Wrong Connected Server Icon

[jensche]

I take the time to report bugs directly to Apple via dev feedback app or via feedback website.
But I'm slowly giving up. I have been reporting a mini bug in various tickets for over 5 years now in every Beta. A simple bug, never got any response.

Here is my little Bug:
____________
When connecting to an SMB server (the standard macOS protocol for server connections), in my Case a Synology with SMB3 enabled, the Finder takes the wrong icon. Namely the icon: doc

The correct icon would be externaldrive.connected.to.line.below.
____________

It's a shame that Apple doesn't seem to listen to bugs that are easy to fix.
The small details matter…

do you have the same problem?

 

[rm5]

I am not a developer or anything so I don't submit bugs to Apple, but I have had the same problem with various TrueNAS systems - EXACT same icon you're getting. I have no idea why.

My file server has been broken for months, so I've been "out of the loop" as far as Macs and servers go, lately.

 

[gilby101]

When connecting to an SMB server (the standard macOS protocol for server connections), in my Case a Synology with SMB3 enabled, the Finder takes the wrong icon. Namely the icon: doc

This is not a macOS bug.

The server is supposed to tell macOS which icon to use. When there isn't one or macOS can't use it, macOS falls back to a generic device icon or even, as in your case, the folder icon SidebarGenericFile.icns. As far as I can see your preferred server icon doesn't exist.

My network sharing devices (printer, router and ubuntu server) appear use public.generic-pc.icns (old Windows PC with a blue screen of death - an Apple joke?). I have not bothered to try and change these though I probably could for the ubuntu server.

Google is your friend (or in my case DDG). I have found these that might be useful to you:

From the TrueNAS forum https://www.truenas.com/community/threads/smb-shares-what-determines-macos-finder-icon.74925/

From reddit - this is explicitly about Synology and has recipe to get your started: https://www.reddit.com/r/synology/comments/u7ttx6

 

[BigBlur]

This is not a macOS bug.

The server is supposed to tell macOS which icon to use. When there isn't one or macOS can't use it, macOS falls back to a generic device icon or even, as in your case, the folder icon SidebarGenericFile.icns. As far as I can see your preferred server icon doesn't exist.

My network sharing devices (printer, router and ubuntu server) appear use public.generic-pc.icns (old Windows PC with a blue screen of death - an Apple joke?). I have not bothered to try and change these though I probably could for the ubuntu server.

Google is your friend (or in my case DDG). I have found these that might be useful to you:

From the TrueNAS forum https://www.truenas.com/community/threads/smb-shares-what-determines-macos-finder-icon.74925/

From reddit - this is explicitly about Synology and has recipe to get your started: https://www.reddit.com/r/synology/comments/u7ttx6

Nice find! I've never really paid attention to the sidebar icon for my Synology NAS, but it is the generic file icon too. I could have sworn it was something else. I must be remembering from before it broke.

I'm a little confused with the Reddit post though... It states "XServe no longer has a corresponding sidebar icon", but I do see a Xserve sidebar icon in CoreTypes.bundle. They must be referring to there being no corresponding sidebar icon in the Info.plist file for Xserve.

It looks like "RackMount" should also show the same Xserve icons according to the plist file, so I gave that a try. No luck...it still displayed the generic file icon in the sidebar. After reading the comments on the Reddit post, it does sound like this is a macOS bug, at least for Xserve. Any ideas why it didn't work for RackMount? (I did try the other icons, like the TimeCapsule one, and that worked...so I am updating the smb.service file correctly.)

 

[hwojtek]

This is about as old as SMB sharing to Mac OS with Avahi as Bonjour provider.
Here's a rundown from 2008: https://simonwheatley.co.uk/2008/04/avahi-finder-icons/

 

[gilby101]

I'm a little confused with the Reddit post though...

Don't confuse me with an expert on this! Just little googling to provide some pointers for the OP. I understand it in principle (otherwise I would not have posted it), but have not attempted any changes myself - but it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, might be a good time to try things..

 

[hwojtek]

Here's mine /etc/avahi/services/smb.service

<?xml version="1.0" standalone='no'?>
<!DOCTYPE service-group SYSTEM "avahi-service.dtd">
<service-group>
 <name replace-wildcards="no">The Mighty Fileserver</name>
 <service>
   <type>_smb._tcp</type>
   <port>445</port>
 </service>
 <service>
   <type>_device-info._tcp</type>
   <port>0</port>
   <txt-record>model=Macmini</txt-record>
 </service>
 <service>
   <type>_adisk._tcp</type>
   <txt-record>sys=waMa=0,adVF=0x100</txt-record>
   <txt-record>dk0=adVN=Backup,adVF=0x82</txt-record>
 </service>
</service-group>

Works with a Mac Mini icon (in both sidebar and main Finder window), this server is also a Time Machine destination - hence the "txt-record" entries in _adisk._tcp service. Keep in mind I run Ubuntu, most Linux distros are similar, though.

