OT: Overlarge Firefox icon in Ubuntu / Unity?

[T i m]

Yo.

The other day, I think after doing an update on my Ubuntu / Unity box I noticed the Firefox icon on the desktop was massive, about 4 times the normal size and didn't respond to any 'resize' type command. So after a Google that suggested too many 'technical' things to try I just deleted it ... and because I've forgotten how to put a shortcut / alias on the desktop I'll just use it from the dock. ;-)

Then a couple of days later a mate who I setup to run just Linux Mint said his machine was working fine one night but the next morning, came up into 'Emergency mode'? He knows even less about Linux than I do so after some basic Q-A's over the phone he said to 'leave it' and we will go there in a few days for a technical / social and I'll see what I can do once in front of it.

This morning I get a call from the BIL, another user I put onto Linux a few years back to say that he applied some updates last night and this morning his desktop was all screwed up? ;-(

No toolbars or dock ... so whilst he could open an app from the desktop icon he couldn't close it but after lots of trial and error I managed to get him to run Teamviewer (from the CLI) and I was able to get in and eventually, reset Unity etc. ;-)

So, I was wondering if any of the other Linux users here had seen anything similar recently (funny two systems both had the large Firefox icon thing), possibly down to updates and if not, I wonder if it's just a Unity issue (that I believe Canonical have finally given up on)?

On the mate with the Mint stuck in 'Emergency mode'. Again, he's been running Linux for a good few years now and apart from having a HDD fail a while back and I replaced that and recovered most of his data from backups and the old hdd, he's not had many issues. What does this 'Emergency mode' mean please and is there likely to be an easy fix to it (easy enough for me to talk him though it remotely possibly)?

Cheers, T i m

[Davey]

snip

You might get more help in the uk.comp.os.linux Newsgroup.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The icons are normally resizeable at least in Mate and Cinnamon, by right clicking and selecting 'resize icon'

Oh look.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Also

Typical remoaner, cant look anything up himself, whines till someone else wipes his botty

[T i m]

I could ask them (so thanks) but because many of them are left brainers, you typically only get 'help' as they see it, not what actually helps ordinary people.

I was really only asking the 'normal users' here who happen to be using Linux if they had seen the same things themselves, and potentially get the solutions from the same sort of people. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Oh look: "The other day, I think after doing an update on my Ubuntu / Unity box I noticed the Firefox icon on the desktop was massive, about

4 times the normal size and didn't respond to any 'resize' type command."

Like I said, (arrogant) Linux geeks are often left brainers and so will trip over themselves to get in some sort of dig as they faceplant!

It's *not* launcher icons I clearly stated it was an icon on the desktop and it *did not* respond to the 'typical' resize procedures.

Buy hey, thanks for playing. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Not also ...

Typical left brained Linux geek who once again completely misunderstand the question. It wasn't iconS, it was one icon, Firefox and across two completely different PC's.

I also clearly stated: "So after a Google that suggested too many 'technical' things to try I just deleted it ... and because I've forgotten how to put a shortcut / alias on the desktop I'll just use it from the dock. ;-)"

So, the question wasn't how to fix it because I'd already done that by deleting it and just using it from the doc, the question was has anyone else seen the same thing OOI?

Stupid left brainer Linux geeks.

I suggest you need someone to wipe the foam off your mouth than I need any help (from you anyway), thanks.

Cheers, T i m

[Davey]

Personally, I have always found good help in that group, although I know what you mean about geeks. For real fun, there is an alt. linux group I subscribed to for a while, but if you asked anything that it was deemed that you could have found yourself after only five days of

24-hour searching and a full programmer's knowledge, you got metaphorically shot at dawn, so I left. Not the way to encourage new users.

By the way, I have not seen the symptoms you describe, but I only have an FF icon on the launcher bar, not on the desktop. I removed the 'dock', as I hate Unity, and run a classic-themed Ubuntu instead.

[T i m]

For me the constant need to have to justify my presence there (like it was some sort of private members club) said more about 'them' than I needed to know. But it like the fanatic Brexiteers, it's as if they have the need to keep justifying their decision to people because they feel embarrassed about it or some such? ;-(

(quite). ;-)

Yup, best to leave them to it. Web forums are better in that they are normally moderated and hence the Linux fanatics are generally kept out or simply aren't allowed to treat people like they might in an un moderated environment.

But you may have seen how Turnip responded and that's pretty typical of 'them'. ;-(

And that's the shame. Linux is generally unknown by the vast majority (even if they are using say the kernel on their Android phones or in their routers and TV's etc) and *could*, if the will was there, actually be a real alternative to Windows or OSX to many (more) people. However, in spite of distros like Mint / Ubuntu being refined and targeted at 'new users', none of them has gained sufficient traction to be considered seriously by *most* hardware manufacturers and software developers. You only have to go in any computer store to learn how little Linux is mentioned on / for anything.

And when it comes to fixing it (as with the instances I cited on my OP), I don't know anyone or anywhere I could take any distro on any hardware to have them fix it for me, even if I was willing to pay (not something I have *ever* had to do on Windows).

Ok, I didn't imagine it would be that common ('yet' anyway, if it was down to a new update on a specific configuration), just that it seemed strange it should appear on two machines at about the same time (and possibly have a bigger impact on another)?

You and a good few others mate. ;-(

I still have Unity on my main Linux box because I wanted to see where it might go ... now it seems it's going nowhere. ;-(

I'm currently installing Mint 18.3 MATE (64b) on a Fujitsu laptop to give to the mate who currently has no working Linux (emergency mode) so he can always have something 'else' to use if his main box goes bad (he's too far away for me to get there easily and where could he take it himself?). I'm happy to give it to him with the Mint DVD as it pretty well works OOTB so he could always re-install it himself should it get screwed up (or screw itself up with an update / whatever).

243MB of updates. ;-)

Cheers, T i m