Files and folders in HOME are appearing on the desktop

[Bob]

** Reply to message from Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users
<ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> on Thu, 1 Oct 2020 07:22:17 +0200

> On Wed, 30 Sep 2020 11:16:29 -0700, Bob wrote:
> >I was trying to add a "shared folder" in VirtualBox when something
> >went wrong. Most but not all of the files in my home directory and a
> >partition mounted at HOME disappeared.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> when you tried to add a shared VBox folder probably something else
> "went wrong", since what ever you were doing with VBox, can not
> have affected the desktop and/or unmount a partition. Keep in mind that
> unmounting a partition requires root privileges, while adding a shared

The partition was still mounted.  Most of the files in HOME and the partition
mounted at HOME disappeared (erased), but not all of them.  Doing an LS showed
the few files that were still there.


> folder should be done without root privileges. OTOH desktop
> environments tend to suffer from the silly custom to bypass sane
> security measures.
> 
> >I have recovered most everything from backups.  The problem is that
> >the desktop is now showing icons for the files and folders in HOME.
> >
> >How do I stop the files and folders in HOME being also placed on the
> >desktop?
> 
> What desktop {,environment} are you using? Does it show all files and
> folders or some files and folder? You at least need to mention the
> Ubuntu release.

The logon screen settings has "UBUNTU".


>   $ lsb_release -a

robert at MARS:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Discription:    Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
Release:        20.04
Codename:       focal
robert at MARS:~$


> Keep in mind that what desktop environment is used by default, depends
> on the release of Ubuntu.
> 
> >How do I delete the icons that have already been placed on the desktop?
> 
> Viewing icons such as mounted partitions or the waste bin usually can
> be enabled or disabled by the preferences of the desktop {,environment}
> you are using. The desktop also might show the contend of
> 
>   ~/Desktop/
> 
> but unlikely shows the contend of
> 
>  ~
> 
> . However, have you by any chance run a file manager other than your
> desktop environment's default file manager? It might have taken over the
> desktop.

The file manager I use is whatever comes with Ubuntu.


> In short, google for your desktop environments settings dialog, it most
> likely provides a dialog to enable and disable icon views. File
> managers usually provide a menu to change preferences, where you
> probably could disable to taken over the desktop, or else to enable or
> disable icon views on the desktop.

I have used google.  The main problem is I do not know what to search for. 
What I find is how to remove "trash" and "home" from the desktop.  When I
create a file in HOME it is in the file manager and also on the desktop.  If I
remove the file in either location the file is deleted and the icons are gone
which is not what I want, I want to get rid of the icon on the desktop but keep
the file and its icon in the file manager, not the file removed.

-- 
Robert Blair


No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.  -- Mark Twain (1866)