache policy gnome-session
gnome-session:
  Installed: 2.26.0svn20090408-0ubuntu2
  Candidate: 2.26.0svn20090408-0ubuntu2
  Version table:
 *** 2.26.0svn20090408-0ubuntu2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Dependencies:

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
Package: gnome None [modified: /var/lib/dpkg/info/gnome.list]
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: meta-gnome2
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-11-generic i686
UnreportableReason: This is not a genuine Ubuntu package

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

For the terminal issue, I'm re-assigning this to gnome-terminal. gnome-terminal is responsible for writing it's own state file, so if it does not restore properly then that is unlikely to be a gnome-session issue. Could you please report issues for each application separately?

Thanks

[jimav (james-avera)]

Strongly object that this is Low priority. This issue created huge storms in Intrepid. Don't send us to that hell again please. See the discussion thread in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-session/+bug/249373 for insight into why this should be high priority now.

It is not just gnome-terminal. MANY apps do not restore properly. If zillions of apps need to be "fixed" then something fundamental is wrong. If the problem is that only the new dbus-oriented session stuff is supported without compatibility with the old way, then that is a bug until upstream apps have beed modified to be ready for that transition. It is not okay to merge incompatible changes without regard to effects on others.

EXAMPLE: I tried a handful, randomly picked: Firefox, Openoffice Calc, calculator, 2 gnome terminals, gedit, Synaptic Package Manager, and Dictionary (all started from the standard Gnome app menus). Logging out & in again restored only firefox and gedit, plus the one terminal which always seems to be started regardless at the upper-left corner.

I'll attach screen shots showing before and after.

Again, there are too many apps broken for this to be a piece-meal problem with each separate app. Something central seems to be broken and should be repaired until all apps are converted and tested.

[jimav (james-avera)]

Here's the second screen-shot mentioned earlier.

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

Thank you for your bug report. This bug has been reported to the developers of the software. You can track it and make comments at: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=579208

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

jimav - could you report bugs for other applications that do not restore properly? The individual applications store their state in to their own state file when told to do so by the session manager. On the next session, the session manager launches the applications and passes the state file as an argument, from which the application should restore from. If the application doesn't restore correctly, then it's likely that it doesn't save all the information it needs, or restoring just doesn't work for that app.

Thanks

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

The issue here is with reading the state file, and is already fixed in 2.26.1

[Laurent Bonnaud (laurent-bonnaud)]

What is preventing this bug from going from the "Fix Committed" state to the "Fix Released " state ?
How about uploading a package with the fix to ubuntu-proposed or ubuntu-updates ?

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

Closing, as the fixed version has been in Karmic for some time