Recently Used File List

[foberle]

Hi:

I posted this on the Linux Mint forum. I received no suggested solutions, but others have experienced the same behavior with Gimp. One suggested looking for a Gimp forum and, having found this, I thought I would ask again here...

ORIGINAL POST ON MINT FORUM:
I'm using Mint 18.2-Cinnamon-64 bit with the stock 2.8 Gimp as installed (I haven't added the usual stuff to it, since this is a new install).

After using it for a few days, it has become apparent that the Recently Used File List periodically becomes empty. I had experienced this issue before on Ubuntu 16.04 (but I don't recall running into it in earlier versions of Ubuntu or even on Windoze). Since that Ubuntu 16.04 install was more than a year old, I just assumed that I had installed something else along the way that caused the problem and I learned to live with it but, on a new install (totally new; new OS on a new drive, only stock apps, etc.) I have to assume it's something more fundamental - either to Gimp or something in Ubuntu that is inherited by Mint/Cinnamon.

For instance, I last used Gimp with several files on Friday afternoon (it's now Saturday morning), and the list is empty. Yesterday afternoon when I loaded a file, the list had about ten items.

So I checked ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel: it had no Gimp listings in the file. Then I loaded Gimp, opened a file, saved it, and exited.

Now, once again ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel has an entry for the file I just opened. I reopened Gimp and the Recently Used File List contains just that one file name.

Gimp seems to be able to write to and read from the xbel so I'm guessing something external is emptying it. I can't correlate the file list clearing with anything else I've been doing. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

[rich2005]

(10-14-2017, 01:42 PM)foberle Wrote: ...snip...Gimp seems to be able to write to and read from the xbel so I'm guessing something external is emptying it. I can't correlate the file list clearing with anything else I've been doing. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Basically do not know: I use Kubuntu 16.04 and I have ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel disabled because I hate it.

First thing to check is in Gimp: Edit -> Preferences -> Environment Bottom of that is a checkbox for Document History. Unchecked and recent files only lasts as long as the Gimp session.
screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/aFO6HAl.jpg

In Mint check System Settings -> Privacy There are settings there for limiting the duration files are remembered. https://i.imgur.com/d7sTQh3.jpg

Other than that, if you use bleachbit. Even if started automatically AFAIK you will get the bleachbit dialogue to confirm clean-up. One of the settings is remove history.

[foberle]

Rich:

I did have the Environment set to save document history, but the System Settings -> Privacy had "Remember Files" turned OFF. I wasn't even aware that existed, although I'm a little miffed that the OS has a setting to quietly override an app setting. I've turned that on and set it to save for 60 days, which will let me see if that's the cause.

I went to the corresponding setting in Ubuntu, but it seems quite different, which makes me wonder if there are two different problems. At my age, however, I'm easily confused, so we'll see.

Thanks much for the quick reply. Just FYI: I've never used BleachBit, since it gets so many negative comments on line and I've never really needed it.

Frank

[Ofnuts]

It also happens sporadically to me (Ubuntu 16.04 with KDE). Not that often since the oldest timestamp in my current one goes back to September 2. The only explanation I have is that some application somewhere is mishandling it (and that would be an application I use less often that you do). To list applications that use it:

Code:

grep -ore 'bookmark:application name="[^"]\+' ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel | sort -u

(of course, if an application breaks it each time it tries to use it, it won't appear in that list).

[foberle]

Fascinating; I ran the grep as you suggested on my Ubuntu machine and discovered something called file-roller that I didn't know existed. Apparently this is an alternative archive creation tool that comes installed by default or perhaps is installed along with another utility.

Learning something new (to me at least) every day ...

Thanks for the response.

[rickk]

(10-14-2017, 03:08 PM)rich2005 Wrote:  I use Kubuntu 16.04 and I have ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel disabled because I hate it.

First thing to check is in Gimp: Edit -> Preferences -> Environment Bottom of that is a checkbox for Document History. Unchecked and recent files only lasts as long as the Gimp session.

Man, thanks for posting this. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find where the "recently used" listings were coming from, assuming they were nestled away in some .rc file that I just wasn't finding.

When you say that you have .xbel disabled, how did you accomplish that?

I've found a control in KDE settings>WorkspaceBehavior>Activities>Privacy  where there is an ability to disable "Remember Opened Documents"...is that it?

[rich2005]

Quote:'ve found a control in KDE settings>WorkspaceBehavior>Activities>Privacy where there is an ability to disable "Remember Opened Documents"...is that it?

Might be, never noticed that one. Might be a better bet than my heavy-handed cludge

-----
Delete the .xbel files in the folder ~/.local/share
In ~/.local/share as root make a folder named recently-used.xbel That prevents Gimp writing the file.

If you do not want to do that, make a script deleting those files that accumulate to large size. you might want to look at
~/.thumbnails/normal/*.*
~/.cache/thumbnails/normal/*.*
~/.local/share/*.xbel
~/.local/share/RecentDocuments/*.*
~/.local/share/okular/docdata/*.xml
since you use krita
~/.local/share/krita.log
~/.local/share/krita-sysinfo.log

I delete the contents of those, and a couple of other actions on startup

[rickk]

(02-09-2022, 08:46 AM)rich2005 Wrote:

Quote:    Might be a better bet than my heavy-handed cludge

Actually, I like your heavy-handed solution, just fine. The "fire that purifies", so to speak.

While I was fumbling around, I edited the file with Bluefish, removing every  (group of) line(s) that referenced a file that was showing up in the gimp "recently used" selection window. And was delighted to see that cleared the listings.

I always create a third set of folders for patterns, brushes, fonts, gradients, etc, and this most recent time setting up a new install, instead of manually entering the path to each in the "Preferences" section, I took the lazy route and clicked on the folder icon, and used a file manager type gui thing to establish the path.  Which worked great, until I noticed this  method caused each folder to take up permanent residence in the "Recently Used" window. So, I was anxious to make that go away....thanks to you.... that is now accomplished.