Zulip-desktop: Tray icon is missing since v5.0.0 (Linux)

[fauust]

---

Hi! Since I upgraded to version 5.0.0 the tray icon is missing from systray.

• Operating System:
  
  
  
  • [ ] Windows
  
  
  • [x] Linux/Ubuntu
  
  
  • [ ] macOS
  
  

WM: i3 version 4.18 + polybar 3.4.2
OS: Debian Buster (amd64)

• Clear steps to reproduce the issue:
  Install latest Zulip desktop version from zulip repository (because of #912, I am not able to test with the Appimage version).

• Relevant error messages and/or screenshots:
  Zulip is working perfectly but the tray icon is missing (I am getting notification with dunst).

[akashnimare]

@fauust did you install the app using our deb installer from the release page?

[fauust]

From https://zulipchat.com/help/desktop-app-install-guide

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pool.sks-keyservers.net --recv 69AD12704E71A4803DCA3A682424BE5AE9BD10D9
echo "deb https://dl.bintray.com/zulip/debian/ stable main" | \
sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/zulip.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install zulip

[devurandom]

I can confirm this behaviour for the Flatpak on multiple systems:

(https://github.com/zulip/zulip-desktop/issues/910#issuecomment-609930694):
On KDE Plasma, using the Flatpak, I never see any tray icon at all on these two systems (i.e. not even right after start of the application, which is a problem if startMinimized=true in ~/.config/Zulip/config/settings.json):

Operating System: Gentoo Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 5.18.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.68.0
Qt Version: 5.14.1
Kernel Version: 5.5.14
OS Type: 64-bit

Operating System: Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Version: 5.17.5 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.67.0 Qt Version: 5.13.2 Kernel Version: 5.5.13-200.fc31.x86_64 OS Type: 64-bit

See-Also: https://github.com/flathub/org.zulip.Zulip/issues/18

[abhigyank]

Hi @fauust @devurandom Chromium has changed how it shows tray icon, probably uses StatusNotifier tray icons now. This comment has the fix for some OSes, you can check other threads to support your OS if you can fine. If your OS doesn't support StatusNotifier tray, you might want to place an issue in that OS's tracker.
@akashnimare there isn't anything for us to do here. We can close.

[abhigyank]

@fauust For polybar, I found the upstream tracker here - https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2010 , they haven't added support yet, but seems to be planning on doing it :)

[abhigyank]

@akashnimare I am putting a list up of StatusNotifier tray icons support status from different threads I found, so that it is easier for us to link -

• KDE: supported out-from-the-box.

• Xfce: supported (xfce4-statusnotifier-plugin needs to be installed and then respective widget added to the panel). There is also https://gitlab.com/vala-panel-project/xfce4-sntray-plugin working plugin, alternative to xfce4-statusnotifier-plugin.

• Gnome Shell: supported with the help of preinstalled gnome-shell-extension-appindicator extension. Possible issues:

  • The tray/menu clicks might act flaky (respective issue placed).
  • The tray icon sporadically disappears, usually on unlocking the system from sleep/standby mode (respective issue placed).
• Cinnamon / Mint: "System Settings" -> "General" -> "Enable support for indicators" flag needs to be enabled. Cinammon /Mint has has resolved linuxmint/cinnamon#9176.
• polybar: not supported (respective issue placed).

Some Linux users who still experience the tray icon issue with Electron-based apps might want to try https://git.sr.ht/~steef/snixembed thing.

[fauust]

@abhigyank, thanks for pointing me the snixembed project, that seems to work for the moment, see https://github.com/polybar/polybar/issues/2010#issuecomment-618284256.

[akashnimare]

@abhigyank awesome, we should document this somewhere (maybe in limitations section). cc @manavmehta

[devurandom]

Hi @fauust @devurandom Chromium has changed how it shows tray icon, probably uses StatusNotifier tray icons now. This comment has the fix for some OSes, you can check other threads to support your OS if you can fine. If your OS doesn't support StatusNotifier tray, you might want to place an issue in that OS's tracker.

I am not sure I understand. Wayland environments do not support the X11 XEMBED extension for obvious reasons and never did. There is only SNI (Status Notifier Item) on Wayland. Swaybar supports it, but does not display a Zulip icon. Waybar also supports it and also does not display a Zulip icon. Other Flatpak applications' SNI (e.g. com.borgbase.Vorta) display their icons fine, without using xembedsniproxy or similar hacks.

[abhigyank]

@devurandom It is not not really a problem with Electron or Zulip. There isn't anything either can do here. If SNI support is present, I'd assume tray should work. I have read it works out of the box for KDE DE. You could create an upstream issue at Swaybar and Waybar. I did find a thread (probably on Arch) where people have reported that electron apps like Signal, Riot too don't have tray icon on Swaybar (issue with Swaybar maybe?).
P.S. is Vorta an electron app?

[devurandom]

@devurandom It is not not really a problem with Electron or Zulip. There isn't anything either can do here. If SNI support is present, I'd assume tray should work.

Is Zulip using a build of Electron that includes this change? https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/21904

I have read it works out of the box for KDE DE.

I will try with KDE Plasma once I'm back on the computer running it.

You could create an upstream issue at Swaybar and Waybar.

There do not seem to be any open ATM:

• Swaybar: https://github.com/swaywm/sway/issues?q=is%3Aissue+electron
• Waybar: https://github.com/Alexays/Waybar/issues?q=is%3Aissue+electron

Will open a report once I am back on the machine running Sway.

I did find a thread (probably on Arch) where people have reported that electron apps like Signal, Riot too don't have tray icon on Swaybar (issue with Swaybar maybe?).

Link?

P.S. is Vorta an electron app?

Does not look like it. Looks more like Python + Qt: https://github.com/flathub/com.borgbase.Vorta/blob/master/com.borgbase.Vorta.json

[abhigyank]

@devurandom Can you try in the latest release? Electron has reverted to the older way, so it should work as before.

[fauust]

Hi @abhigyank!
I can confirm that latest version is working, snixembed is no more needed.

[akashnimare]

Alright. Closing this now. Thanks, everyone.

[devurandom]

@devurandom Can you try in the latest release? Electron has reverted to the older way, so it should work as before.

Using KDE Plasma 5.19.2 (xembedsniproxy is running) and Flatpak 1.6.3 with Zulip 5.2.0, I do not see a tray icon. Permissions are at their defaults:

[Context]
shared=network;ipc;
sockets=x11;wayland;pulseaudio;
filesystems=xdg-download;xdg-documents;xdg-pictures;

[Session Bus Policy]
org.kde.StatusNotifierWatcher=talk
org.freedesktop.Notifications=talk

[abhigyank]

@devurandom please try on Zulip 5.3.0 .

[pskopek]

Zulip 5.3.0 works fine on Fedora 31 using GNOME and Topicons Plus.