[SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

FernandoBasso · 2026-10-17 09:22:01

Found this recent, previous thread, but didn't work for me: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2309382

I have a fully up to date Arch install, and installed Obsidian through pacman.

The correct Obsidian icon shows up on Xfce's application finder and on the application menu, but it shows like a gray + (plus) icon on the taskbar, and as an empty square resembling an application window on the task switcher (Alt+Tab).

Here's the output of xprop:

$ xprop
_NET_WM_ICON_GEOMETRY(CARDINAL) = 2689, 1044, 200, 36
_NET_FRAME_EXTENTS(CARDINAL) = 0, 0, 0, 0
_NET_WM_ALLOWED_ACTIONS(ATOM) = _NET_WM_ACTION_CLOSE, _NET_WM_ACTION_ABOVE, _NET_WM_ACTION_BELOW, _NET_WM_ACTION_FULLSCREEN, _NET_WM_ACTION_MOVE, _NET_WM_ACTION_RESIZE, _NET_WM_ACTION_MAXIMIZE_HORZ, _NET_WM_ACTION_MAXIMIZE_VERT, _NET_WM_ACTION_MINIMIZE, _NET_WM_ACTION_CHANGE_DESKTOP, _NET_WM_ACTION_STICK
WM_STATE(WM_STATE):
		window state: Normal
		icon window: 0x0
_NET_WM_DESKTOP(CARDINAL) = 2
_NET_WM_STATE(ATOM) = _NET_WM_STATE_FOCUSED
_NET_WM_USER_TIME(CARDINAL) = 212523968
WM_NORMAL_HINTS(WM_SIZE_HINTS):
		program specified location: 2150, 116
		program specified minimum size: 200 by 150
		window gravity: Static
_NET_WM_OPAQUE_REGION(CARDINAL) = 0, 0, 1320, 800
_MOTIF_WM_HINTS(_MOTIF_WM_HINTS) = 0x2, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0
XdndAware(ATOM) = BITMAP
_NET_WM_BYPASS_COMPOSITOR(CARDINAL) = 2
_NET_WM_SYNC_REQUEST_COUNTER(CARDINAL) = 81788933
_GTK_HIDE_TITLEBAR_WHEN_MAXIMIZED(CARDINAL) = 1
WM_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "AsciiDoc & Asciidoctor - content - Obsidian 1.14.4"
_NET_WM_NAME(UTF8_STRING) = "AsciiDoc & Asciidoctor - content - Obsidian 1.14.4"
WM_WINDOW_ROLE(STRING) = "browser-window"
WM_CLASS(STRING) = "md.obsidian.obsidian", "md.obsidian.Obsidian"
_NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE(ATOM) = _NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE_NORMAL
_NET_WM_PID(CARDINAL) = 1635493
WM_CLIENT_MACHINE(STRING) = "theforce"
WM_PROTOCOLS(ATOM): protocols  WM_DELETE_WINDOW, _NET_WM_PING, _NET_WM_SYNC_REQUEST

And the contents of /usr/share/applications/obsidian.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Obsidian
Exec=/usr/bin/obsidian %U
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=obsidian
#Icon=/home/devy/Pictures/obsidian.png
StartupWMClass=md.obsidian.Obsidian
#StartupWMClass=obsidian
Comment=Obsidian
MimeType=application/pdf;text/markdown;application/x-obsidian-canvas;application/x-obsidian-base;x-scheme-handler/obsidian;
Categories=Office;

Note the two commented lines. I did try those as well, restarted Obsidian, and even restarted the whole system. Nothing worked. Any ideas?

Last edited by FernandoBasso (Yesterday 15:49:41)

seth · 2026-10-17 14:49:28

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 2#p2309382
Do you possibly also have a local shadow of the file?

xfce might also be using a cache of the desktop entries and incorrectly not updating that - does it work w/ a fresh user?

The client doesn't put an icon onto the window properties, so if taskbar and WM (switcher) only look there instead of first/last that's gonna come back empty and you'd get a default/generic icon (what I assume is you're describing)
The other thread says

When I open Obsidian (installed from extra repo) it shows the default wayland icon on the bar.

so that's probably not been xfce.
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xseticon can set the _NET_WM_ICON property

Though https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=18796 suggests the .desktop service is used
Another possible pitfall might be the case:

StartupWMClass=md.obsidian.obsidian

(ie. idk whether it cares about classname or classclass and they're different)

FernandoBasso · Yesterday 10:06:54

If by “local shadow of the file” you mean ~/.local/share/applications/obsidian.desktop, yes, I do.

desktop-file-validate suggests no problems with it.

And the problem persists with a fresh user.

As for the StartupWMClass, I tried the values “obsidian”, “md.obsidian.obsidian”, and “md.obsidian.Obsidian”. Nothing worked.

Had a lengthy conversation on Xfce Matrix room where we checked other things as well, and in the end, this workaround worked for me:

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=444222

seth · Yesterday 14:26:21

Ftr, https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=444222 is

seth wrote:

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/xseticon can set the _NET_WM_ICON property

So seems those clients don't use the desktop service file but fwiw

If by “local shadow of the file” you mean ~/.local/share/applications/obsidian.desktop, yes, I do.

means that

the contents of /usr/share/applications/obsidian.desktop:

are completely meaningless - the you'd have to edit ~/.local/share/applications/obsidian.desktop

Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

FernandoBasso · Yesterday 15:49:12

Oh yes. I was not clear enough. I mentioned /usr/share/applications/obsidian.desktop as the example of the contents of the file, and I did edit ~/.local/share/applications/obsidian.desktop with all possible combinations of settings, but to no avail. Since the workaround mentioned earlier works, I'm satisfied with that for now.

Thanks for your help.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-10-17 09:22:01

[SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

#2 2026-10-17 14:49:28

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

#3 Yesterday 10:06:54

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

#4 Yesterday 14:26:21

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

#5 Yesterday 15:49:12

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong Obsidian icon in Xfce taskbar

Board footer