[SOLVED] How to restore Grouped Window List

[dnl]

Dear Forum Members,

I just completed a new install of Mint 20.2 with the Cinnamon desktop. I created a few desktop launchers for some apps (electing 'yes' to add them to the menu Other category) with the intention of adding launchers to the group at the left end of the panel next to the Menu button.

I wanted to remove the launcher for Nemo and add a launcher for another file manager. When my initial attempts to remove the Nemo launcher failed, I removed the Grouped Window List and tried to start over by adding a new Grouped Window List to the panel. It was placed near the right end of the Panel by what I think is called the System Tray (I hope I have the terms right).

I tried everything I could find to place the GWList at the left end. I ensured dragging is enabled for example, but the icons in the list just snap back to the right end.

So my initial question is this, how can a Grouped Window List be added to the Panel near its left end just as it is when the system is first installed?

I elected the panel style default at the initial Welcome screen, which by the way I cannot find a way to change. Where is that setting buried?

Regards,
Dave

[all41]

Whefn you drag the windows list to the left make sure to drag further and drop
near the Menu icon, then you can move it to the correct location

[dnl]

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately your suggestion did not help.

The left end of the Panel currently has a Menu button (MB) and a show-desktop (SD) icon immediately to its right. I tried dragging and dropping the group to the left of MB, on MB, between MB and SD, on SD and immediately right of SD and the result is the same; the group snaps back to the right.

I may be doing something wrong but this seems to be a design flaw.

If a new Windows Group List cannot be positioned near the left end, is there a way to return the Panel to its initial, newly-installed state without doing a new install?

EDIT: I found an answer to my second question, which is how to return the Panel to its default configuration. I enabled the configuration applet and then used that applet to reset panel defaults. Then I tried again and discovered what I needed to to is unpin Nemo and add my file manager launcher through the menu. This is a happy ending to my initial efforts.

But the question remains: how can a new Grouped Windows List be moved to the left? Is there a bug to be fixed?

[all41]

In the panel edit mode drag the grouped windows list as a group-- to the left beyond the menu button and release. Then move the menu icon and
desktop view icon back into place.

[dnl]

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe I’m not understanding correctly but I believe I tried what you mentioned. I did drag and drop the group to left of the menu button and to every other position in that area. In each case the group snaps back to the right side.

[all41]

There was a report of this same nature but it was for a second monitor.
You can right-click an empty spot on the panel and click Troubleshoot.
There you will find a settings restore option.

[dnl]

Thanks for that tip. It is a lot more convenient than enabling the settings applet that I stumbled into, which I described in an EDIT to an earlier post.

As I mentioned, I was able to restore to the default setting and complete what I started out to do. That's the good news.

But the bad news is that the reported problem of not being able to create a new Grouped Windows List and move it to the left side is still open so I'm not marking this as solved.

[all41]

Thanks for that tip. It is a lot more convenient than enabling the settings applet that I stumbled into, which I described in an EDIT to an earlier post.

As I mentioned, I was able to restore to the default setting and complete what I started out to do. That's the good news.

But the bad news is that the reported problem of not being able to create a new Grouped Windows List and move it to the left side is still open so I'm not marking this as solved.

For troubleshooting try making a new user (temporarily) in Users and Groups, then log out and log
back in as the new user and try moving to the left there to see how it should
be working. New users get a fresh set of config files.

[dnl]

I created a new user and logged in, immediately deleted the Grouped Windows List, created a new one, then dragged and dropped it to the left of the Menu button.

Yes indeed, it behaved exactly as you described earlier. Interesting. Since this is a new system install I would consider my account to be fairly new but I guess during my attempt to remove the Nemo launcher something got set to a state that interfered with normal behavior.

I will mark this issue as solved. Thank you for your help. You've been "One for all."