Package: gnome
Version: 1:3.22+3
Severity: normal
Dear Maintainer,
When using the Gnome desktop, I cannot find the xterm icon by clicking
on Activities or by hitting the Super key and typing "xterm". I know
that I can run xterm by using Alt-F2, but that is not what I am
looking for.
Whenever I install Debian and use its default desktop, Gnome, it
always appears like xterm is missing. If I hit the Super key and type
in "term" I get these responses:
* Multilingual Terminal
* Thai X Terminal
* Terminal [Presumably Gnome-Terminal]
If I type in "xterm", Gnome just says "Searching..." until I get tired
and cancel it. I had assumed xterm wasn't installed by default and
I've been using Multilingual Terminal since, despite its flaws, it
does have SIXEL graphics support.
However, xterm is installed and it even has a proper desktop entry in
/usr/share/applications/debian-xterm.desktop. I expended way too much
time investigating why this didn't work, since it clearly should.
It turns out that some part of Gnome is creating a *second* desktop
file which disables the first one by setting 'NoDisplay = True'.
The file is /usr/share/gnome/applications/debian-xterm.desktop
This is extremely frustrating and unnecessary.
I wish I could tell you which part of Gnome is the culprit, but
`dpkg -S` on the file says it doesn't belong to any packages.
I can understand that certain distributions derived from Debian —
those which believe minimalism equates to simplicity — may wish to
hide "redundant" functionality like `xterm`. However, it doesn't make
sense to hide xterm from Debian users. And if it did, it certainly
should not be implemented in such a hard to discover way.
I request that Debian's Gnome stop overriding debian-xterm.desktop,
please. There are much better solutions.
Thank you.
P.S. Any distributions derived from Debian would of course be free to
create their own package which overrides debian-xterm.desktop.
I suggest those distributions, instead of creating a second file,
create a package that runs
dpkg-divert --divert /usr/share/applications/debian-xterm.desktop.disabled \
--rename /usr/share/applications/debian-xterm.desktop
That way, they will have stopped xterm from cluttering their menus,
but in a way that might be more easily discoverable by users trying to
re-enable it.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 9.6
APT prefers stable-updates
APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 4.9.0-8-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8),
LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
Versions of packages gnome depends on:
ii avahi-daemon 0.6.32-2
ii cheese 3.22.1-1+b1
ii cups-pk-helper 0.2.6-1+b1
ii desktop-base 9.0.2+deb9u1
ii evolution 3.22.6-1+deb9u1
ii evolution-plugins 3.22.6-1+deb9u1
ii file-roller 3.22.3-1
ii gedit-plugins 3.22.0-1
ii gimp 2.8.18-1+deb9u1
ii gnome-calendar 3.22.4-2
ii gnome-clocks 3.22.1-1
ii gnome-color-manager 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-core 1:3.22+3
ii gnome-dictionary 3.20.0-3+b1
ii gnome-documents 3.22.1-1
ii gnome-getting-started-docs 3.22.0-1
ii gnome-maps 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-music 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-orca 3.22.2-3
ii gnome-screenshot 3.22.0-1+b1
ii gnome-sound-recorder 3.21.92-2
ii gnome-tweak-tool 3.22.0-1
ii gnome-weather 3.20.2-1
