Mint 17/Ubuntu 14.04 - can only launch one instance of gthumb

[R J B]

[Impact]

The bug prevents users from launching a second instance of gthumb.

This feature is sometimes useful, for example, when opening a few images in a row from a file manager - it might open a new instance of gthumb.

In addition, second instance fails to run without any messages (unless you run it from terminal), which is confusing to the users.

The fix had been already applied upstream a few years ago, and it would be nice to backport it to Trusty.
The debdiff which is attached to this report contains the backported patch.

[Test Case]

Steps to reproduce:

- launch one instance of gthumb from terminal: gthumb &
- try launching a second instance: gthumb

Expected result:

- second instance would open normally

What really happens:

- second instance shows error message and quits immediately:

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NotSupported: Application does not handle command line arguments

[Regression Potential]

The fix had been applied upstream a few years ago, so it had been tested since then.

It was also tested by Utopic/Vivid/Wily users as it was included in gthumb 3.2.8 in these releases.

I consider the regression potential to be low here.

[Original Report]
If I right click on an "image file" in caja, select "open with", then "gthumb" :
In Linux Mint 13 Mate 32-bit I could open/launch multiple instances of gthumb from caja
In Linux Mint 17 Mate 32-bit I can only launch a single instance of gthumb - it seems to start, then nothing
In Linux Mint 17 Mate 32-bit I found I could open multiple instances of gthumb only from the gthumb file menu, select "New WIndow".
Worked in 13, not in 17 - could not find a preference (like I describe below for a similar problem with VLC Player) to solve this problem.

Note: found a similar problem with VLC Player, but it turned out a difference in default preference setting in VLC from 13 to 17, making that VLC preference change (preferences/interface settings/playlist and instances/use only one instance when stated from file manager) solved the problem.

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

Also when you try to run the second instance of gthumb from the command line, you'll get this error:

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NotSupported: Application does not handle command line arguments

This is fixed in gthumb 3.2.8. Get this version from Ubuntu 14.10 repositories. Don't forget to retrieve both gthumb and gthumb-data packages (due to the dependencies).

Here's a bug report asking to update gthumb in Ubuntu 14.04 repositories to 3.2.8:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1323312

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

A patch fixing the issue can be easily made from this commit:
https://git.gnome.org/browse/gthumb/commit/?h=gthumb-3-2&id=e99664c67254fee3df1b53caa2e2a67b0bb86576

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

"Wishlist"? LOL.

[Steve A (stevenaaus)]

Yah - this is very annoying.
Gthumb is the most usable viewer imho, but it has some amazingly terrible design choices.
Sadly, free software is quite often sh*t.

[Steve A (stevenaaus)]

I couldn't believe the crop tool is only available from that space-hogging palette icon/side bar. What a joke.

Hey - i just tried "shotwell". Not too bad :)

[Steve A (stevenaaus)]

Haha - try resizing an image in gthumb , mint 17. Now that is funny. What a p.o.s.

[mjc (mjc-avtechpulse)]

Your crude and insulting language is a disservice to those who have brought you free software.

[Steve A (stevenaaus)]

Yeah... sorry. I was being well over the top. gthumb is the best of the bunch.
Here is a solution for Mint 17 allowing multiple instances
https://theoryl1.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/multiple-instances-of-gthumb-on-linux-mint-17/

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

[Impact]

The bug prevents users from launching a second instance of gthumb.

This feature is sometimes useful, for example, when opening a few images in a row from a file manager - it might open a new instance of gthumb.

In addition, second instance fails to run without any messages (unless you run it from terminal), which is confusing to the users.

The fix had been already applied upstream a few years ago, and it would be nice to backport it to Trusty.
The debdiff which is attached to this report contains the backported patch.

[Test Case]

Steps to reproduce:

- launch one instance of gthumb from terminal: gthumb &
- try launching a second instance: gthumb

Expected result:

- second instance would open normally

What really happens:

- second instance shows error message and quits immediately:

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NotSupported: Application does not handle command line arguments

[Regression Potential]

The fix had been applied upstream a few years ago, so it had been tested since then.

It was also tested by Utopic/Vivid/Wily users as it was included in gthumb 3.2.8 in these releases.

I consider the regression potential to be low here.

[Simon Quigley (tsimonq2)]

Uploaded to Trusty, it's now in the Unapproved queue.

Thank you for your contribution to Ubuntu!

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Hello R, or anyone else affected,

Accepted gthumb into trusty-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gthumb/3:3.3.1.is.3.2.7-0ubuntu1.1 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how to enable and use -proposed.Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested and change the tag from verification-needed-trusty to verification-done-trusty. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed-trusty. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

Testing in Xubuntu 14.04...

- removed my locally built gthumb
- installed 3:3.3.1.is.3.2.7-0ubuntu1.1 from trusty-proposed
- launched first instance: gthumb &
- launched second instance: gthumb
- all good, launching more than one instance is possible

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gthumb - 3:3.3.1.is.3.2.7-0ubuntu1.1

---------------
gthumb (3:3.3.1.is.3.2.7-0ubuntu1.1) trusty; urgency=medium

  * 15-fix-open-second-instance.patch: new patch. Fixes opening
    second instance of gthumb (LP: #1327002).

 -- Vlad Orlov <email address hidden> Fri, 21 Jul 2017 12:29:22 +0300

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

The verification of the Stable Release Update for gthumb has completed successfully and the package has now been released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.

[Vlad Orlov (monsta)]

Thanks :)