Can't drag and drop files into open applications on Cinnamon's panel

[BrunoMiranda]

Hi all,

I can't drag and drop files into open applications on Cinnamon's panel. I'm on Mint 21.3.
If, for example, I click and drag a file from the desktop into an (open in the background) program's icon on the panel, it just does nothing. The expected behavior would be opening the application that I have the mouse cursor hovering on so I can then drop that file there.

This system has been updated from some old versions up to now and somethings went array on the 20.3 -> 21 upgrade.

There's a similar topic here (but it's about a fresh new installation), but there's no more replies on it and it's locked. But I'm using this as a starting point:

viewtopic.php?t=386790



Some info about the system:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxxxmprz
System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-92-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.4.0
    Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4 tk: GTK 3.24.33 wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0
    Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Intel model: D54250WYK v: H13922-303
    serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Intel
    v: WYLPT10H.86A.0054.2019.0902.1752 date: 09/02/2019
Memory:
  RAM: total: 15.51 GiB used: 3.52 GiB (22.7%)
  RAM Report:
    permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i5-4250U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    smt: enabled arch: Haswell rev: 1 cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 512 KiB L3: 3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 798 min/max: 800/2600 cores: 1: 798 2: 798 3: 798
    4: 798 bogomips: 15165
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel
    ports: active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:0a26 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1440x900 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 381x238mm (15.0x9.4")
    s-diag: 449mm (17.7")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-1 mapped: HDMI-A-1 model: Asus VW193D serial: <filter>
    res: 1440x900 hz: 60 dpi: 90 size: 408x255mm (16.1x10.0")
    diag: 481mm (18.9") modes: max: 1440x900 min: 720x400
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 5000 (HSW GT3)
    v: 4.6 Mesa 23.0.4-0ubuntu1~22.04.1 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Haswell-ULT HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:03.0 chip-ID: 8086:0a0c class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Intel 8 Series HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:9c20 class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-92-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I218-V driver: e1000e v: kernel port: f080
    bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:1559 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter
    vendor: Foxconn driver: ath9k v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:0034 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Foxconn / Hon Hai type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 2-7:4
    chip-ID: 0489:e04e class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter>
    bt-v: 2.1 lmp-v: 4.0 sub-v: 1 hci-v: 4.1 rev: 1102
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 423.07 GiB (88.7%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda model: T-FORCE 512GB size: 476.94 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 61.5 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 19.03 GiB used: 10.53 GiB (55.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
  ID-2: /media/Documentos size: 439.35 GiB used: 412.54 GiB (93.9%)
    fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 52.0 C mobo: 27.8 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: apt: 2125
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/gezakovacs-ppa-focal.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozillateam-ppa-focal.list
    1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu jammy main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com virginia main upstream import backport
    2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/xtradeb-apps-jammy.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/xtradeb-apps-jammy.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/xtradeb/apps/ubuntu jammy main
Info:
  Processes: 220 Uptime: 1d 16h 52m wakeups: 23 Init: systemd v: 249
  runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.4.0 alt: 11/9 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16
  running-in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.3.13

  Cinnamon 6.0.4

  

Replying to a question made on the above mentioned topic, yes I can copy from one nemo instance to another one, having them side open by side.

Important: Just noticed that this only happens when I have the panel configured to automatically hide itself. If I configure it to always show, it all works well as expected.
(I don't like to always have the panel showing, it is somehow of a distraction to me and I always like to have only one thing open and maximized, the old do one thing only and do it well.)

Any hints?
As always, thanks!

[tonywhelan]

Hmm, I'd not heard of this being possible before.

On a new build of LM21.3 Cinnamon I cannot drag and drop a file onto program icons in the grouped window list - tried with Libreoffice and geany.
Likewise cannot do it on a 21.2 build.

Sorry I can't help.

[BrunoMiranda]

Thanks for chiming in anyway.

I'm using the panel in the old traditional way. Haven't tried it on a live session but I'm sure it works properly. Like i wrote, this is an old install that has been heavily pummeled, trimmed down, customized and upgraded for years and years now and has been restored and working on what?, 5, 6 computers now?? I believe the last nuke&pave reinstall was after LMDE2's EOL... (my absolute Mint favorite!)
Had some work ironing down upgrade bugs (especially after 20.3 -> 21) and I'm baffled how stable and reliable it still is after all of this, all the bugs that are left are just minor things. I can only vouch for Mint!

[tonywhelan]

I'm using the panel in the old traditional way.

Ah, I should have realised you weren't using the grouped window list, sorry.

[Hoser Rob]

...I believe the last nuke&pave reinstall was after LMDE2's EOL... (my absolute Mint favorite!)...

A bit OT but I looked up LMDE 2 on distrowatch just now and I didn't realize they used to offer Cinnamon or Mate versions of LMDE. Shame they don't still do that.

I'm more of a KDE guy (I use MX 21 KDE now) but LMDE is still available in 32 bit, and that's obviously a big plus for those with some old boxes. But Cinnamon is not well suited to weak old 32 bit machines at all. Oh well, LMDE 7 almost certainly won't be available in 32 bit anyway. It won't be an issue forever.

[BrunoMiranda]

You can still install MATE (or even KDE, but haven't tried it) on newer LMDE versions.
I think MATE will work perfectly, but with KDE some things might miss because Mint hasn't been written in a way to integrate it quite well from base.

Cinnamon on LMDE2 was the best ergonomical version, IMO. Nemo could use custom colorful icons on its bookmarks and folders, absolutely critical for visual thinkers. Caja still does this. From then on, Cinnamon has been spiraling down on that regard, nemo's icons are way too abstract and monochrome while Cinnamon's default theming is way to abstract and color saturated, and after all these years I still struggle to immediately understand them because visual intuition fails here (just watch Deluge's icon on the default theme).
I'm of the opinion the Mint Team should contract a competent UI and UX team do revamp Cinnamon's visuals to look good and intuitive, not modern and cool because everyone is playing Apple wanna be. I call it watching Baby TV while being on LSD.
Even with these features removed, Nemo is still slower than MATE to start up... But I do love Nemo for my everyday file management.

I'm really not a fan of the GNOME3's paradigm and toolkits, GTK just does not integrate well and only now I'm starting to use Mint 21 because lots of applications just didn't respect my dark there. Now only one of them is doing that.

I'd like to move to KDE but I love the Mint base, With time I've learned how to debloat MATE and Cinnamon, with KDE it would have to be starting all over again... Plus learn the new applications. I do respect KDE but changing desktop just because of theming working as a whole is a bit over the top, IMO.

32 bits... I still have a couple of small old laptops around. Weak GPUs that struggle with 720p with luck. Celeron CPUs struggle with just about any case. Frameworks are way too heavy and cluttered, 640Ks or RAM are not enough for everyone nowadays.
There are some niche applications fold old machines like this. A friend of mine uses them with Windows XP for oscilloscopes and stuff like that.

Well, end of out of topic rant. Lets go back to trying to get Cinnamon to work. Cheers.