 

[jensche]

Sorry. Forget AFP. macOS Standard is SMB.

And its clearly a bug from Apple. Sorry but changing stuff deep in the system for something that needs to be standard.


Is there a simple step to step instruction how to change the files on the synology?

 

[hwojtek]

Sorry. Forget AFP. macOS Standard is SMB.

That's how a Time Machine destination is announced in Mac OS. It's not AFP as a data transmission protocol, it's used to broadcast the availability of a Time Machine server.

And its clearly a bug from Apple. Sorry but changing stuff deep in the system for something that needs to be standard.

Avahi, which runs on Synology or similar boxes, needs to broadcast the service along with a pointer to the proper icon from the Mac OS collection. Avahi uses a txt-record for this, however the only way Avahi can point to an icon is to refer to a device. The externaldrive.connected.to.line.below is not a device, hence not really addressable by Avahi. So using Avahi to rectify this situation is limited to picking an icon from Apple hardware collection.

I agree the generic icon when connected to a vanilla Synology (or any SMB server) not running Avahi is unfortunate but I'm not sure it is a bug per se. When using pure SMB, the aesthetics may be ironed out a bit using SMB "fruit" options, but nothing more than Avahi does.

 

[hwojtek]

My network sharing devices (printer, router and ubuntu server) appear use public.generic-pc.icns (old Windows PC with a blue screen of death - an Apple joke?). I have not bothered to try and change these though I probably could for the ubuntu server.

My ubuntu boxes have Macs as icons using Avahi, however I don't think it's possible to display a printer. There is no printing hardware in the icon list on Mac OS, so I'm stuck with an ugly CRT Windows monitor presenting as my LaserJet.

 

[jensche]

Avahi, which runs on Synology or similar boxes, needs to broadcast the service along with a pointer to the proper icon from the Mac OS collection. Avahi uses a txt-record for this, however the only way Avahi can point to an icon is to refer to a device. The externaldrive.connected.to.line.below is not a device, hence not really addressable by Avahi. So using Avahi to rectify this situation is limited to picking an icon from Apple hardware collection.

I agree the generic icon when connected to a vanilla Synology (or any SMB server) not running Avahi is unfortunate but I'm not sure it is a bug per se. When using pure SMB, the aesthetics may be ironed out a bit using SMB "fruit" options, but nothing more than Avahi does.

okok. Thanks. I just want a nice Icon. ;-)

Still have no clue what to change... Or how to change "Fruit"-Option... I can Connect via SSH wo my synology... but then for me its end of my knowledge.

 

[BigBlur]

Still have no clue what to change... Or how to change "Fruit"-Option... I can Connect via SSH wo my synology... but then for me its end of my knowledge.

In a nutshell, you need to SSH into your NAS, go to '/etc/avahi/services', and edit the smb.service file (replace 'Xserve' with something else, like 'Macmini' or 'TimeCapsule'). This is all done through the terminal, so you would also need to use a terminal-based text editor, like Vim. If you're not comfortable with this or don't know what you're doing, I would advise just leaving it alone since you could accidentally bork your NAS. Plus, it sounds like Synology updates can revert the changes, so it may need to be done after every update.

Avahi, which runs on Synology or similar boxes, needs to broadcast the service along with a pointer to the proper icon from the Mac OS collection. Avahi uses a txt-record for this, however the only way Avahi can point to an icon is to refer to a device. The externaldrive.connected.to.line.below is not a device, hence not really addressable by Avahi. So using Avahi to rectify this situation is limited to picking an icon from Apple hardware collection.

I agree the generic icon when connected to a vanilla Synology (or any SMB server) not running Avahi is unfortunate but I'm not sure it is a bug per se. When using pure SMB, the aesthetics may be ironed out a bit using SMB "fruit" options, but nothing more than Avahi does.

Synology does broadcast a device by default (Xserve). The same issue can be seen when changing it to 'RackMount' or 'RackMac'. The server icon shows correctly in Networking for all of these, but not in the sidebar. Either Apple is discontinuing the Xserve/server icon, but left it half-baked...or it is a bug.

 

[EricFromCanada]

It is indeed a bug. This reddit comment thread explains how the sidebar icons now come from the SF Symbols font, and the entry for Xserve / RackMac has no matching UTTypeSymbolName mapping.

Alternatively, if you set the <txt-record> to MacPro7,1@ECOLOR=226,226,224, both the Network window and sidebar show a 2019 Mac Pro in its rackmount form. For mine, I've taken to using the value AirPort7,120 which displays the tall AirPort router in the sidebar and resembles my DiskStation somewhat.