Dolphin does not refresh current directory for new files.

[Rafael Belmonte]

Binary package hint: kdebase

Dolphin does not show new files in the current directory, unless you manually refresh the view.
See the screenshot, comparing Dolphin with Thunar.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Nov 9 22:07:52 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: dolphin 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu3
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: kdebase
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686

[Ms-novell (ms-novell)]

Created an attachment (id=322255)
notify test code

[Rafael Belmonte (eaglescreen)]

Binary package hint: kdebase

Dolphin does not show new files in the current directory, unless you manually refresh the view.
See the screenshot, comparing Dolphin with Thunar.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Nov 9 22:07:52 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: dolphin 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu3
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: kdebase
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686

[Sebastien-rohaut (sebastien-rohaut)]

Same problem here. it seems the behavior in 2.6.31 has been modified (due to fsnotify). I have strange results with file refresh notification too in desktop apps...

[Agruen-novell (agruen-novell)]

I have pushed two fixes into the 11.2 git tree; they should show up in the KOTD in a while. Could you please see if they make a change? Changelog entry:

    - patches.fixes/dnotify-ignore-FS_EVENT_ON_CHILD.diff: dnotify:
      ignore FS_EVENT_ON_CHILD.
    - patches.fixes/inotify-fix-coalesce-duplicate-events-into-a-single.diff:
      inotify: fix coalesce duplicate events into a single event in
      special case.

Thanks!

[David García (dav.garcia)]

Hi,

My Kubuntu Karmic is also affected by this bug, but I managed to find out exactly when and how happens (at least on my computer).
I hope these findings also apply to EagleScreen's case and others.

Two partitions are needed to reproduce the bug. In my case: the root partition and another one on /mnt/extra, both ext4.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Open a console and create a cross-filesystem symlink.
   For example: from ~ (in the root partition) to /mnt/extra (root dir of the other filesystem):
   cd ~
   ln -s /mnt/extra
2. Open Dolphin and click on the 'extra' link.
3. Back to the console, go to the same directory and create any file:
    cd extra
    touch notseenindolphin.txt
4. Dolphin doesn't notice the newly created file.

Please note: if you take Dolphin directly to /mnt/extra (not following the symlink) and delete the file from the command line, Dolphin will correctly detect the removal and refresh the folder contents!

[David García (dav.garcia)]

Sorry, I forgot to give Dolphin version info:

$ dpkg-query -s dolphin
Package: dolphin
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: utils
Installed-Size: 2452
Maintainer: Kubuntu Developers <email address hidden>
Architecture: i386
Source: kdebase
Version: 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu3
...

[koso (koso)]

I can confirm it, this bug was intorduced few month ago probably with some changes in .31 kernel ... it was reported here:

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=207361

It is probably the same problem related to some low level component, whis is responsible for signaling file system changes.
Reproduction was very easy .. open some directory in dolphin and modify this directory content using some other tool:

- download file to this folder
- use console command to modify content (cp, rm, mv, touch)

PS: sometimes it works, but mostly no .. I am now using Lucid with .32 kernel, and the problem stil presists.

[David García (dav.garcia)]

I don't think it's kernel-related:
1. Please read comment #15: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=207361#c15
2. I have reproduced the bug on Kubuntu Jaunty with kernel 2.6.28-16.55 and Dolphin 4:4.2.4-0ubuntu1~jaunty1

Besides, I've just discovered you don't need to follow a symlink to a *different* filesystem; any symlink will trigger the bug.
Could you please check whether this is also your case?

[Kamil (kneczaj-gmail)]

The comment #15 mentioned above is mine. For me the issue is solved in kubuntu karmic koala 9.10, but not in my Archlinux :( with same kernel and same kde version.

[koso (koso)]

I dont have enough time now, so I made only little experiment on lastest Lucid:

1. test: I run dolphin using Krunner .. then I use bookmarks or address bar and navigate to some testing directory. At this situation, i was unable to reproduce any problem with refreshing. (using console to create some file).

