Debian Bug report logs - #749315
gnome-shell: Workspaces seem broken

Package: gnome-shell; Maintainer for gnome-shell is Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>; Source for gnome-shell is src:gnome-shell (PTS, buildd, popcon).

Reported by: Anthony Bourguignon <debian+bts@toniob.net>

Date: Mon, 26 May 2014 09:51:01 UTC

Severity: important

Found in version gnome-shell/3.12.2-1

Done: Jeremy Bícha <jeremy.bicha@canonical.com>

Bug is archived. No further changes may be made.

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Report forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Mon, 26 May 2014 09:51:06 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Anthony Bourguignon <debian+bts@toniob.net>:
New Bug report received and forwarded. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Mon, 26 May 2014 09:51:06 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

Package: gnome-shell
Version: 3.12.2-1
Severity: important

Dear Maintainer,

I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the workspaces
are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are present. I can start
applications in the first one. Soon after, the second workspace shows
the same thumbnail as the first one.

If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation is
played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first and only
one).

Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.

I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an application
in the second workspace :

May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided by
any .service files

The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).


-- System Information:
Debian Release: jessie/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 3.14-1-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=fr_FR.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages gnome-shell depends on:
ii  dconf-gsettings-backend [gsettings-backend]  0.20.0-2
ii  evolution-data-server                        3.12.2-1
ii  gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0                   0.6.37-1
ii  gir1.2-atspi-2.0                             2.10.2-3
ii  gir1.2-caribou-1.0                           0.4.13-1
ii  gir1.2-clutter-1.0                           1.18.2-1
ii  gir1.2-freedesktop                           1.40.0-2
ii  gir1.2-gcr-3                                 3.12.2-1
ii  gir1.2-gdesktopenums-3.0                     3.12.0-1
ii  gir1.2-gdm3                                  3.12.2-1
ii  gir1.2-gkbd-3.0                              3.6.0-1
ii  gir1.2-glib-2.0                              1.40.0-2
ii  gir1.2-gmenu-3.0                             3.8.0-2
ii  gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0                    3.8.1-3
ii  gir1.2-gnomedesktop-3.0                      3.12.1-1
ii  gir1.2-gtk-3.0                               3.12.2-1
ii  gir1.2-ibus-1.0                              1.5.5-1
ii  gir1.2-mutter-3.0                            3.12.2-1
ii  gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0                    0.9.8.10-3
ii  gir1.2-nmgtk-1.0                             0.9.8.10-1
ii  gir1.2-pango-1.0                             1.36.3-1
ii  gir1.2-polkit-1.0                            0.105-6
ii  gir1.2-soup-2.4                              2.46.0-2
ii  gir1.2-telepathyglib-0.12                    0.24.0-1
ii  gir1.2-telepathylogger-0.2                   0.8.0-3
ii  gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0                        0.99.0-2
ii  gjs                                          1.40.1-1
ii  gnome-icon-theme-symbolic                    3.12.0-1
ii  gnome-settings-daemon                        3.12.1-3
ii  gnome-shell-common                           3.12.2-1
ii  gnome-themes-standard                        3.12.0-1
ii  gsettings-desktop-schemas                    3.12.0-1
ii  libatk-bridge2.0-0                           2.10.2-3
ii  libatk1.0-0                                  2.12.0-1
ii  libc6                                        2.18-7
ii  libcairo2                                    1.12.16-2
ii  libcanberra-gtk3-0                           0.30-2
ii  libcanberra0                                 0.30-2
ii  libclutter-1.0-0                             1.18.2-1
ii  libcogl-pango20                              1.18.0-2
ii  libcogl20                                    1.18.0-2
ii  libcroco3                                    0.6.8-2
ii  libdbus-glib-1-2                             0.102-1
ii  libecal-1.2-16                               3.12.2-1
ii  libedataserver-1.2-18                        3.12.2-1
ii  libgcr-base-3-1                              3.12.2-1
ii  libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0                           2.30.7-1
ii  libgirepository-1.0-1                        1.40.0-2
ii  libgjs0e [libgjs0-libmozjs-24-0]             1.40.1-1
ii  libglib2.0-0                                 2.40.0-3
ii  libgstreamer1.0-0                            1.2.4-1
ii  libgtk-3-0                                   3.12.2-1
ii  libical1                                     1.0-1
ii  libjson-glib-1.0-0                           1.0.0-1
ii  libmozjs-24-0                                24.2.0-2
ii  libmutter0d                                  3.12.2-1
ii  libnm-glib4                                  0.9.8.10-3
ii  libnm-util2                                  0.9.8.10-3
ii  libpango-1.0-0                               1.36.3-1
ii  libpangocairo-1.0-0                          1.36.3-1
ii  libpolkit-agent-1-0                          0.105-6
ii  libpolkit-gobject-1-0                        0.105-6
ii  libpulse-mainloop-glib0                      5.0-2
ii  libpulse0                                    5.0-2
ii  libsecret-1-0                                0.18-1
ii  libstartup-notification0                     0.12-3
ii  libsystemd-journal0                          208-1
ii  libtelepathy-glib0                           0.24.0-1
ii  libx11-6                                     2:1.6.2-2
ii  libxfixes3                                   1:5.0.1-1
ii  libxi6                                       2:1.7.2-1
ii  python                                       2.7.6-2
ii  telepathy-mission-control-5                  1:5.16.1-2

