Clicking an icon on the launcher, that was previously set to be "Keep in launcher", duplicates the icon and the program that it runs

[Ahmed Fakhry]

If I open some applications, for example, the terminal, and then I right click on its icon on the launcher and choose "Keep In Launcher" and close the application.

When I try to reopen that application again by clicking on its icon on the launcher, the application opens, but the icon on the launcher is duplicated, as if there are two instances on the application are running.

When I close that application, the duplicated icons remain on the launcher.

If I try to open it again, another icon will be added to the launcher making them all three icons.

I have to right-click one of those icons and remove the "Keep In Launcher" option, while the program is running, and then close it, in order for those multiple icons to disappear.

Description: Ubuntu 11.10
Release: 11.10
unity:
  Installed: 4.28.0-0ubuntu2
  Candidate: 4.28.0-0ubuntu2

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: unity 4.28.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-16.28-generic 3.0.17
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-16-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,move,gnomecompat,imgpng,vpswitch,regex,unitymtgrabhandles,grid,place,compiztoolbox,snap,mousepoll,session,resize,wall,animation,expo,fade,ezoom,workarounds,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Thu Mar 1 03:33:39 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3388]
 ATI Technologies Inc Whistler XT [AMD Radeon HD 6700M Series] [1002:6740] (rev ff) (prog-if ff)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-16-generic root=UUID=5dcc4d98-baf6-4abc-ad35-a7af65231299 ro quiet splash pcie_aspm=force i915.i915_enable_rc6=1 i915.i915_enable_fbc=1 vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/20/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: F.1A
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: 3388
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: 10.31
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Chassis Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.1A:bd07/20/2011:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPPaviliondv6NotebookPC:pvr058D110000244620001620100:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn3388:rvr10.31:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC
dmi.product.version: 058D110000244620001620100
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6.1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu26
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

This might probably be an issue with Oneiric, but in Precise I can't reproduce this, neither with terminal nor with gedit.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Olivier Godart (olivier-godart-gmail)]

I've the same issue in Oneiric, to reproduce it:
- Remove all eclipse and virtualbox icons from the launcher.
- Open eclipse or virtualbox (from the dash).
- Right-click on the icon and select "Keep in launcher".
- Close the application.
- Open it again, by clicking on the laucher icon.
-> The icon is duplicated.

[Jon Richters (richtersjon)]

Same problem here also on Oneiric (already filed and marked as duplicate). I should mention that dragging the icon from the HUD onto the launcher works just fine. It's just the right-clicking->"Keep in launcher" that seems to be broken.

[Jon Richters (richtersjon)]

Oops, I mean "Dash" not "HUD."

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

thanks for your bug report. Can you please test the same in the beta of Ubuntu 12.04, which is the current development focus and let us know if the issue is fixed there.

[Zsolt Lauter (lauterzsolti)]

Right now it doesn't duplicate the icons in Ubuntu 12.04 for me but when I select "Keep in launcher" and I close the application, then I launch it from the sidebar, it doesn't have arrows and the icon behaves like a launcher instead of an icon of a running application.

[Kyle Sager (kylesager1)]

I have the same bug. Fresh install of Oneirc about 2 days ago on an HP Pavilion with AMD 64. I have added only a few typical programs so far: Gimp, Audacity, no major system changes. I did delete several launcer icons that I use infrequently: Libreoffice mainly. Now If I check "keep in launcher," close the program, next open adds successively more icons: IE Not just a duplicate. Each reopen stacks an additional icon in Launcher.

[Kyle Sager (kylesager1)]

Also: Some programs that came with Ubuntu behave similarly but slightly different:

If I open LibraOffice Calc (prev. unpinned from launcher): NOW if I pin it to launcher this is what happens:

The two bottom icons in launcher (in my case an expansion USB drive and the 4panel desktop icon) get pushed down and a bew empty icon space is inserted. This happens for each reopen of Calc. So that the bottom Icons in launcher get pushed further and further down.

Again: A relatively fresh brand-new install of Oneiric on a completely reformatted HD with complete updates barely 2 days old with no system-level changes. I have not been into terminal except to gather info (du) or move a few data files.

[Kyle Sager (kylesager1)]

Last comment: This was enough of a nuisance (I do use launcher quite a bit) that I decided to completely reinstall Ubuntu today while doing housework. I just reinstalled 64-bit Oneiric on an AMD (reformatted the Ubuntu partition). And then did updates. With no other action taken: This problem exists immediately on a fresh Oneiric 64-bit install. (The hardware is an HP Pavilion)

I have had Oneiric running on this machine pretty much since it came out. This is a new problem of some sort and likely an update is responsible.

Also: Suddenly with this installation (and the one I did the other day), all icons in the launcer are locked and can not be repositioned. Perhaps this is somehow related.

[Zsolt Lauter (lauterzsolti)]

Kyle: Try dragging the icons to the launcher from the dash as Jon Richters said instead of docking the icons using "Keep in launcher". It works for me. Unfortunately this bug is still not fixed perfectly in Precise.

[Kyle Sager (kylesager1)]

Zsolt: Thank you! Great work around!

It helped me as well.

I also noticed that icons can reposition in launcher fine right after reboot as long as no new icons have been not been added to launcher. It looks like maybe once you drag icons over from the dash to the launcher - somehow they lock up positioning for the whole bar. I'm guessing I'll be able to reposition icons after reboot...but I'll just be happy with the workaround for now.

Thank you again.

[joshp1 (joshp1)]

found another work around when you click keep in launcher it doesn't open duplicates in unity3D

[aslam karachiwala (akwala)]

In my case this reappeared following Precise->Quantal upgrade.

[Alex Baggott (alex-baggott)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug. We have tried to recreate this on the latest release of Ubuntu and cannot reproduce it. This bug is being marked as Invalid. If you believe the problem to still exist in the latest version of Ubuntu please comment on why that is the case and change the bug status to NEW.