gnome

Fixing GNOME Not Loading After Installing FUSE on Ubuntu

 in Bash / GNU/Linux  tagged bash / desktop / fuse / gnome / GNU/Linux / ubuntu by

Recently, I ran into an interesting issue while working on my Ubuntu system. After installing FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace), my GNOME desktop environment stopped loading, leaving me at a blank screen or stuck in a loop with no graphical interface. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t worry. This post walks you through the issue and provides a simple fix.

The Problem: GNOME Fails to Load After FUSE Installation

FUSE is a powerful tool that allows non-privileged users to create their own file systems without modifying the kernel code. However, after installing FUSE on my Ubuntu machine, I rebooted to find that the GNOME desktop environment wouldn’t load.

I tried rebooting several times, hoping the issue would resolve itself. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I could still access the terminal using Ctrl + Alt + F2, but my desktop environment was completely unresponsive. This kind of issue can often occur due to broken or missing desktop packages.

The Solution: Reinstall the ubuntu-desktop Package

The issue likely arose from a corrupted or missing GNOME/desktop package. The good news is that this is fixable with a simple command:

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sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

This command reinstalls the GNOME desktop environment and other essential packages, restoring the graphical interface.

How to Apply the Fix

There are two main methods to fix the issue depending on your situation. Either you can use Recovery Mode to reinstall the desktop environment or you can do it from a terminal session using Ctrl + Alt + F2.

Method 1: Using Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode is your best option if you’re stuck at the GNOME loading screen and can’t access the terminal or graphical interface. Here’s how you can fix it:

  1. Reboot Your System and Enter Recovery Mode:
  • On system startup, hold down the Shift key to bring up the GRUB menu.
  • From the GRUB menu, select Advanced options for Ubuntu.
  • Select a kernel with the suffix (recovery mode).
  1. Enable Networking:
  • In the recovery menu, select network to enable networking. This is necessary because you will need access to the internet to download any missing or broken packages.
  1. Reinstall ubuntu-desktop:
  • Once networking is enabled, select the root option to drop into a root shell.
  • Run the following command:
    bash sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop
  1. Reboot the System:
    After the installation is complete, reboot your system using the following command:
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sudo reboot

Your GNOME desktop should now load without any issues.

Method 2: Using a Second Terminal Session (Ctrl + Alt + F2)

If your system boots but the GNOME desktop environment does not load properly, you can fix the issue from a second terminal session.

  1. Open a Second Terminal:
  • Press Ctrl + Alt + F2 to open a new terminal session. This will allow you to log into a non-graphical session.
  1. Reinstall the Desktop Environment:
    Once logged in, run the following command to reinstall the desktop environment:
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sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop
  1. Reboot:
    After the installation completes, reboot your system:
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sudo reboot

Once the system boots up again, GNOME should load as expected.

https://youtu.be/VrBgV178dMg

Why This Happens

The root cause of this issue is often related to the FUSE installation process modifying or corrupting some of the desktop environment packages. Installing FUSE doesn’t directly interfere with GNOME, but package conflicts or incomplete installations sometimes can break the environment. In this case, reinstalling ubuntu-desktop restores the missing components, resolving the issue.

Conclusion

If your GNOME desktop environment stops loading after installing FUSE, don’t panic. By either using the Recovery Mode or accessing a terminal via Ctrl + Alt + F2, you can quickly reinstall the ubuntu-desktop package and bring your system back to life. This solution should get your desktop environment running again without any data loss or the need for a complete reinstallation of Ubuntu.

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How to Keep Firefox Windows on Top in Ubuntu 18.04LTS and Newer

 in Applications / FireFox / GNU/Linux  tagged firefox / gnome / GNU/Linux / ubuntu by

If you’re a frequent user of Mozilla Firefox on Ubuntu 18.04LTS or newer versions (tested up to Ubuntu Desktop 22.04LTS and 23.04), you might have encountered situations where you wished you could keep your Firefox window on top of all other open applications. This can be particularly useful when you want to reference information from a web page while working on other tasks. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the steps to set Firefox windows on top using native GNOME features.

