[SOLVED] Text not highlighted in nemo (& other apps)

[ChameleonScales]

Hi,
When I select text in some applications such as Nemo file browser and Xpad, the selection doesn't get highlighted. I could partially fix it for Nemo by changing the theme from xfce to Ultimate Maia but it still doesn't work if Nemo is open as root and doesn't fix anything for Xpad (and possibly other apps).

I tested it with multiple configurations on fresh installs of Debian XFCE edition.:
Debian 9.8 XFCE 4.12
Debian 9.9 XFCE 4.12, cinnamon 3.2 + nemo 2.2, cinnamon 3.8 + nemo 3.8

it made no difference.

Any idea how to fix this ?

[pylkko]

Maybe you can show it in a screen capture or pic because I am no sure I understand. Nemo is a file manager, so where do you need to select text there? Also why wouold you open it as root, I have never opened any file manager as root.

[ChameleonScales]

For the text in nemo, it's when I rename files. Not much to show on a screenshot, especially considering the text highlight is absent so you would see nothing.
Also, I open nemo as root very often for various reasons. I don't think I need to explain myself on that. There's a contextual menu item for it so I'm probably not the only person to use it.

[GarryRicketson]

I don't know about "nemo", but it has been my experience with other file managers, a file manager that is not intended to used as root might not work as expected when you try to use it as root. There are file managers designed and made to be used by root, IE: "root thunar", MC, and there probably are others.
Generally, it is best to use the cli when working as root, all though yes, some people try using the normal user GUI's, and occasionally we get questions from them wondering how to repair the system they borked.

Post by ChameleonScales » 2019-05-18 08:12
I rename files.

Renaming system files that require root to do this is a good way to bork a system,..is there some reason you do not simply use sudo or su , like normal people would, and the CLI, ?
IE:

Code: Select all

# mv foo foo-newname

Not recommended, since the 'mv' command moves the file to one with a new name,
it is better to use 'cp'

Code: Select all

# cp foo foo-newname

That way you still have a copy of the original file, with the original name, in case whatever file name you changed does not work as expected any more.
Maybe read this:

From: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Running_GUI_applications_as_root Warning: All of the following methods have security implications that users should be aware of. As put by Emmanuele Bassi, a GNOME developer: "there are no *real*, substantiated, technological reasons why anybody should run a GUI application as root. By running GUI applications as an admin user you're literally running millions of lines of code that have not been audited properly to run under elevated privileges; you're also running code that will touch files inside your $HOME and may change their ownership on the file system; connect, via IPC, to even more running code, etc. You're opening up a massive, gaping security hole [...]."[1]

[ChameleonScales]

Allow me to clarify myself. This problem happens on a fresh Debian install (and I would add that it happens on 2 very different computers that I tested it on, so I can guess hardware configuration is off the table).
I didn't say I was renaming files as root. I said the text selection highlighting problem occurs when I rename files (whether I'm root or not) and I could only fix it for when I use nemo as a regular user by using the Ultimate Maia theme (also works with a few others I found online).

I didn't perform any modification as root after the Debian installation and I checked for the iso's integrity with sha512 and verified its signature.

I'm pretty confident you can reproduce this issue with your computer. It's very straightforward:
- install the latest stable Debian XFCE edition
- install nemo (from the official repository deb.debian.org/debian)
- open nemo (as a regular user) and rename any file

[GarryRicketson]

Why would I want to reproduce it ?
My system works fine like it is.
I would not want XFCE on my system. I like fluxbox.
I would not want nemo on my system. Thunar and root thunar work fine.

I didn't say I was renaming files as root. I said the text selection highlighting problem occurs when I rename files (whether I'm root or not) and I could only fix it for when I use nemo as a regular user by using the Ultimate Maia theme (also works with a few others I found online).

I do apologize, in your earlier posts, you gave the impression, or I misunderstood, and thought it was only when you tried to run the file manager as root.

But I might try installing this "Nemo" and see, what happens,...

[GarryRicketson]

I did install "nemo", but now I will remove it, certainly don't need something like this.
Anyway:

- install nemo (from the official repository deb.debian.org/debian)
- open nemo (as a regular user) and rename any file

Could not rename any file, it did not work.

Well, any way now I see what you mean, and it is even buggier then just the text highlighting, when I select "rename files" it does not even open a window to rename them, nothing,... I also was looking at the many bug reports for this package, but did not see any on the text nor high lighting, nor on not being able to select the rename option, but there were a lot of bug reports, I regret installing it. I suggest submitting a bug report on it, if it is important to you.
Since it is not something I want to use, nor keep on my system (Debian Buster /sid on a VM), I am not interested in taking any more time on it.
==== edited ====
At least it was not very much trouble to remove, and good riddance.

[ChameleonScales]

No problem.
Just so you know, this, as you say "Nemo" thingy is the default file browser of the most used linux distro worldwide (Mint) and it works like a charm on it. Also it's perfectly normal that renaming a file doesn't pop a panel, you rename directly on the file, but on Debian since you don't see the highlighted text you can't be sure you're renaming until you start typing.
Anyway, I'll try to get around this.

[Kryten]

Its all working fine in Buster +Cinnamon 3.8.8 Nemo 3.8.5
You could upgrade?

[ChameleonScales]

I just tried and it still doesn't work for me (same versions). Perhaps you were trying it on the Cinnamon edition whereas I installed cinnamon and nemo from the XFCE edition?

Debian 10 does fix the xpad issue though, so I think these issues are not related.

[Kryten]

After the base system is installed you are asked which software you want,i unticked xfce and chose cinnamon desktop instead.Cinnamon is the only DE i have installed.

Might be something installed with xfce thats the cause of this?
Does it work with cinnamon only?

[stevepusser]

The "root" user usually has their own theme settings. You can try a different theme for that user.
What do you mean by the "xfce" theme, anyway? I don't see that listed under Styles--do you mean Default or Greybird?

[GarryRicketson]

I tried it on XFCE and the text does highlight:

Also the rename option works, and does give a blank window when I start typeing in the new name.

Its all working fine in Buster +Cinnamon 3.8.8 Nemo 3.8.5
You could upgrade?

I was thinking about installing Cinnamon as well, but don't see the point, "Kryten" confirms it is working,...

[ChameleonScales]

GarryRicketson: I don't see selected text in your screenshots. You're just showing the blue highlight when the file is selected.

stevepusser: No I really mean "xfce":


Anyway, I've updated nemo to version 4 and the issue got fixed.

Kryten: are you sure you had a highlight when you selected text in Buster ? Because I talked to a nemo developer and he told me it should not work until nemo 4.0.

[GarryRicketson]

Text not highlighted in nemo & other apps

Postby ChameleonScales » 2019-05-14 02:26
Hi,
When I select text in some applications such as Nemo file browser and Xpad, the selection doesn't get highlighted.

I am sorry, I thought that was the problem , based on your first post, so guess I don't understand what the problem for you is, any way, hope you get it worked out,