Desktop icons are placed off-screen when using multiple monitors

[André Hoek]

I have 2 monitors connected in "Join Display Mode".
Monitor 1 (secondary) 1366x798, Landscape, 100%
Monitor 2 (primary) 1920x1080, Landscape, 100%

I can see files on the Desktop inside the File Browser, but on the Desktop icons are either not visible or limited text from one of the icons can be seen in the top left corner of the secondary monitor.

Screenshots attached.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+19ubuntu7.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-28.30~18.04.1-generic 5.3.13
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-28-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.9
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Feb 9 10:16:18 2020
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: bionic
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: ndiswrapper, 1.60, 5.3.0-28-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0162] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [17aa:3083]
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Caicos PRO [Radeon HD 7450] [1002:677b] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Bitland(ShenZhen) Information Technology Co., Ltd. Caicos PRO [Radeon HD 7450] [1642:3a76]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-12-20 (50 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190805)
MachineType: LENOVO 3212AP3
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_ZA:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_ZA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.3.0-28-generic root=UUID=c29affff-51cf-4584-b908-5081f9693928 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/21/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 9SKT63AUS
dmi.board.name: MAHOBAY
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: NO DPK
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr9SKT63AUS:bd03/21/2013:svnLENOVO:pn3212AP3:pvrThinkCentreM92p:rvnLENOVO:rnMAHOBAY:rvrNODPK:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: 3212AP3
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_3212
dmi.product.version: ThinkCentre M92p
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.99-1ubuntu1~18.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 19.2.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 19.2.8-0ubuntu0~18.04.2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core N/A
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[André Hoek (hoek-andre)]

Image showing the perceived location of missing icons on Desktop

[André Hoek (hoek-andre)]

Resolution Settings

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Good news of sorts: nautilus-desktop which is what provides the desktop icons in 18.04 is no longer supported and has been replaced in later Ubuntu versions.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Just to confirm, are you able to provide a screenshot of the actual problem?

[André Hoek (hoek-andre)]

Hi Daniel, screenshot added in comment #2.

There are about 6 files in the Desktop folder, which is not visible in the screenshot.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I saw those. I was wondering how you know they're there if they're not visible in the screenshot. But now I remember mutter/gnome-shell will clip each screen so generally nothing will appear in those black offscreen areas even in screenshots.

This issue might be caused by the absence of any screen in the usual top-left corner (0,0). Regardless, if this is Ubuntu 18.04 then the desktop icons are provided by nautilus-desktop, which is not being developed any more, and not available in later Ubuntu versions :/