Impossible to get contact list visible in Unity after reboot

[Dmitry Kann]

If Pidgin is listed in the Startup Applications, and I close the main (Contact List) window (but it is still running of course), then, after reboot:
 - Contact List window is hidden
 - There's a button of running Pidgin in the launcher,
 - But there's no way to make the main window visible: clicking on the Launcher button or in the Message Indicator -> Pidgin Internet Messenger doesn't do anything.

The only way to bring it back is to right click on the Launcher button, choose Quit, restart it again (it's still invisible), and then use Message Indicator -> Pidgin Internet Messenger.

Even after restarting the app the Launcher button doesn't do anything if the main window was hidden before quitting, which is obviously wrong: there either should be no button, or it should make the window visible.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: pidgin 1:2.10.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.21-generic-pae 3.0.6
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-13-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Oct 22 17:18:44 2011
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/pidgin
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta i386 (20110921.2)
SourcePackage: pidgin
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Sukhanov Kirill (kirach)]

Same with me.
Sorry, I changed status of bug by mistake. I think, it should be "Confirmed".

[Reinhard Tartler (siretart)]

I can confirm this major usability problem that requires restarting piding in order to bring up the contact roaster.

I've also marged bug #879950 as duplicate because it describes essentially the same symptoms.

[Hossein Atashi (atashi.h)]

This bug affected me too. But setting "Show system tray icon" to "Always" in preferences seems to resolve the issue. I don't know why or how, but after changing this setting, I haven't had this problem for a few weeks.

[Martijn Bolhuis (martijn-bolhuis)]

The fix suggested by Hossein works for me. Thanks :)

[Alex (alex-89)]

Confirming this bug on a fresh installed Ubuntu 11.10.

Any restarting, resetting and deleting ~/.purple does not show any effect.
Fix suggested from #5 is not aviable to me, as i _never_ get any option menu visible and so cant access the preferences. If this option is hidden in prefs.xml, it is well hidden.

This renders pidgin complete unusable for me.

[Jordon Bedwell (envygeeks)]

Everyone, please do not post your 'this fix worked for me' and 'this bug also affects me and here is why it matters', there is a button for that, also: please next time merge the newer bug into the older, it seems odd that the other bug jumped into the future just to be a duplicate of this one.

[Alex (alex-89)]

Workaround for me now: I stopped using Unity and switched to classic gnome desktop. Pidgin is now working perfect.

@Jordon Bedwell: I think commenting a complete break in functionality reported 3 months ago and last commented more then 1 month ago is legit.