Drag-and-drop to desktop not possible without copying the file under wayland

[John Does]

since my upgrade to Ubuntu Desktop 17.10 all files moved with drag-and-drop from any folder to my desktop are copied but not moved.

Using strg+x and strg+v works. When i open the desktop as a folder usual drag-and-drop from different folders do work without copying the files.

This is wayland related. Ubuntu Desktop 17.10 with Xorg performs like before and allows normal drag-and-drop from folders to the desktop.

(I reported the issue before at https://askubuntu.com/questions/972533/)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Trev Peterson (trev-advanced-reality)]

This just started happening to me on 17.10. The behavior changes with the circumstances. I've done several tests and see the following reproducible behavior:

scenario 1 (moves as expected)
-drag and drop file from Desktop to Desktop/tmp (no nautilus window open) - File is moved as expected

scenario 2 (bug: copy instead of move):
-open nautilus to Desktop/tmp
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop to Desktop/tmp(nautilus) - Bug: file is copied not moved

scenario 3 (moves as expected when first moved in nautilus, however, only does it once):
-open nautilus to Desktop/tmp
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop(nautilus) to Desktop/tmp(nautilus) - file is moved as expected
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop/tmp(nautilus) to Desktop(nautilus) - file is moved as expected
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop to Desktop/tmp(nautilus) - file is moved as expected
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop/tmp(nautilus) to Desktop - file is moved as expected
-drag and drop file1 from Desktop to Desktop/tmp(nautilus) - Bug: file is copied

I tested this with several different files and types (text, pdf, ods, etc) to ensure it was not related to type or specific file, the behavior was the same for all. Closing nautilus window or moving another file before moving file1 causes the file to be copied instead of moved.

Sorry for the long comment but I hoped this might help the devs isolate the issue.

[Trev Peterson (trev-advanced-reality)]

I should mention I'm running gnome-flashback (compiz) as this might have an impact.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The upstream bug link is here:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=742463

It's probably worth focusing comments there instead for now.

[John Does (jonnyx)]

I'm a little bit surprised that there are not more reports like mine. This thing or some connected error cuts off my "workflow" on a regular basis and, like explained below, often forces me to reboot the computer.

There are at least two additional behaviors that i think are connected to this report, one a major:

- Major crashes leaving my mouse useless (in most windows) after using drag-and-drop
After using drag-and-drop from external media to the desktop or dragging a firefox-bookmark (sometimes happens by mistake using firefox not in fullscreen mode) to the desktop (this normally should just create a textfile with the hyperlink) often the mouse stays in grab-mode (a hand is shown) and still can be moved, but can't be used in different windows for actions like click. Now the Firefox is useless, closing with strg+w/q fixes it. If the desktop/folderstructure is affaced by this theres no workaround but to restart the computer (or maybe killing/restarting the process) to use the mouse again for clicking.

- Size of Desktop-Icons/Folders grows with the size in folders.
When i change the Size of the Objects in any folder, simultaneously the size of all objects at the desktop change (not in folder view). This is strange behavior and im sure it wasnt that way earlier. Like when you change the objectsize (strg+scrolling) in a photo-folder by the way and afterwards you cant recognise your desktop anymore, seeing just 3 grown large symbols for example.