xfce4 starts applications defined to start up at desktop start multiple times

[Thomas Schweikle]

Applications defined in "Startup Applications & Programs" will be started multiple times by xfce4. This can be really harmful in some cases, while in other cases it will only lead to a variety of error messages like: "Application xyz already running."

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: xfce4 (not installed)
Uname: Linux 3.14.9+ x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl zcommon znvpair
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Sat Jun 28 23:16:30 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-10-19 (983 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
SourcePackage: xfce4
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-02-24 (123 days ago)

[Abc-no-spam (abc-no-spam)]

I have XFCE configured to "save session for future logins". I also use the Copy cloud storage tool. When XFCE starts, it usually starts 2 instances of Copy in the tray, even though there is only one instance of Copy open when I shutdown.

I'm using 4.10 on 64bit openSUSE 13.1.

[Abc-no-spam (abc-no-spam)]

This morning my saved session disappeared - XFCE started with no errors displayed, and no remembered windows/apps opened.

Why would that happen if my last GUI session closed normally? I could understand oddities happening after a GUI crash, but that didn't happen.

[Abc-no-spam (abc-no-spam)]

Today it started 3 copies of Krusader, even though I know I only had one open when I shut down. It has done this multiple times with Krusader, but not for every reboot, and never with another app - only Krusader has created 3 copies (other apps have 2 copies, as previously mentioned.)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Lockywolf (lockywolf)]

I second this bug.

I meet multiple launches all the time.

I suspect that in my case it's caused by the fact that my applications (hexchat and pidgin) are added to the 'autostart' menu:

Settings->Session and Startup->Application Autostart

And I suspect that their existence is also saved into some 'session state' upon logout, so xfce starts them twice, as a piece of the session and as a piece of the autostart.

Meanwhile you can't just remove them from the autostart, because you don't always need to save the session.

[Simon Steinbeiß (ochosi)]

If you have applications in the autostart *and* in the saved session, they will be started multiple times.

The two are not cross-checked by xfce4-session.

[Thomas Schweikle (tps)]

Seems solved meanwhile.