[ SOLVED ] Inactive taskbar

[Swamp Rat]

@trinidad, thanks for the lesson in non-default software, but the programs that I installed for doing things that the LL installation did not include have all worked well and DID show up in the taskbar. Since everything was working fine until that recent large update, I suspect that something changed a text configuration file when it updated.

After I ran the Lite Tweaks, the taskbar once again shows the running programs, so the problem is solved. Now I need to remember how I got the Launcher icons configured as before the update. Ahhhh, my ol' brain is being tested on a regular basis lately. 

[trinidad]

"I assume that having the little taskbar icons show is a given"

This is always true of the default software in Linux Lite, however additional non-default software you may add to your system, may or may not work correctly with xfce4wm and windows may require keystroke shortcuts to raise. Also displaying some system tray icons for currently running applications can be an optional choice or even a non-option. Used to be more of problem with the unity desktop a few years back, but nowadays Ubuntu is pretty reliable with wms and feature configurations. If your feature disappeared after an update look to your non-default software for a culprit because it could happen again.

TC

[Swamp Rat]

Thank you, @BlueFire, that got my taskbar once again showing the running programs. However, what it also did was reset the entire bottom to a fresh installed status. Now I just need to re-customize everything as I had it prior to that update or whatever caused the "dead" taskbar area.

I hate having everything perfect, then something changes it.  But, at least, I now again see what's running.

[BlueFire]

 Maybe you could try from lite tweaks to restore your taskbar at it's default state. You could find it in settings manager. I had briefly experienced something similar but switching from first workspace to the other few times solved the problem for me

[Swamp Rat]

I have 2 nearly identical computers, both running LL5 and with the exact same set of original and added programs. My #2 computer is mostly a backup to my #1 and doesn't even get turned on very often. Yesterday, after about a month of non-use, I fired up the #2 and did a sizable update.

Since that update, my single bottom taskbar has been unresponsive. The icons on both the far left and far right operate, but when I run a program, the center part remains blank -- no notification of anything running.

Since I often have multiple programs running simultaneously in any desktop, I can use the ALT-TAB to pull up any minimized programs, but I would prefer to be able to just click on its icon in the taskbar, as I did before yesterday's update.

I don't recall ever having to activate this feature to make it work. I assume that having the little taskbar icons show is a given. So, any help in getting my taskbar to once again be active would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any advice.