ii gstreamer1.0-libav 1.10.4-1
ii gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly 1.10.4-1
ii inkscape 0.92.1-1
ii libgsf-bin 1.14.41-1
ii libgtk2-perl 2:1.2499-1
ii libproxy1-plugin-networkmanager 0.4.14-2
ii libreoffice-calc 1:5.2.7-1+deb9u4
ii libreoffice-evolution 1:5.2.7-1+deb9u4
ii libreoffice-gnome 1:5.2.7-1+deb9u4
ii libreoffice-impress 1:5.2.7-1+deb9u4
ii libreoffice-writer 1:5.2.7-1+deb9u4
ii nautilus-sendto 3.8.4-2+b1
ii network-manager-gnome 1.4.4-1+deb9u1
ii rhythmbox 3.4.1-2+b1
ii rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder 3.4.1-2+b1
ii rhythmbox-plugins 3.4.1-2+b1
ii rygel-playbin 0.32.1-3
ii rygel-tracker 0.32.1-3
ii seahorse 3.20.0-3.1
ii shotwell 0.25.4+really0.24.5-0.1
ii simple-scan 3.23.2-1
ii totem-plugins 3.22.1-1
ii vinagre 3.22.0-1+b1
ii xdg-user-dirs-gtk 0.10-1+b1
Versions of packages gnome recommends:
ii brasero 3.12.1-4
ii gnome-games 1:3.22+3
ii polari 3.22.2-1
ii transmission-gtk 2.92-2+deb9u1
Versions of packages gnome suggests:
pn alacarte <none>
pn empathy <none>
pn firefox-esr-l10n-all | firefox-l10n-all <none>
pn goobox | sound-juicer <none>
pn xul-ext-gnome-keyring <none>
pn xul-ext-ublock-origin <none>
Versions of packages gnome-core depends on:
ii adwaita-icon-theme 3.22.0-1+deb9u1
ii at-spi2-core 2.22.0-6+deb9u1
ii baobab 3.22.1-1
ii caribou 0.4.21-1+b1
ii chrome-gnome-shell 8-4
ii dconf-cli 0.26.0-2+b1
ii dconf-gsettings-backend 0.26.0-2+b1
ii eog 3.20.5-1+b1
ii evince 3.22.1-3+deb9u1
ii evolution-data-server 3.22.7-1
ii firefox-esr 60.4.0esr-1~deb9u1
ii fonts-cantarell 0.0.25-2
ii gdm3 3.22.3-3+deb9u2
ii gedit 3.22.0-2
ii gkbd-capplet 3.22.0.1-1+b1
ii glib-networking 2.50.0-1+b1
ii gnome-backgrounds 3.22.1-1
ii gnome-bluetooth 3.20.1-1
ii gnome-calculator 3.22.3-1
ii gnome-characters 3.22.0-1
ii gnome-contacts 3.22.1-1+b2
ii gnome-control-center 1:3.22.2-3
ii gnome-disk-utility 3.22.1-1
ii gnome-font-viewer 3.22.0-1+b1
ii gnome-keyring 3.20.0-3
ii gnome-logs 3.22.1-2
ii gnome-menus 3.13.3-9
ii gnome-online-accounts 3.22.5-1
ii gnome-online-miners 3.22.0-1
ii gnome-session 3.22.3-1
ii gnome-settings-daemon 3.22.2-2+deb9u2
ii gnome-shell 3.22.3-3
ii gnome-shell-extensions 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-software 3.22.5-1
ii gnome-sushi 3.21.91-2
ii gnome-system-monitor 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-terminal 3.22.2-1
ii gnome-themes-standard 3.22.2-2
ii gnome-user-guide 3.22.0-1
ii gnome-user-share 3.18.3-1+b1
ii gsettings-desktop-schemas 3.22.0-1
ii gstreamer1.0-plugins-base 1.10.4-1
ii gstreamer1.0-plugins-good 1.10.4-1
ii gstreamer1.0-pulseaudio 1.10.4-1
ii gvfs-backends 1.30.4-1
ii gvfs-bin 1.30.4-1
ii gvfs-fuse 1.30.4-1
ii libatk-adaptor 2.22.0-2
ii libcanberra-pulse 0.30-3
ii libcaribou-gtk-module 0.4.21-1+b1
ii libcaribou-gtk3-module 0.4.21-1+b1
ii libpam-gnome-keyring 3.20.0-3
ii libproxy1-plugin-gsettings 0.4.14-2
ii nautilus 3.22.3-1+deb9u1
ii pulseaudio 10.0-1+deb9u1
ii sound-theme-freedesktop 0.8-1
ii system-config-printer-common 1.5.7-3
ii system-config-printer-udev 1.5.7-3+b1
ii totem 3.22.1-1
ii tracker-gui 1.10.5-1
ii vino 3.22.0-1
ii yelp 3.22.0-1
ii zenity 3.22.0-1+b1
Versions of packages gnome-core recommends:
ii anacron 2.3-24
ii libproxy1-plugin-networkmanager 0.4.14-2
ii network-manager-gnome 1.4.4-1+deb9u1
gnome-core suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