Versions of packages gnome-shell recommends:
ii  gdm3                  3.12.2-1
ii  gkbd-capplet          3.6.0-1
ii  gnome-contacts        3.12.0-1+b1
ii  gnome-control-center  1:3.8.3-7
ii  gnome-user-guide      3.8.2-1
ii  unzip                 6.0-12

gnome-shell suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information

Information forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Mon, 26 May 2014 10:03:05 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Emilio Pozuelo Monfort <pochu@debian.org>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Mon, 26 May 2014 10:03:05 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #10 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

On 26/05/14 11:47, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> Package: gnome-shell
> Version: 3.12.2-1
> Severity: important
> 
> Dear Maintainer,
> 
> I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the workspaces
> are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are present. I can start
> applications in the first one. Soon after, the second workspace shows
> the same thumbnail as the first one.
> 
> If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation is
> played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first and only
> one).
> 
> Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.
> 
> I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an application
> in the second workspace :
> 
> May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
> gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
> sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided by
> any .service files
> 
> The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).

Is there anything relevant in .cache/log/session.log ?

Acknowledgement sent to Laurent Bigonville <bigon@debian.org>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Mon, 26 May 2014 10:06:14 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #15 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

Le Mon, 26 May 2014 11:59:23 +0200,
Emilio Pozuelo Monfort <pochu@debian.org> a écrit :

> On 26/05/14 11:47, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> > Package: gnome-shell
> > Version: 3.12.2-1
> > Severity: important
> > 
> > Dear Maintainer,
> > 
> > I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the
> > workspaces are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are
> > present. I can start applications in the first one. Soon after, the
> > second workspace shows the same thumbnail as the first one.
> > 
> > If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation
> > is played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first
> > and only one).
> > 
> > Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.
> > 
> > I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an
> > application in the second workspace :
> > 
> > May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
> > gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
> > sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided
> > by any .service files
> > 
> > The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).
> 
> Is there anything relevant in .cache/log/session.log ?