Gnome has a built-in feature that lets you keep any window on top of others. Here’s how to do it with Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox: Launch Firefox by clicking on its icon in the Ubuntu application launcher or by pressing Super (Windows key) and searching for “Firefox.”
  2. Open the webpage you want to keep on top.
  3. While holding down the Super (Windows key), Right-click on the Firefox application.
  4. The usual menu with the options to manage the window will appear. Select the option “Always on top”.

Please note that the “Always on top” option will appear grayed out if your window is maximized.

Mastering Desktop Zoom: A Guide to Keyboard Shortcuts on GNOME

 in Bash / GNU/Linux  tagged gnome / GNU/Linux / shortcut / ubuntu / zoom by

In today’s fast-paced digital world, accessibility features are vital in empowering users with different abilities. One such feature is desktop zoom, which allows users to magnify their screen content for better visibility. GNOME, a popular desktop environment for Linux, offers a convenient way to activate and utilize desktop zoom through keyboard shortcuts. This blog post will explore how to make the most of these shortcuts and enhance your GNOME experience.

Activating Desktop Zoom via the Settings:

To activate desktop zoom on GNOME, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the GNOME Settings: Click on the “Activities” button in the screen’s top-left corner or press the “Super” key on your keyboard. Then type “Settings” and select the “Settings” application.

Step 2: Navigate to Accessibility Settings: In the GNOME Settings window, select the “Accessibility” category on the left sidebar.

Step 3: Enable Desktop Zoom: Within the Accessibility settings, locate the “Zoom” section. Toggle the switch to the “ON” position to activate desktop zoom.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Desktop Zoom:

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to control and customize your zoom experience:

  1. Toggle Zoom On/Off: Super + Alt + 8 Pressing the Super (Windows) key, Alt key, and the number 8 simultaneously will toggle the zoom functionality on or off.
  2. Zoom In: Super + Alt + plus (+) Pressing the Super key, Alt key, and the plus (+) key simultaneously will zoom in, magnifying the content on your screen.
  3. Zoom Out: Super + Alt + minus (-) Pressing the Super key, Alt key, and the minus (-) key simultaneously will zoom out, reducing the magnification of the screen content.
  4. Zoom Reset: Super + Alt + 0 Pressing the Super key, Alt key, and the number 0 simultaneously will reset the zoom level to its default state.
  5. Pan Around the Screen: Super + Alt + left-click and drag While zoomed in, holding down the Super key, Alt key, and left-clicking the mouse button while dragging will allow you to pan around the zoomed-in screen area.

Customizing Desktop Zoom Options:

If you wish to customize your desktop zoom experience further, you can access additional settings through the GNOME Settings application. Here, you can modify options such as zoom factor, mouse wheel behavior, and more to suit your preferences.

Conclusion:

The keyboard shortcuts provided by GNOME for desktop zoom offer a convenient and efficient way to magnify your screen content. By activating and using these shortcuts, you can enhance your productivity and accessibility within the GNOME desktop environment. Explore additional customization options to tailor the desktop zoom feature to your needs. Embrace the power of keyboard shortcuts and take complete control of your GNOME experience.

How to empty the gnome tracker3 cache?

 in Bash / GNU/Linux  tagged bash / clear cache / daemon / free space / gnome / GNU/Linux / tracker3 / ubuntu by

To empty the cache of gnome tracker3, you can follow the steps below:

Open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

Type the following command to stop the tracker daemon:

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tracker3 daemon -t;

Type the following command to clear the tracker database:

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tracker reset --filesystem;

This command will remove all indexed data from the tracker and clear its cache. (Remove filesystem indexer database)

Restart the tracker daemon by typing the following command:

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tracker daemon -s ;

This will start the tracker daemon again, and it will begin to rebuild its database and cache.

After following these steps, the cache of gnome tracker3 will be emptied.

Execution example:

$ tracker3 daemon -t
Found 1 PID…
  Killed process 13705 — “tracker-miner-fs-3”
$ tracker3 reset --filesystem
Found 1 PID…
  Killed process 13705 — “tracker-miner-fs-3”
$ tracker3 daemon -s
Starting miners…
  ✓ File System