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Since upgrading to Ubuntu 19.10 I cannot save files and links to the desktop. With Ubuntu 19.04 I used a GNOME extension called "Desktop icons" to do this but it doesn't work in 19.10. I can't find anything in the setup or GNOME Tweaks to enable this. The file ~/Desktop exists and still contains the files and folders which were on my 19.04 desktop.

Out of interest, why is it nowadays regarded as a bad thing to save things on the desktop? I still find it useful to put stuff I'm either working on or use a lot there.

pomsky
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SteveInBavaria
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    I have found a Gnome extension that does the job 'Desktop Icons NG (DING) by rastersoft' But I would still like to know how to enable this myself without and extension. – SteveInBavaria Nov 06 '19 at 14:17
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    Re. "why is it nowadays regarded as a bad thing to save things on the desktop?", it's because the GNOME developers think so. There are other desktop environments (or file managers) that let you do what you want. – DK Bose Nov 06 '19 at 15:22
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    @DKBose Just for the record, the link you added to your comment doesn't actually support the idea that GNOME developers think it's a bad thing to save things on the desktop. It rather discusses in detail the difficulties and drawbacks of having the file manager (Nautilus) handling the desktop icons. It also includes some potential workarounds, viz. using Nemo desktop, creating a GNOME Shell extension etc. (the second idea is already implemented on Ubuntu 19.04 and later in the form of the desktop-icons extension). – pomsky Nov 06 '19 at 17:33
  • @pomsky As I mentioned in the OP, the desktop-icons extension doesn't work in 19.10. This is why I still say my post is not a duplicate, it is about a new problem in 19.10 – SteveInBavaria Nov 06 '19 at 17:37
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    @SteveInBavaria Yes, I don't think it's a duplicate either. I voted to reopen. Once it is open, you should consider expanding your comment that the "DING" extension works as an answer to help future readers. – pomsky Nov 06 '19 at 17:53
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    @SteveInBavaria Changing habits because of GNOME new-design may be very harmful. I think it is time to try MATE DE :) It is pretty good on 19.10 – N0rbert Nov 06 '19 at 20:16
  • @pomsky I have not been able to test it as I don't care for the GNOME desktop, but do you think that is the case then that this extension should then allow for Drag and Drop shortcuts to the desktop to work then? If so, then https://askubuntu.com/questions/1184076/how-do-i-drag-and-drop-a-link-to-the-desktop?noredirect=1#comment1978525_1184076 should be reopened or reclosed as a duplicate of this answer. – Terrance Nov 06 '19 at 22:22
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    @Terrance I can't see why though. It seems OP here is unable to access items on desktop to begin with after upgrading to 19.10, let alone the drag-and-drop feature. OP mentioned desktop items were accessible before upgrading (with 19.04) with the help of the "desktop icons" extension, but for some reason OP is unable to make the extension work with 19.10. Note that this question does not mention the drag-and-drop feature at all. However, if the answer below also solves the problem raised in the other question, it would be helpful to post the same answer to the other question too imo. – pomsky Nov 07 '19 at 05:42
  • @pomsky "Since upgrading to 19.10 I cannot save files and links to the desktop." I think would be the same as drag and drop or save to the desktop as that is technically what it is. – Terrance Nov 07 '19 at 05:43
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    @Terrance Perhaps OP can clarify? But then again as OP mentioned that the ~/Desktop directory exists and files inside it are also there, it sounds to me like a more elementary problem of unable to see the files from the desktop. Also note that as OP was using 19.04 with "desktop icons" extension before and the extension does not support the drag-and-drop feature, OP is supposed to be used to the unavailability of the drag-and-drop feature to begin with. – pomsky Nov 07 '19 at 05:58
  • @pomsky I guess I am not making myself clear enough here. You can save files to the ~/Desktop folder in both situations just fine, but you cannot drag and drop them to show up as it will give you an error. I am gong to go setup a VM and test this out then and then I guess I will have to write something up actually showing what I mean here. – Terrance Nov 07 '19 at 06:13
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    @pomsky My problem was not being able to see the contents of .~/desktop on the actual desktop in 19.10 although, with the help of the extension desktop-icons, they did appear on the 19.04 desktop. The desktop-icons extension would not install on 19.10. I have now found another extension "Desktop Inons NG (DING) which does allow the contents of .~/desktop to be seen on the desktop. It also allows new folders to be made on the desktop via a right-click on the mouse and to drag and drop from Nautilus folders onto the desktop. It does not allow dragging from the desktop and dropping in a folder. – SteveInBavaria Nov 07 '19 at 07:14
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    @Terrance OP clarified and it turns out it was the issue of not being able to see the contents of ~/Desktop on the actual desktop in 19.10 at all. However OP also mentions that the DING extension partially solves the no drag-and-drop feature too. So it would be helpful to suggest this extension in an answer to this question. SteveInBavaria, could you please post an answer to that question mentioning the DING extension and what it does and doesn't provide related to the drag-and-drop feature (essentially what you wrote at the end of the comment above)? – pomsky Nov 07 '19 at 07:34
  • OK, I will do that. – SteveInBavaria Nov 07 '19 at 07:39
  • "Why is it nowadays regarded as a bad thing to save things on the desktop?" It is not regarded as a bad thing. It's just that the Gnome team has fallen into the trap of putting aesthetics before functionality. – AlexP Nov 07 '19 at 09:41

1 Answers1

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I have found a Gnome extension that does the job Desktop Icons NG (DING) by rastersoft

SteveInBavaria
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  • This extension lack all options which we can have from original Desktop Icons provide. Options like: 1. Hide Trash Icons 2. Remove Home Folder & last 3. Resize icon size – Pranav Nov 14 '19 at 03:48