Or journald? (journalctl command to see the content)

Acknowledgement sent to Anthony Bourguignon <debian+bts@toniob.net>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Mon, 26 May 2014 11:33:10 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #20 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Le Monday 26 May 2014 à 12:05 +0200, Laurent Bigonville a écrit :
> Le Mon, 26 May 2014 11:59:23 +0200,
> Emilio Pozuelo Monfort <pochu@debian.org> a écrit :
> 
> > On 26/05/14 11:47, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> > > Package: gnome-shell
> > > Version: 3.12.2-1
> > > Severity: important
> > > 
> > > Dear Maintainer,
> > > 
> > > I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the
> > > workspaces are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are
> > > present. I can start applications in the first one. Soon after, the
> > > second workspace shows the same thumbnail as the first one.
> > > 
> > > If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation
> > > is played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first
> > > and only one).
> > > 
> > > Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.
> > > 
> > > I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an
> > > application in the second workspace :
> > > 
> > > May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
> > > gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
> > > sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided
> > > by any .service files
> > > 
> > > The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).
> > 
> > Is there anything relevant in .cache/log/session.log ?
> 
> Or journald? (journalctl command to see the content)

I've got no .cache/log directory.

I've made a screencast to explain the issue. I've also put the
journalctl output. You'll find both files enclosed.

[workspaces.webm (video/webm, attachment)]

[journalctl.txt (text/plain, attachment)]

Message #25 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

On 26/05/14 13:15, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> Le Monday 26 May 2014 à 12:05 +0200, Laurent Bigonville a écrit :
>> Le Mon, 26 May 2014 11:59:23 +0200,
>> Emilio Pozuelo Monfort <pochu@debian.org> a écrit :
>>
>>> On 26/05/14 11:47, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
>>>> Package: gnome-shell
>>>> Version: 3.12.2-1
>>>> Severity: important
>>>>
>>>> Dear Maintainer,
>>>>
>>>> I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the
>>>> workspaces are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are
>>>> present. I can start applications in the first one. Soon after, the
>>>> second workspace shows the same thumbnail as the first one.
>>>>
>>>> If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation
>>>> is played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first
>>>> and only one).
>>>>
>>>> Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.
>>>>
>>>> I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an
>>>> application in the second workspace :
>>>>
>>>> May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
>>>> gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
>>>> sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided
>>>> by any .service files
>>>>
>>>> The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).
>>>
>>> Is there anything relevant in .cache/log/session.log ?
>>
>> Or journald? (journalctl command to see the content)
> 
> I've got no .cache/log directory.

My bad, I meant .cache/gdm/session.log

Message #30 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

Le Monday 26 May 2014 à 14:04 +0200, Emilio Pozuelo Monfort a écrit :
> On 26/05/14 13:15, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> > Le Monday 26 May 2014 à 12:05 +0200, Laurent Bigonville a écrit :
> >> Le Mon, 26 May 2014 11:59:23 +0200,
> >> Emilio Pozuelo Monfort <pochu@debian.org> a écrit :
> >>
> >>> On 26/05/14 11:47, Anthony Bourguignon wrote:
> >>>> Package: gnome-shell
> >>>> Version: 3.12.2-1
> >>>> Severity: important
> >>>>
> >>>> Dear Maintainer,
> >>>>
> >>>> I've installed gnome-shell from experimental. Since then, the
> >>>> workspaces are broken. When I open my session, 2 of them are
> >>>> present. I can start applications in the first one. Soon after, the
> >>>> second workspace shows the same thumbnail as the first one.
> >>>>
> >>>> If I try to start a new app in the second workspace, the animation
> >>>> is played but everything goes to the current workspace (the first
> >>>> and only one).
> >>>>
> >>>> Then, there is only one workspace on the right side of the screen.
> >>>>
> >>>> I've got the current message in syslog when I try to move an
> >>>> application in the second workspace :
> >>>>
> >>>> May 26 10:33:08 anthony gnome-session[2388]: Avertissement du
> >>>> gestionnaire de fenêtres : Log level 16: AT-SPI: Error in GetItems,
> >>>> sender=org.freedesktop.DBus, error=The name :1.18 was not provided
> >>>> by any .service files
> >>>>
> >>>> The "name :1.18" is never the same (it seems to increment itself).
> >>>
> >>> Is there anything relevant in .cache/log/session.log ?
> >>
> >> Or journald? (journalctl command to see the content)
> > 
> > I've got no .cache/log directory.
> 
> My bad, I meant .cache/gdm/session.log

I've purged .cache/gdm/session.log and rebooted my computer. Nothing has
appeared in this file since then.

