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Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:42 am
by big_dog1968
In the Gnome version of Mint you would right click on a menu item and a context menu would appear allowing you to add Firefox to the task bar. I tried this in xfce and it does not work. I tried add new item and that did not offer fFirefox as an option. You can create a launcher, but it doesn't include the firefox icon, and there I don't know where the icon for firefox is located so I can't add it myself. Am I missing something? Is there an easy way to just drag launchers from the menu to the taskbar. I have a firefox launcher on the desktop, but would prefer it (with icon) on the task bar. Thanks.

Re: Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:34 am
by viking777
No, you haven't missed a thing, that is exactly how it works, you create your own launcher then find your own icon. For example if you want the firefox icon then how about searching /usr/lib/firefox-3.0.6/icons? Other useful locations are /usr/share/pixmaps and /usr/share/icons.

If you know (or learn) how to use the 'locate' command you will easily find all these locations.

Re: Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:08 am
by merlwiz79
Ok this is the easiest way in XFCE.
Open Appfinder and then open add Launcher.
Find the Firefox application in Appfider
Then drag and drop it into the same area as New Item.
Then select New item and remove it by pressing the - Button.
Now you can add more if you want.
Then just use the up arrow next to the launcher to access the others.

Re: Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:46 am
by viking777
That seems like a neat idea Merlwiz. Pity I didn't know that before. I don't actually need it now as I am using AWN and that makes finding icons for launchers easy - it just shows you all the ones it can find (which is all of them as far as I can tell) and you click the one you want.

Re: Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:10 pm
by big_dog1968
viking777 wrote:That seems like a neat idea Merlwiz. Pity I didn't know that before. I don't actually need it now as I am using AWN and that makes finding icons for launchers easy - it just shows you all the ones it can find (which is all of them as far as I can tell) and you click the one you want.
I was able to use Melwiz' idea to do it, and it worked just fine.

Your idea sounds like once installed may be even easier. What is AWN? I found Awn-Manager which says it can manage preferences, themes, applets and launchers. Is this what you meant?

How do you like it? does it have an easy learning curve (I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed;-).
Is anyone else using this?

Re: Easily add launcher to task bar (panel)

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:47 am
by viking777
You want 'avant-window-navigator' from the package manager of your choice. It is like Marmite you either love it or hate it, I love it but then I love Marmite too :lol: . I found it easy to use yes and loads of people use it. It makes your desktop look a bit like a Mac. Version 0.3.3 is better than 0.2.6 but you may have to add a different repo for that, not too sure, I compiled my version of 0.3.3 from source before it became available through the package manager.

Give it a go it is easily removed if you don't like it.

It looks something like this:


Image

I have the simple glass theme enabled which is a seperate download but looks better than the default black bar. Easily loaded with the theme manager which is part of the dock preferences (just right click on one of the icons to open the preferences menu).

NB Just in case you don't know the curving 'tree' of folders is how it displays folders when you click on an icon, they are not like that all the time, but it looks kinda neat so I thought I would display it in the image.