How to remove (or hide) Chat Status Icons from Messaging Menu

Question

I would know how to remove or hide in Ubuntu 12.04 the Chat Status section (available, away, busy, invisible and offline) from Messaging Menu as I am not using any instant messenger. I do not want to remove the entire menu, just that section.

Thank you very much and best regards!!

Answer 1

FOR 12.04

If you're using 13.10 or newer see here..

---

Its possible...

As you can see the status section has been removed leaving just the Broadcast and Mail sections

To put a positive spin - open-source means you have direct access to the actual source-code. You can interrogate and change the code ... as long as you give back the code changes to others!

So here goes - the following demonstrates the code changes that are required to the package indicator-messages

prerequisites

Lets get source packages from the repository:

sudo apt-get build-dep indicator-messages
apt-get source indicator-messages

This will create a folder - name will change depending upon the package version of indicator-messages. For 12.04 this folder is indicator-messages-0.6.0

code changes

Two modules in the folder indicator-messages-0.6.0 will need changing.

cd indicator-messages-0.6.0/src

status-items.c

Using your favourite editor add the line return NULL; at or around line 80 in the function "status_items_build" shown:

messages-service.c

At or around line 893 in the function "resort_menu" comment out the code shown with /* and */

lets compile

To compile this, move up to the parent folder

cd ..

Compile, make and install:

./configure
make
sudo make install

Logout and login.

to undo

To undo your changes:

cd indicator-messages-0.6.0
sudo make uninstall
sudo apt-get --reinstall install indicator-messages

Answer 2

For 13.10

If you're using for 12.04 see here.

---

Almost same steps in How to remove (or hide) Chat Status Icons from Messaging Menu

• Install build prerequisites

  sudo apt-get build-dep indicator-messages
  

• Download source archive

  apt-get source indicator-messages
  

• Modify src/im-desktop-menu.c, add /* and */ to comment non needed menu as it is shown here:

  /*
  static GMenu *
  create_status_section (void)
  {
    GMenu *menu;
    GMenuItem *item;
  ...
      g_object_unref (item);
      return menu;
  }
  */
  
  /*
    {
      GMenu *status_section;
  
      status_section = create_status_section();
      im_menu_append_section (IM_MENU (menu), G_MENU_MODEL (status_section));
  
      g_object_unref (status_section);
    }
  */
  

  To remove Clear menu item too:

  /*
    {
      GMenu *clear_section;
  
      clear_section = g_menu_new ();
      g_menu_append (clear_section, _("Clear"), "indicator.remove-all");
      im_menu_append_section (IM_MENU (menu), G_MENU_MODEL (clear_section));
  
      g_object_unref (clear_section);
    }
  */
  

• Compile

  ./autogen.sh
  ./configure
  make
  

• Install

  sudo make install
  

  Or like me I just replace it, without un-installing original (I use 64bit):

  Backup original

  sudo mv /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/indicator-messages/indicator-messages-service /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/indicator-messages/indicator-messages-service_orig
  

  Copy the new compiled version

  sudo cp ./src/indicator-messages-service /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/indicator-messages/indicator-messages-service_mod
  

  Create a link to the new compiled version

  sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/indicator-messages/indicator-messages-service_mod /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/indicator-messages/indicator-messages-service
  

---

For 14.04

If you're using for 12.04 see here.

Same steps as 13.10 with different modifications

---

• Modify src/im-desktop-menu.c, add /* and */ to comment non needed menu as it is shown here:

  /*
  static void
  menu_append_status (GMenu       *menu,
                              const gchar *label,
                      const gchar *detailed_action,
                      const gchar *icon_name)
  {
    GMenuItem *item;
    GIcon *icon;
  ...
  
    g_object_unref (icon);
    g_object_unref (item);
  }
  
  static void
  im_desktop_menu_show_chat_section (ImDesktopMenu *menu)
  {
            GMenu *status_section;
  ...
    menu->status_section_visible = TRUE;
  
    g_object_unref (status_section);
  }
  */
  ...
  
  /*
    if (g_desktop_app_info_get_boolean (app_info, "X-MessagingMenu-UsesChatSection"))
      im_desktop_menu_show_chat_section (menu);
  */
  

Answer 3

You can remove the indicator-messages package from software center for completely remove it or see this link to configure it for your needs .