redshift is installed, but does not show in menus, and will not start

[Valorie Zimmerman]

$ apt-cache policy redshift
redshift:
  Installed: 1.8-0ubuntu6
  Candidate: 1.8-0ubuntu6
  Version table:
 *** 1.8-0ubuntu6 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ utopic/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

However, it is not reported in the menus, nor does it show up in a search and launch (krunner)

from the commandline: $ redshift &
[1] 3236
valorie@valorie-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC:~$ Trying location provider `geoclue'...
Started Geoclue provider `Geoclue Master'.
Using provider `geoclue'.

** (process:3236): WARNING **: Could not get location, 3 retries left.

** (process:3236): WARNING **: Could not get location, 2 retries left.

** (process:3236): WARNING **: Could not get location, 1 retries left.

** (process:3236): WARNING **: Provider does not have a valid location available.
Unable to get location from provider.
^C
[1]+ Exit 1 redshift

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: redshift 1.8-0ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-23.31-generic 3.16.4
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Tue Oct 28 15:42:29 2014
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-07-10 (110 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.1)
SourcePackage: redshift
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-10-24 (4 days ago)

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

You need to install the redshift-gtk package which provides a graphical interface (including menu entries) for redshift. However, this is a GTK+ application and may not work properly with KDE.

[Valorie Zimmerman (valorie-zimmerman)]

Thanks for your remark, thad-fisch. The redshift-gtk package was not installed, so I installed it. This seems like a packaging error; should not redshift rely on its gui being installed as well?

Nevertheless, redshift still crashes when started from the menu. From the commandline:

$ Trying location provider `geoclue'...
Started Geoclue provider `Geoclue Master'.
Using provider `geoclue'.

** (process:11077): WARNING **: Could not get location, 3 retries left.

** (process:11077): WARNING **: Could not get location, 2 retries left.

** (process:11077): WARNING **: Could not get location, 1 retries left.

** (process:11077): WARNING **: Provider does not have a valid location available.
Unable to get location from provider.

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

This is not a packaging error, because redshift is a command line tool and any GUI should be optional.

Sadly, I am not familiar with the graphical interface, but you should try to select a different location provider (geoclue, gnome-clock or manual) and configure it properly. I recommend reading the manual page [1] and the configuration details on the official website [2].

[1] http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/man1/redshift.1.html
[2] http://jonls.dk/redshift/

[Valorie Zimmerman (valorie-zimmerman)]

Thank you again, thad-fisch. I did not realize that redshift was a cli tool! I created a config file as shown on the website, and redshift is now running for me.

The man page is very helpful as well; thank you for that.

I blogged about this nice bug-reporting experience: http://linuxgrandma.blogspot.com/2014/11/filing-bug-reports-for-fun-and-profit.html

Can I mention you by name there?

Valorie

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

This bug report is public, so I do not mind if you mention my name in your blog.

I am glad that you got everything working now. On a final note, I will change the bug status to "invalid", because there is no bug in the redshift package.