Hi, time ago with your wonder help I connect my office NAS and mount it at the boot. All still works fine but in the last weeks (can't say exactly when it started) the two icons about the NAS began to change their position on the desktop any time I add, move or delete a file or a folder, as shown in the short video uploaded here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/rkis1gb3u37s752/Video_del_2025-06-03_11-19-36.webm/file
There is nothing I can do to nail them at their own place on the desktop?
I have tried to use some Gnome Extension and also Dconf and also Refine but nothing work about how to hold & block an icon in a precise place in the desktop screen... But overall: Why only those two icons wanna dance if all the others are fixed???
I searched the forum before start a new post and tried however the other' users solutions but unfortunately no one of these fix the problem
Other users have desktop generic icons troubles, I said that only the two NAS folders move around the screen and only these two. Could it depend by these two folders are only a link to the external NAS folders and anytime the OS refresh the desktop visual the two links are "laced" at the OS not like a direct mount as well as the other disks but, they have been automatically generate (both) on the desktop by a row add in /etc/fstab?
In fstab we placed a workaround on the FTP/ 1st-samba-version link, that was the only way zorin see the NAS //192.168.1.7/PUBLIC\040DISK\0401 /home/angelo/Scrivania/LAVORO cifs vers=1.0,credentials=/home/angelo/.smbcredentials,uid=1000,gid=1000,x-systemd.automount 0 0
A folder and an icon are just different types of files, but files nonetheless. It's probably only affecting those two because of whatever amount of latency the network mounts require to synchronize with the NAS, but the underlying issue is still the same.
Yes the two icons bring me on error because one have the usual folder layout and if I right-click they, choosing "properties" it will be populated by the amount of files inside like it was a disk or a folder but in real they are both only links to the only true folder in NAS!!
If I can add another data, if I open also the third way link to the nas, in Nautilus => other positions => FTP at 162.198.... so connecting directly by the FTP I have a new mount (false folder icon) in the upper left of the screen as shown in the screenshot automatically named "admin on 162.168...) but this one hold always its position!!
UPDATE: also only pressing F5 to refresh the screen, the two NAS icons (and only these two) change their positions and there are a zone of the desktop not allowed to place that icons! https://rb.gy/hq1evy (short video on mediafire.com on what happen)
Using Brave A.I. search engine via mojeek I used Ubuntu 22.04 in search parameters as that is what 17 is based on:
Ubuntu 22.04 Icons Moving
Users experiencing continuous movement of icons on their Ubuntu 22.04 desktop often report that this issue can be resolved by disabling the automatic arrangement feature of the desktop icons. One method involves installing extensions that give more control over the desktop layout, such as the GNOME Shell Extensions like "Desktop Icons NG" which provides additional customization options for desktop icons.9
Another approach is to ensure that no scripts or applications are inadvertently causing the icons to move. For instance, some users have reported that Steam caused unexpected changes to the desktop icon positions due to a bug.3
If the issue persists, checking and resetting GNOME settings through the terminal can also help. Commands like gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.background can reset the background settings, potentially resolving unintended behaviors affecting desktop icons.3
For a more permanent solution, users might consider reverting to a previous version of GNOME or switching to another desktop environment that better suits their needs.7
In summary, addressing the issue of continuously moving NAS icons on Ubuntu 22.04 can involve installing extensions, troubleshooting potential application conflicts, and resetting GNOME settings.39
Probably because we're on Zorin the gnome Shell extension named Desktop Icons NG does not work. (I tryied it weeks ago)
I do not have scripts, launchers, or other particular files on this machine and overall not Steam or other gaming platforms, it's an office, exclusively job, machine.
Except the two strings in /etc/fstab to connect the NAS and some visual modifications like the wallpaper and the icons appearances, the size and type of the fonts, no other changes were did on this OS. I'm trying its stability along the months and the compatibility with the other PCs and the structure in the office to make the ultimate jump from Winzozz to Linux world without threw in crisis my office's workers nor stop the jobs.
I'm a newbie in Linux but studing a little the gsettings command, I found nothing about icons placing or how to prevent the NAS links to move, using
gsettings list-recursively org.gnome.desktop.xxx
where xxx replace the various desinences like background, interface, lockdown, etcetera
All the forums I read said to do not downgrade gnome to not corrupt the OS and there are no easy ways to do it or to perfect restore the OS after the downgrade... If the risk is to breakdown Zorin I prefer the two icons jumping all around the desktop!
UPDATE:
Installed now KDE plasma, set the used mods (wallpaper, adawita theme, size fonts) the NAS icon named Lavoro (this time only one, dunno why!!!) stay at its place whatever I do (add files refresh with F5, put files in bin...) seems the dance is a only Gnome trouble!
Could problems arise if I try kde instead of gnome (keeping gnome installed as a backup, of course)?
I think that's unlikely. The issue is definitely on the desktop extension. Gnome has no actual desktop, so this extension needs to load separately and that might be what's causing the layout shift somehow. You could also try XFCE (Zorin OS Lite).
