[SOLVED] Dolphin: "Path" column empty

[CDR0224]

When I search for files in Dolphin, I can display the "Path" in a column to see where it has found the files, but the column is always empty.

[skyfishgoo]

are you running the native dolphin or a flatpak?

[CDR0224]

I think it's the native version (which was installed by default).

[skyfishgoo]

do you have indexing turned on?

settings > file search > Enable

your /home folder should be listed as indexed by default (you cannot change this).

but if you have folder within your /home that you do not want indexed, like say ~/snap for instance, you can add that folder and mark it as "not indexed".

note: it takes a day or so for the index to populate as baloo runs in the background and tries to stay out of your way.

[Snowhog]

When I search for files in Dolphin, I can display the "Path" in a column to see where it has found the files, but the column is always empty.

Works on my Kubuntu 24.04 install.

[CDR0224]

settings > file search > Enable

That was not enabled. I enabled it now. In a week or so I'll see if that changes anything (my PC does only run when I'm actually using it)
I just don't understand why it has to build an index to display the path to the files it finds.

And does that also mean that when I search on a shared folder on my NAS, it won't be able to show the path in the location column?

If I run the find command from the command-line, it lists the files it finds with the full path, even without indexing. Why can't Dolphin show that information? Or is that a bug?

[jlittle]

I just don't understand why it has to build an index to display the path to the files it finds.

The "file search" thus enabled can do a "semantic search", indexing the content of files. It is notorious for its failure modes, but has improved slowly over the years. (The sub-system is called baloo.)

And does that also mean that when I search on a shared folder on my NAS, it won't be able to show the path in the location column?

In principle you could add the NAS to the locations to be searched. I can't advise if that's a good idea. (baloo's failures in the past, including trying to wear out SSDs, means I don't let it run.)

[claydoh]

I think something else is amiss. I have zero issues with the path in file search here in my 25.10 install, which is almost 100% stock, other than
Baloo/file indexing has nothing to do with this.



Is the Path column the *only* one that is empty? It is a low chance thing, but I have seen some people with oddball dark Global themes that have really bad colcor schemes that make some text the same as the background. But this would hide all the columns, which is why it probably is not a thing.

I wonder if testing a fresh user account is worth it to see if it is a local user config bug.

[CDR0224]

Ok, I just created a test user and with that account the path is correctly displayed.So it has something to do with my user account. But what, and how can I correct that?

[skyfishgoo]

you will have to do the tedious bits....

# brute force troubleshooting...
mv ~/.config ~/.configBORKED
mv ~/.local ~/.localBORKED
# logout and log back in again to force plasma to recreate the folders with default settings
# open split views of the folders for comparison and file copy
dolphin --split ~/.config ~/.configBORKED
dolphin --split ~/.local ~/.localBORKED
# copy back half of the BORKED folder contents at a time and relog to see if issue returns
# if it does, then delete the folder again, relog, and only copy half of that previous half
# repeat until the culprit is found, then finally, copy back everything BUT that culprit bit
​

[claydoh]

No, it probably will be enough to rename a few Dolphin specific config files or dirs. No need for the sledgehammer for this mosquito.

~/.config/dolphinrc is the main one. I can't recall the other(s) and I'm AFK ATM.


Add ~./config/session/dolphin_dolphin_dolphin to the list.]

~/.cache/dolphin may be a good idea to clear out.

And ~/.local/share/kxmlgui5/dolphin/, which may actually be the important one here.

[CDR0224]

Thank you both for the tips. I will note them down in my Tips & Tricks notebook.

Actally, the problem seems to have resolved itself. Why? No idea, but after the test with another user, a number of updates were also installed. Maybe just by using dolphin with the other user corrected something or maybe one of the updates ... And indexing is disabled again and it still works.

P.S.: Can I somehow mark this as resolved?

[claydoh]

P.S.: Can I somehow mark this as resolved?

Go back to your first post, edit it, and edit the Prefix.