HPLIP is not compatible with modern GNOME (No system tray detected on this system. Unable to start, exiting.)

Bug #1714659 reported by Norbert
186
This bug affects 37 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
HPLIP
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned
hplip (Debian)
Fix Released
Unknown
hplip (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Steps to reproduce:
1. Install Ubuntu 17.10
2. Install hplip-gui
3. Launch GNOME session.
4. Get error message window with header "HPLIP Status Service"
and text
"No system tray detected on this system.
Unable to start, exiting."

Expected results:
hp-systray is compatible with modern GNOME

Actual results:
hp-systray is not compatible with modern GNOME

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: hplip-gui 3.17.7+repack0-3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.12.0-11.12-generic 4.12.5
Uname: Linux 4.12.0-11-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
CupsErrorLog: W [01/Sep/2017:17:24:48 +0300] Notifier for subscription 112 (dbus://) went away, retrying!
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Sat Sep 2 14:10:19 2017
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-08-26 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha i386 (20170826)
Lpstat: Error: command ['lpstat', '-v'] failed with exit code 1: lpstat: No destinations added.
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. UX32A
PackageArchitecture: all
Papersize: a4
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.12.0-11-generic root=UUID=c2d4f47c-f1c6-4731-b8d0-dc268c6bf996 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: hplip
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 02/12/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: UX32A.216
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UX32A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrUX32A.216:bd02/12/2014:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnUX32A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnUX32A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.family: UX
dmi.product.name: UX32A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in hplip (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Norbert (nrbrtx)
tags: added: xenial
Revision history for this message
Norbert (nrbrtx) wrote :

Ubuntu 17.10 with all updates. Bug is fixed.

Changed in hplip:
status: New → Invalid
Changed in hplip (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Invalid
description: updated
Norbert (nrbrtx)
tags: removed: artful
Revision history for this message
Kyle Raglin (ktraglin) wrote :

Ubuntu 17.10 with all updates, however, this problem persists for me. I would not describe it as "fixed".

Revision history for this message
RickB (rick-777) wrote :

Sorry but this bug was not fully fixed back in September. It's still affecting me in December.

Revision history for this message
Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter) wrote :

To the HPLIP developers at HP: Can you provide a patch which we can apply to the HPLIP 3.17.7 which comes with Ubuntu 17.10, especially if you have fixed this already in a later version (like 3.17.11)? Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Xavier Guillot (valeryan-24) wrote :

I also have this bug with HPLIP 3.17.11 on Ubuntu 18.04 - I know this is an alpha, but just to inform.

Version 3.17.11 resolved problem of scanner non identified, but I get the "no system tray detected" at startup...

Norbert (nrbrtx)
tags: added: artful bionic
Changed in hplip (Ubuntu):
status: Invalid → Confirmed
Changed in hplip:
status: Invalid → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Ra (raffamaiden) wrote :

I also have this problem.
Every time at startup the "No system tray detected" erro message shows up.
I use Ubuntu 17.10 and HPLIP 3.17.11 (last version at the time of writing).

Revision history for this message
Ping-Wu (wliauh) wrote :

Experiencing the same problem with bionic. Reproducible.

Revision history for this message
qwelegen (kipingor) wrote :

Same Issue, and I just run an update, I still get
No system tray detected on this system.
Unable to start, exiting.
on Startup

Revision history for this message
Russell Keating (rqkeating) wrote :

Just purchased and installed an HP printer with software from HP web page, device. I have this same bug. Ubuntu 18.04, HPLIP 3.18.4, device manager 15.0 (Qt4)

Revision history for this message
Diego A. Zapata Häntsch (diegoazh2003) wrote :

Same issue in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, HPLIP 3.18.4.
Every time at startup a popup error display the message "No system tray detected".
Please solve the problem.
Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Bernadette Addison (baddison1968) wrote :

Same issue here with official 18.04 LTS release. I have installed HPLIP 3.18.4, but I get the error message, No System Tray Detected on this system: Unable to start, exiting. What's worse is that the HP Officejet printer will not print anything. It just keeps sending all print jobs to "pause".

Revision history for this message
jean-marc mainguet (jmeme) wrote :

Just purchased and installed an HP printer with software from HP web page, device. I have this same bug. Ubuntu 18.04, HPLIP 3.18.4, device manager 15.0 (Qt4)
tanks

Revision history for this message
Albert Boucher (alby-074) wrote :

Same issue with HPLIP 3.18.4 on 18.04 LTS fresh install. No system tray detected unable to start, but I can print with no problems but no access to scanner functions or faxing.

Revision history for this message
Wisit Apiwattanalungkarn (house-mine) wrote :

Same issue with HPLIP 3.18.5 on 18.04 LTS, only show on startup. But when I open printer (HP Laserjet p1006), it can print normally.

Revision history for this message
Wisit Apiwattanalungkarn (house-mine) wrote :

I try this method from 'Edson Jose dos Santos' from this link.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/hplip/+bug/1770027

'To display the icon on the tray, I installed this extension "Alternate Menu for Hplip" and it worked ok, but the error message (No system tray detected on this system, unable to start, exiting) continued to appear.

