Missing icons with Xfce on Ubuntu 18.04.2

Question

I use Ubuntu with VNC connection from Windows. I see most of the icons as follows:

System information:

Linux vps568 4.15.0-52-generic #56-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 4 22:49:08 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Output of xfconf-query -c xsettings -lv command:

/Gtk/ButtonImages               true
/Gtk/CanChangeAccels            false
/Gtk/ColorPalette               black:white:gray50:red:purple:blue:light blue:geen:yellow:orange:lavender:brown:goldenrod4:dodger blue:pink:light green:gray10gray30:gray75:gray90
/Gtk/CursorThemeName
/Gtk/CursorThemeSize            0
/Gtk/DecorationLayout           menu:minimize,maximize,close
/Gtk/FontName                   Sans 10
/Gtk/IconSizes
/Gtk/KeyThemeName
/Gtk/MenuBarAccel               F10
/Gtk/MenuImages                 true
/Gtk/MonospaceFontName          Monospace 10
/Gtk/ToolbarIconSize            3
/Gtk/ToolbarStyle               icons
/Net/CursorBlink                true
/Net/CursorBlinkTime            1200
/Net/DndDragThreshold           8
/Net/DoubleClickDistance        5
/Net/DoubleClickTime            400
/Net/EnableEventSounds          false
/Net/EnableInputFeedbackSounds  false
/Net/IconThemeName              elementary-xfce-dark
/Net/SoundThemeName             default
/Net/ThemeName                  Greybird
/Xft/Antialias                  -1
/Xft/Hinting                    -1
/Xft/HintStyle                  hintnone
/Xft/RGBA                       none

I already tried this command too, but hasn't any visible changes:

xfdesktop --replace

Answer 1

Most of the packages are missing. probably from using the server version instead of the desktop

I've got the same problem.

I ended up installing gnome first time, xfce was still there after.

sudo tasksel

pick a package, I went with xubuntu minimal, didn't get come with browser it seems, so going with the full xubuntu desktop. You think that should do what I need, still messing with it.

Also needed fonts, not sure if this is the same as the font package in tasksel

sudo apt-get install xfonts-base and sudo apt-get install xfonts-100dpi and sudo apt-get install xfonts-75dpi fixes font issues. – gies0r Dec 10 '19 at 19:22

Couldn't start Xtightvnc trying default font path - VNCServer

Answer 2

Make sure that the package xubuntu-icon-theme is installed. Open a Terminal and type:

dpkg -i | grep  xubuntu-icon-theme 

If, it's not installed, type the following:

sudo apt install xubuntu-icon-theme

Now, update the icon-cache:

sudo update-icon-caches /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce \
/usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-dark /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-darker \
/usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-darkest

Normaly, after installating a Theme it is triggered from postinst script.

cat /var/lib/dpkg/info/xubuntu-icon-theme.postinst | grep update-icon-caches

Gived the following output

if which update-icon-caches >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
    update-icon-caches /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-dark /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-darker /usr/share/icons/elementary-xfce-darkest

Answer 3

Here is the Ubuntu wiki article about package management. Themes are usually available as packages.

To install the missing icon themes from the terminal:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-icon-theme gnome-icon-theme tango-icon-theme

If you have a message error like the following:

(meld:1021): Gtk-WARNING **: Error loading theme icon 'document-new' for stock: Icon 'document-new' not present in theme elementary-xfce

you can fix this error message with:

sudo apt-get install gtk2-engines-pixbuf

(This information is took from ToZ user in https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=12702)