Information forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Wed, 28 May 2014 09:45:05 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Anthony Bourguignon <debian+bts@toniob.net>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Wed, 28 May 2014 09:45:05 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #35 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

Hi,

I have resolved this issue. I realized that the problem occured only
when I was using an external screen. It worked perfectly when I was
working on the built-in one.

So I tried to change a few things in the control-center and I had error
messages.

So I checked the version of gnome-control-center : 3.8.3. I've updated
it to 3.12 from experimental and everything works damn fine now.

I think you should put a dependency between gnome-shell 3.12 and
gnome-control-center 3.12 to avoid this kind of issues.

According to me, you can close this bug.

Thanks a lot.

Information forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:33:04 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Harry Noel <hgnoel1980@gmail.com>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:33:04 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #40 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

I am experiencing the same issues Anthony had in the original post.
Similarly I have no issues when using gnome-shell on my Thinkpad's
display however when plugged into the Ultradock and using an external
monitor I have the exact same symptoms.

Workspaces 1 and 2 initially available however appear to be mirroring
each other. When you try to use Workspace 2 it collapses and you are
left with the one Workspace and are unable to open additional.

I upgraded to gnome-shell 3.12.2-3 from unstable this morning and unlike
Anthony upgrading to gnome-control-centre 3.12.1-4 also has not solved
this one for me.

If you would like contents of logs etc... please let me know.

Regards

Harry

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[signature.asc (application/pgp-signature, inline)]

Information forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Sat, 18 Jul 2015 13:03:08 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Ognyan Kulev <ognyan@ognyankulev.com>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Sat, 18 Jul 2015 13:03:08 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #45 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

Hi,

I had the same solution when I use external monitor on my Thinkpad. 
http://gregcor.com/2011/05/07/fix-dual-monitors-in-gnome-3-aka-my-workspaces-are-broken/ 
had the solution for me. The magic configuration command is:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.overrides workspaces-only-on-primary false

All the best,
Ognyan

Information forwarded to debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org, Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>:
Bug#749315; Package gnome-shell. (Wed, 28 Oct 2015 05:30:11 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Acknowledgement sent to Gabriel Filion <gabster@lelutin.ca>:
Extra info received and forwarded to list. Copy sent to Debian GNOME Maintainers <pkg-gnome-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>. (Wed, 28 Oct 2015 05:30:11 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #50 received at 749315@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hey there,

I've just experienced the same issue as described here on my laptop
after upgrading to 3.18.1-1.

The issue was visible on my laptop screen with no external screen attached.

I've resolved the issue by going in the displays configuration panel,
opening up the only screen available and clicking on "Apply".

For some reason gnome was confused about the screen being the main one,
and it got fixed by applying configuration.

-- 
Gabriel Filion

[signature.asc (application/pgp-signature, attachment)]

Reply sent to Jeremy Bícha <jeremy.bicha@canonical.com>:
You have taken responsibility. (Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:24:15 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Notification sent to Anthony Bourguignon <debian+bts@toniob.net>:
Bug acknowledged by developer. (Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:24:15 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

Message #55 received at 749315-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

There have been many changes to Debian since this bug was originally
reported. If you are still experiencing this issue with Debian 12 (or
with Testing or Unstable), please report a new bug.

Thank you,
Jeremy Bícha

Bug archived. Request was from Debbugs Internal Request <owner@bugs.debian.org> to internal_control@bugs.debian.org. (Tue, 20 May 2025 07:25:54 GMT) (full text, mbox, link).

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Debian Bug report logs - #749315 gnome-shell: Workspaces seem broken

Debian Bug report logs - #749315
gnome-shell: Workspaces seem broken