Then I removed the startup "hp-systray -x" and the error continued.

What happened after restarting the PC?

At startup, the HP icon came in alone and appeared at the startup of the "SETUP" tool and the message disappeared. OK . See attachment.

Now the error message (No system tray detected on this system. Unable to start, exiting) only appears when we click on the HP icon and open the printer.'

It can help me and now no annoying message at startup.

Revision history for this message
Dimitri Clicque (shinobix9x) wrote :

same issue Ubuntu 18.04 hplip-3.18.6 at evey boot i get this error when i log in to my account.
Woulud be nice to have this solved.

Revision history for this message
edelans (edelans) wrote :

I had this error on every boot on a fresh and up to date ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver after installing the latest drivers for my HP printer.

I just deleted the file

/etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop

to get rid of the problem. But it would be nice to have it fixed =)

Revision history for this message
Nagy Gergő (daf182) wrote :

I have the very same error, on 18.04 and HPLIP-3.17.10.
Is there any workaround within /etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop to turn this off? - instead of removing the file. completely.

Revision history for this message
Lefol Laurent (lololapile) wrote :

I have the very same error, on 18.04.1 and HPLIP-3.18.6

This issue creates problems with every Ubuntu update specifically with python.
I would appreciate a solution.

lololapile

Revision history for this message
Mark Preston (emarkpreston) wrote :

I think that is error is now causing very high CPU usage. Typically my CPU load averages are under 1. They usually range like thus: .5 to .8 for all time frames (1 min, 5 min, 15 min). Currently my avgs. are 3.00 to 4.00. These high loads started after HPLIP's "No systray" on daily power up.

Revision history for this message
Mark Preston (emarkpreston) wrote :

In the above post, I was in error about hplip causing the high CPU usage. I have changed my Desktop management from Gnome to Unity. The hp systray icon is back on the panel. I apologize for the CPU usage mistake.

Revision history for this message
Eduardo Reyes (eddie55) wrote :

Ubuntu 18.04.2 fresh install on System 76 Laptop
Downloaded the latest Version of HPLIP 3.19.3
from https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/gethplip

I am getting this bug

I wonder if i use the hplip that comes with ubunut or is in the repo is i would still get this bug

Revision history for this message
SwissEagle (6-ubqntu-u) wrote :

Ubuntu 19.10, Gnome-Session, same problem.

Revision history for this message
Peter Schüller (schueller-p) wrote :

Same problem on Ubuntu 18.04 - thankfully edelans posted a fix in #19 for removing the message!

Revision history for this message
Yves-Gwenael Bourhis (yves-gwenael-bourhis) wrote :

I confirm having the same issue on Ubuntu 20.04:

yves@laptop:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=focal
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS"
yves@laptop:~$ dpkg -l | grep -i hplip
ii hplip 3.20.3+dfsg0-2 amd64 HP Linux Printing and Imaging System (HPLIP)
ii hplip-data 3.20.3+dfsg0-2 all HP Linux Printing and Imaging - data files
ii hplip-gui 3.20.3+dfsg0-2 all HP Linux Printing and Imaging - GUI utilities (Qt-based)

Revision history for this message
noon (fabrice-bauzac) wrote :

The hp-systray command is commonly started as part of the session's autostart; for example, in Debian.

When it doesn't find a system tray on the current environment, it displays an error dialog box.

This is the case of GNOME which has dropped support for the system tray functionality in favour of a unified "notifications" functionality, pushing developers to quit relying on a system tray.

This comes from hplip/ui4/systemtray.py where QSystemTrayIcon.isSystemTrayAvailable() returns False when run under GNOME.

Solutions I see:
- Change the /etc/xdg/autostart/hplip-systray.desktop and add a property (NotShowIn, see https://specifications.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/latest/ar01s03.html) to not start in GNOME. It simply means adding this line: NotShowIn=GNOME;
- Change the hplip code to fail silently if it detects that there is no system tray. This might hide real issues however.
- Add a new dedicated binary package for hplip-gui-systray, and do not install it by default, especially for GNOME users.
- Understand the functionality of hp-systray and implement an alternative using GNOME's notifications; choose it when running in GNOME.

Revision history for this message
noon (fabrice-bauzac) wrote :

I suggest that the hplip maintainers update the file

hplip/hplip-systray.desktop.in

by adding this line at the end:

  NotShowIn=GNOME;

I think doing this will close:
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/hplip/+bug/1714659 (this bug)
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/hplip/+bug/1721534
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/hplip/+bug/1770027
- and a lot of other downstream bugs like https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=793675

Changed in hplip (Debian):
status: Unknown → Fix Committed
Changed in hplip (Debian):
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
Changed in hplip (Debian):
status: Fix Released → Confirmed
Changed in hplip (Debian):
status: Confirmed → Fix Released
Norbert (nrbrtx)
tags: removed: artful
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