Ubuntu 11.04: Fixing Notifications

I have seen several posts on how to fix the programs that can’t display notifications.  Let me combine them and give you my solutions.

Here are the other solutions.  Their solutions are probably better anyway, but that doesn’t stop me!

Step 1: Installed “dconf Editor”

There are many different ways to change the configuration settings.  You can edit settings files, or you can use a command-line program.  I like the graphical option that dconf Editor supplies, so that is what I am installing.  You can use any number of methods.  I just used the Ubuntu Software Center:

Step 2: Opened the dconf Editor

I used Alt+F2 and typed dconf-editor to open it:

Step 3: Changed the systray-whitelist option

To get to the option, I opened the tree on the left to: desktop > unity > panel.  Then, I changed the option to [‘all’] to allow everything.  Otherwise, you have to enter all the specific applications that you expect.

And, now I have Shutter, Gnome-RDP, and Skype all showing in the notifications area!

If I could influence this at all, I would suggest having a blacklist option instead of whitelist.  I can’t think of very many indicators that I would like to hide.  If I don’t want to see the indicator, in most cases, I would kill the program behind it.

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