2. test: I have navigated to the testing directory using applet "quick access", which runs dolphin with some command line parameters .. and now, I was able to 100% reproduce problem with refresh. After first manual refresh, it seemed to be ok. Also when i had both dolphin windows opened, they were synchonized correctly.

When I will have more time, I will tray to isolate more precissely this problem.

[Jeremy LaCroix (jlacroix82-deactivatedaccount)]

I am using Kubuntu 9.10 on my laptop, and Arch on my desktop. Both 64-bit. I am not following any symlinks when this happens, so I am not convinced that it's related to symlinks. I have the problem with both Kubuntu and Arch. In Kubuntu 9.10, it starts off working fine but for some reason, something gets out of sync and the problem starts. With Arch, the problem is always there.

For me, here are a few examples of my reproducing this problem in both Arch and Kubuntu:

Example 1:
1.) Either set the desktop to a Folder View or include a Folder View on the desktop
2.) Open Firefox
3.) Download a file to the desktop
4.) The download completes
5.) The file is not on the desktop
6.) Right click the desktop and click "refresh"
7.) The file you downloaded now appears

Example 2:
1.) Either set the desktop to a Folder View or include a Folder View on the desktop
2.) Find a random file on your desktop
3.) Open Dolphin
4.) Right-click the file chosen on the desktop in step 2, and click "cut"
5.) Go into the Dolphin window and click "Paste"
6.) The file is now moved to the folder you opened in Dolphin
7.) The file is still showing on the desktop
8.) Click on the file on the desktop
9.) It will say the file is not there
10.) Right-click the desktop and click "refresh"
11.) The file disappears

Example 3:
1.) Open KTorrent
2.) Open Firefox
3.) Find a torrent to download in Firefox
4.) Send the Firefox open dialogue for the torrent to KTorrent
5.) Choose the desktop as the place KTorrent will save the downloaded torrent to
6.) KTorrent starts downloading the torrent
7.) No files have appeared on the desktop
8.) Right-click the desktop and click "refresh"
9.) The files that KTorrent is downloading now appears on the desktop

I deal with this problem in both Kubuntu 9.10 AND Arch with KDE 4.3.3, even after reinstalling my OS completely and/or deleting my .kde and .kde4 folders. This is extremely annoying. I have to babysit my desktop and constantly refresh it manually to see any changes. If I never refresh it, I will never see any changes.

[Ms-novell (ms-novell)]

yes this fixes the problem. Just tested the 64bit version of the
kernel. Thanks

[Agruen-novell (agruen-novell)]

Hoho! ;-)

Thanks, the fix will be in the next kernel update.

[koso (koso)]

So i read some bug reports about this problems, and it seems, that we are mixing 2 bugs:

1. bug in dolphin with symlinks, which seems to by already fixed in kde 4.4
    https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=213799

2. kernel bug in .31, where dolphin does not refresh folder views.
    there is already functional fix, and probably will be included in next kernel realese
    https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=546491

[David García (dav.garcia)]

koso, you're right; I've read the comments on the KDE bugzilla.

I just hope there is a 4.3.X release which fixes both bugs (the one regarding symlinks is already resolved against 4.4.0).

[Tom Arnold (g0tt)]

Upstream does not seem to offer an fix .. is there a workaround? This is totally annoying :(

[Peter (jynyl)]

Similar symptoms here, fresh install of Kubuntu 9.10 64bit.
example 1: using firefox, download ogg or mp3 file to a directory. Amarok doesn't update it's listing of that directory (and I don't see any refresh command). Closing Amarok (incl remove from panel) and restarting forces refresh of directory listing, and downloaded files are now visible.
example 2: using kmail, save attached file to a directory. From kmail, start new email message, but can't attach file just saved as it is not visible in the (kmail attach) listing of the directory. The saved files are visible in Dolphin, after refresh.

It is very annoying that directory listings don't work as expected.
Is there are fix or workaround?

TIA

Peter

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

Between KDE 4.4 and a new kernel, this is fixed in Kubuntu 10.04.

[Shaved Wookie (shavedwookie)]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Hail to the King, baby. Hail to the King. :)