Spark doesn't go to System Tray, instead, never opens again. have to kill proccess

Spark Spark Support
1

Hello, been using Spark for a couple years now. However, since version 2.8.X, the system tray icon is gone in Ubuntu (20.04 LTS). If you accidentally close through the X button, Spark IM disappear and proccess must be killed on terminal or computer reboot. We have several machines with windows, mac and linux, only linux machines shows this behavior.

tried multiple old versions from 2.8.x to 2.9.3. all same problem.

USER/.Spark/logs/error.log.0 is big with the same error, i will only paste once ofc:

Nov 09, 2020 1:41:51 PM org.jivesoftware.spark.util.log.Log error
SEVERE: Tray don't supports on this platform.
Nov 09, 2020 1:41:51 PM org.jivesoftware.spark.util.log.Log error
SEVERE: An exception occurred while initializing plugin org.jivesoftware.spark.plugins.LinuxPlugin@4125f60c
java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException
	at java.desktop/java.awt.TrayIcon.<init>(TrayIcon.java:145)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.TrayIcon.<init>(TrayIcon.java:169)
	at org.jivesoftware.spark.plugins.LinuxSystemTray.<init>(LinuxSystemTray.java:105)
	at org.jivesoftware.spark.plugins.LinuxPlugin.initialize(LinuxPlugin.java:20)
	at org.jivesoftware.spark.PluginManager.lambda$initializePlugins$1(PluginManager.java:739)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(InvocationEvent.java:313)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:770)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:721)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:715)
	at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at java.base/java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:85)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:740)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:203)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:124)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:113)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:109)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
	at java.desktop/java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:90)
2

from my googling, it appears that GNOME3 changed system tray icons, and replaced it with AppIndicator. It might be a while before this is addressed in spark, since spark doesn’t have a lot of active development at the moment.
adding this extension may help
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/615/appindicator-support/

3

Thanks for answering. However I cannot install this extension, firefox gives simple “error” status when trying to switch on. on Chromium it says another error about some native stuff (maybe due to the browser being a snap package).

Since the development is slow, there is nothing to do then. we will be careful not to close the main window, only minimize it.

4

Yes, it was reported a month ago. https://igniterealtime.atlassian.net/browse/SPARK-2171
As speedy said we don’t have many active developers. Especially working on Linux or macOS.

5

Temporary Fix

Shows a black square icon, right-click options do not work BUT left click brings back the window, no need to kill anymore.

Shows a duplicate spark in alt+tab “JavaEmbbedFrame”
Spark true tray icon stays in top left in the desktop, however it does not go over fullscreen apps or other windows, is safe for now.

Example of black tray icon + spark icon in desktop:
(https://) prnt.sc/vi0hnv (only 2 links per post, so you copy and paste, not my fault)

Close spark to do this.

Terminal:
sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell
sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool

Install this on firefox web browser, must be firefox that comes with the system.

https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1287/unite/
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/19/user-themes/

open tweak-tool, go to themes, change shell theme (will be available) to yaru-dark (the only one) and voala!

if tweak-tool is open before the extensions install, re-launch it.

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