Ubuntu 24.04 - Missing Settings Button Troubleshooting

Problem

The Settings button disappeared from the system menu (top-right corner) in Ubuntu 24.04.

---

Diagnosis

Check Desktop Environment

echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
echo $DESKTOP_SESSION

Check if gnome-control-center is installed

gnome-control-center
# If not found:
sudo apt install gnome-control-center

---

Solutions

Solution 1: Reinstall GNOME Control Center

sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-control-center

Solution 2: Launch Settings with Correct Environment

If you get the error: “Running gnome-control-center is only supported under GNOME and Unity”

env XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=gnome gnome-control-center &

Solution 3: Enable AppIndicators Extension

# List installed extensions
gnome-extensions list

# Check enabled extensions
gsettings get org.gnome.shell enabled-extensions

# Enable ubuntu-appindicators
gnome-extensions enable ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com

Solution 4: Restart GNOME Shell

• X11: Press Alt + F2, type r, press Enter
• Wayland: Log out and log back in

Solution 5: Reset GNOME Shell Extensions

gsettings reset org.gnome.shell enabled-extensions

---

Quick Access Workaround

Create an alias in ~/.bashrc:

alias settings='env XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME gnome-control-center'

---

Key Takeaways

1. Desktop environment variables (XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP, XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP) affect which applications can run
2. GNOME Extensions can hide or show system menu items
3. Reinstalling packages can fix missing dependencies
4. Restarting GNOME Shell applies configuration changes without full logout