# Strange creation of multiple desktops on Linux

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [August 19, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085 "2020-08-19T12:47:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PaoloZaffino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/paolozaffino/32/81052_2.png) [@PaoloZaffino](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/PaoloZaffino)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/1 "2020-08-19T12:47:44Z")

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Hi all,  
I am running Slicer in Arch Linux (gnome and wayland).  
When I load an image in slicer, a strange thing happens in gnome: multiple desktops are added to the system.  
In gnome there is always a new, fresh and empty desktop available, that is automatically created and added when in the last one appears at least a single window.  
In this case, it creates n empty desktops (they can be also 10-20), without a specific reason.  
Those desktops are destroyed when slicer is closed.

For me it is not a huge problem, I’m writing just to point it out.

Paolo

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**Author:** ![cpinter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/cpinter/32/7995_2.png) [@cpinter](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/cpinter)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/2 "2020-08-19T12:53:43Z")

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Could this be related to the [Dropdown menus spawn on other monitor](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/dropdown-menus-spawn-on-other-monitor/13003) issue?  
Maybe not because that problem is kind of the reverse: open the popup on the primary monitor if the Slicer window is on a secondary one. But still it’s quite similar and the number of new screens seem to suggest there may be a connection.

@PaoloZaffino does this happen more if you open dropdown menus such as the module history button? Do these desktops appear all at once, or gradually as you use Slicer?

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**Author:** ![PaoloZaffino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/paolozaffino/32/81052_2.png) [@PaoloZaffino](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/PaoloZaffino)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/3 "2020-08-19T13:26:33Z")

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No, I think it is not related to that issue.

I explain better my situation:

I open slicer: it’s all ok.  
I drag an nrrd into slicer: the import window appears and I see the first “strange” desktop (any image loaded yet).  
I click load: I see for a second another windows (the progress bar I think) and when the volume is vislible in slicer I have in total 4 “strange” desktops (in addition to the usual empty one).

If I drag and load a second nrrd file I have 8 desktops that should not be there.

Paolo

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/4 "2020-08-19T13:31:35Z")

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I did a web search and it seems that Qt-5.15 has compatibility issues with Wayland. If the issues are too annoying and we cannot implement workarounds then we may consider going back to Qt-5.12 on Linux.

The issue may be that popup windows do not get deleted properly. Maybe we can explicitly delete them, or avoid deleting and recreating popups and just hide/show them.

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**Author:** ![PaoloZaffino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/paolozaffino/32/81052_2.png) [@PaoloZaffino](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/PaoloZaffino)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/5 "2020-08-19T13:37:51Z")

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For me it’s not a problem, it was just for pointing it out.

Any plan on the QT side to fix Wayland issues in the next releases?  
This could be the easiest solution.

Paolo

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:43pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/6 "2020-08-19T13:43:55Z")

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Yes, eventually these errors will be fixed, but it does not seem to be a priority for Qt.

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**Author:** ![jamesobutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jamesobutler/32/7511_2.png) [@jamesobutler](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jamesobutler)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/7 "2020-08-19T14:12:11Z")

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Just a note that for the factory build machines the Linux platform is the only one on Qt 5.11.2 while macOS and Windows are both on Qt 5.15.0.

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**Author:** ![chir.set](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/chir.set/32/66982_2.png) [@chir.set](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/chir.set)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/8 "2020-08-19T14:18:05Z")

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> [@PaoloZaffino](#):
>
> running Slicer in Arch Linux (gnome and wayland).

Sorry for a quick topic bifurcation.

When I use home built Slicer under KDE/Wayland in Arch, 2D views are just black after loading an .nrrd file, and Volume Rendering does not show anything with GPU rendering. Do these work for you ? There are no problems with KDE/X11.

More topic related, I don’t see any extra desktops/activities after loading an .nrrd file with KDE/Wayland.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PaoloZaffino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/paolozaffino/32/81052_2.png) [@PaoloZaffino](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/PaoloZaffino)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/9 "2020-08-19T15:13:19Z")

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@chir.set no other issue on my side, it works perfectly.  
I see just a bunch of additional desktops.

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**Author:** ![PaoloZaffino](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/paolozaffino/32/81052_2.png) [@PaoloZaffino](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/PaoloZaffino)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 7:23am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/strange-creation-of-multiple-desktops-on-linux/13085/10 "2020-09-14T07:23:33Z")

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Hi,  
a little update: right now I’m using the nightly version 2020-08-25 and the multi-desktop problem disappeared.