Elementary OS has a knack for eradicating helpful options. One of the vital obtrusive examples of eliminated options is “App Indicators,” a characteristic that permits customers to view apps within the system tray on the panel.
It’s comprehensible why the Elementary OS builders eliminated app indicator help from the desktop. It doesn’t match effectively with the design of Pantheon and makes the system tray look cluttered and inconsistent. Moreover, they’ve a selected imaginative and prescient for Pantheon and need their mission to replicate it. It’s a daring technique. Nonetheless, not each fan of Elementary OS agrees with this strategy and would love the flexibility to see their favourite apps within the system tray once more.
Earlier than we start
Elementary OS 5 has been out for fairly some time now, and most followers have been on the newest launch. Nonetheless, it ought to be famous that Elementary OS is constructed on Ubuntu Lengthy Time period Assist, which signifies that Elementary OS 4 nonetheless has help. In consequence, some customers should still be utilizing it.
Re-enabling app indicator help is finest carried out on Elementary OS 5, because it has the newest software program patches and updates. So, earlier than we start with this information, you need to improve your present set up of Elementary OS to absolutely the newest.
Uncertain about how to improve to the newest model of Elementary OS on your Linux PC? Click on on this information right here to learn the way to make the improve.
Re-enabling app indicator help
Re-enabling help for the app indicator characteristic in Elementary OS requires putting in a bundle. This bundle known as “indicator-application.” To put in it, you need to launch a terminal window on the Elementary OS desktop.
To launch a terminal window, click on on “Applications” within the panel to entry the app menu. Then, as soon as within the app menu, begin typing out “Terminal,” and launch this system with the identify “Terminal.” Alternatively, you’ll be able to launch one by urgent Win + T on the keyboard.
With the terminal window open, use the apt bundle supervisor to set up the “indicator-application” program.
sudo apt set up indicator-application
Following the set up of “indicator-application” on your Elementary OS PC, you’ll need to run a software program replace. A software program replace will make sure that the Pantheon desktop setting has the newest patches, serving to the “indicator-application” work higher.
Updating software program on Elementary OS by way of the terminal is finished with two instructions: replace and improve. The replace command refreshes the software program sources, and improve installs all the pieces.
Utilizing the replace command, refresh your Elementary OS PC’s software program sources.
sudo apt replace
Then, set up all pending software program patches and updates by coming into the improve command.
sudo apt improve
As soon as all of the software program patches are put in on your Elementary OS system, observe the step-by-step directions under.
Step 1: Use the CD command to transfer the terminal window into the /and so forth/xdg/autostart/ listing.
cd /and so forth/xdg/autostart/
Step 2: In /and so forth/xdg/autostart/, run the ls command to check out the contents of the folder. There ought to be a file named “indicator-application.desktop”.
ls | grep indicator-application.desktop
Observe: If you don’t see a file named “indicator-application.desktop” within the /and so forth/xdg/autostart/ listing, the set up of the “indicator-application” bundle did occur efficiently. Run sudo apt reinstall indicator-application to repair the problem.
Step 3: When you’ve confirmed that the “indicator-application.desktop” file is within the right place, copy the file from the /and so forth/xdg/autostart/ listing into your property folder (~) with the cp command.
cp indicator-application.desktop ~/
Step 4: After putting the “indicator-application.desktop” file within the residence folder (~), use the CD command to transfer into the ~/.config folder.
cd ~/.config
Within the ~/.config folder, run the ls command to decide if the autostart folder is current. This folder is important for “indicator-application.desktop” to routinely load up within the Pantheon desktop setting at startup.
Can’t see autostart? Create a brand new listing with the mkdir command.
mkdir -p autostart
Step 5: Utilizing the mv command, transfer the indicator-application.desktop file from the house listing (~) to the autostart folder.
mv ~/indicator-application.desktop autostart/
Step 6: Open the file within the Nano textual content editor for modifying.
nano -w ~/.config/autostart/indicator-application.desktop
Change OnlyShowIn=Unity;GNOME; to OnlyShowIn=Unity;GNOME;Pantheon;
Step 7: Save the modifications to the file with Ctrl + O, and exit with Ctrl + X. Then, replace the file’s permissions in order that Elementary OS can execute it.
sudo chmod +x ~/.config/autostart/indicator-application.desktop
Step 8: Obtain the “wingpanel-indicator-ayatana” bundle from the web utilizing the wget command.
wget
Step 9: Set up the “wingpanel-indicator-ayatana” bundle on your Elementary OS system.
sudo apt set up ./wingpanel-indicator-ayatana_2.0.3+r27+pkg17~ubuntu0.4.1.1_amd64.deb
With the indicator-application.desktop file configured within the autostart folder, and the “wingpanel-indicator-ayatana” DEB bundle put in, the setup course of is finished. Log off of your present session (or reboot). Upon logging again into your session, you will notice system tray icons on your favourite functions!
Undo app indicator help
Did you re-enable app indicator help on your Elementary OS desktop, solely to discover out that you simply don’t prefer it? Right here’s how to flip it again off.
Step 1: Open up a terminal window by urgent Win + T or by trying to find it within the “Applications” menu.
Step 2: Transfer into the ~/.config/autostart/ listing with the CD command.
cd ~/.config/autostart/
Step 3: Delete the indicator-application.desktop file.
rm indicator-application.desktop
Step 4: Log off or reboot.
