VLC icon nor program is showing up on mltimedia --- wonder why

[urdrwho5]

As I have done in the past, I installed VLC media player on Kubuntu 12.04. I notice that there is no VLC icon nor is there a VLC noted in the Applications / Multimedia.

Why?

I uninstalled and re-installed but still nothing. How can I get the icon and program into the correct location?

[Rod J]

Are you sure it installed properly? How did you install it? Is it still not present after rebooting?

What is the output of apt-cache policy vlc

If it says: Installed: (none) then it didn't install correctly.

[Wheel Inventor]

Checklist

1) Installed ?


Command:

apt-cache policy vlc

should tell installed:

:~$ apt-cache policy vlc
vlc:
Installed: 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
Candidate: 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
Version table:
*** 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1 0
500 http://fi.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/universe amd64 Packages
500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security/universe amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
2.0.1-4 0
500 http://fi.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages

2) Desktop file ?

The desktop file is available - command:

dpkg -L vlc | grep .desktop

should tell:

:~$ dpkg -L vlc | grep .desktop
/usr/share/applications/vlc.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-opendvd.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-openbd.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-opencda.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-openvcd.desktop

3) The VLC is not excluded

The ~/.config/menus/applications-kmenuedit.menu doesn't have:

<Exclude>
   <Filename>vlc.desktop</Filename>
  </Exclude>

This will hide the VLC from the KDE Menu - If there is the excluded marking edit the applications-kmenuedit.menu or remove the whole file.

4) Try to rebuild the system configuration cache with the command:

kbuildsycoca4 --noincremental

The kbuildsycoca4 is:

:~$ kbuildsycoca4 --help
Usage: kbuildsycoca4 [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options] 

Rebuilds the system configuration cache.

Generic options:
  --help                    Show help about options
  --help-qt                 Show Qt specific options
  --help-kde                Show KDE specific options
  --help-all                Show all options
  --author                  Show author information
  -v, --version             Show version information
  --license                 Show license information
  --                        End of options

Options:
  --nosignal                Do not signal applications to update
  --noincremental           Disable incremental update, re-read everything
  --checkstamps             Check file timestamps
  --nocheckfiles            Disable checking files (dangerous)
  --global                  Create global database
  --menutest                Perform menu generation test run only
  --track <menu-id>         Track menu id for debug purposes

Any error messages ?

[SecretCode]

I find that sometimes it takes a long time after installation for the menus to get updated. I recommend kbuildsycoca4 as recommended by Wheel Inventor.

[urdrwho5]

The command returns -

Installed: 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
Candidate: 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
Version table:
*** 2.0.8-0ubuntu0.12.04.1 0
500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/universe amd64 Packages
500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security/universe amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
2.0.1-4 0
500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages

Are you sure it installed properly? How did you install it? Is it still not present after rebooting?

What is the output of apt-cache policy vlc

If it says: Installed: (none) then it didn't install correctly.

[urdrwho5]

Excluded? Included?

<Menu>
<Menu>
<Name>Multimedia</Name>
<Include/>
<Exclude>
<Filename>VLC.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>VLC-2.desktop</Filename>
</Exclude>
<Layout>
<Merge type="files"/>
<Filename>kde4-amarok.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>kde4-dragonplayer.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>kde4-k3b.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>kde4-kmix.desktop</Filename>
<Separator/>
<Merge type="menus"/>
<Menuname>More</Menuname>
</Layout>
</Menu>
<Menu>
<Name>.hidden</Name>
<Include>
<Filename>VLC.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>VLC-2.desktop</Filename>
</Include>
</Menu>
</Menu>


dpkg -L vlc | grep .desktop
/usr/share/applications/vlc.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-opendvd.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-openbd.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-opencda.desktop
/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/vlc-openvcd.desktop

I also tried a rebuild and nothing changed.

1) Installed ?


Command:

apt-cache policy vlc

should tell installed:



2) Desktop file ?

The desktop file is available - command:

dpkg -L vlc | grep .desktop

should tell:



3) The VLC is not excluded

The ~/.config/menus/applications-kmenuedit.menu doesn't have:

<Exclude>
   <Filename>vlc.desktop</Filename>
  </Exclude>

This will hide the VLC from the KDE Menu - If there is the excluded marking edit the applications-kmenuedit.menu or remove the whole file.

4) Try to rebuild the system configuration cache with the command:

kbuildsycoca4 --noincremental

The kbuildsycoca4 is:

:~$ kbuildsycoca4 --help
Usage: kbuildsycoca4 [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options] 

Rebuilds the system configuration cache.

Generic options:
  --help                    Show help about options
  --help-qt                 Show Qt specific options
  --help-kde                Show KDE specific options
  --help-all                Show all options
  --author                  Show author information
  -v, --version             Show version information
  --license                 Show license information
  --                        End of options

Options:
  --nosignal                Do not signal applications to update
  --noincremental           Disable incremental update, re-read everything
  --checkstamps             Check file timestamps
  --nocheckfiles            Disable checking files (dangerous)
  --global                  Create global database
  --menutest                Perform menu generation test run only
  --track <menu-id>         Track menu id for debug purposes

Any error messages ?

[urdrwho5]

FIXED

Well I figured out how to use the KDE Menu Editor and I manually added VLC. I even found the icon to add and now everything looks as it should look. Still not sure why it happened but at least it is fixed.

Thanks for the ideas....I learned something.

[SecretCode]

Was it still missing after running kbuildsycoca4?

[urdrwho5]

Yes it was still missing. I had to manually add it. Looks and works fine after adding it so for now I can move on to the next issue.

Was it still missing after running kbuildsycoca4?

[Rod J]

Glad you got it sorted. Good that you learned something in the process. I like the KDE menu editor, it's very easy to use and quite intuitive too. I learned something too. I had never heard of the kbuildsycoca4 utility before, looks really useful when things go wrong ... thanks Wheel Inventor.