Desktop icon names (Solved)

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smokeymtn_ron
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Desktop icon names (Solved)

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

I have tried things I could think of, searched forums and googled, but no luck. How can I remove the desktop icon names and still leave the icons? I'm talking about the 'Computer' and 'Home' icons. Is this even possible? I tried to delete the name in 'properties' but it just shows up again. :?:

Thanks,
Ron
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 4 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

This might sound dumb, but can't you just rename the icon to a space? As long as the icon is unfocused it'll look nameless.
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

No.
I tried that and soon as I close the rename box with nothing in it, the name still shows up. :roll:
Ron

Edit: There must be some file hidden somewhere that won't let me change this. I can rename them, but I can't erase the name. These are the 2 icons that show up on on the live cd and install, so I'm thinking there must be a locked file somewhere for them. Maybe?
Ron
DrHu

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by DrHu »

smokeymtn_ron wrote:No. I tried that and soon as I close the rename box with nothing in it, the name still shows up. :roll: Ron
I can't look for it, but it seems it will be in the gconf registry file in Gnome2..
--use alt f2 gconf-editor (I guess you might need gksu gconfig-editor)

Because of the space character, a single character(preferable a normal letter) would be accepted, such as c for Computer, you can even get the space character there by quoting it ' ', and it will show the name as ' '
OK, maybe just gconf-editor then..{desktop>gnome>interface}
http://blogs.gnome.org/thos/2009/07/29/toolbar-styles/
http://polishlinux.org/gnome/gconf-gnom ... -the-hood/

Code: Select all

/computer_icon_name 	Alternative name for the Computer icon. 
    • Actually I can't find it there, or anything useful, the default schemas are already filled, and that section doesn't have many entries available..
I don't know if you can in this version of Gnome2/mint, as the normal gui selections, use the defaults: it is the mint desktop theme (schema: gconf-editor settings): the system defaults

------------edit /snip---------------------------------------
I might try searching for the image or text for that image
--as you can see, some of these are the themes in mint..
  • locate computer.png
    /usr/share/apps/kdeprint/icons/crystalsvg/16x16/apps/kdeprint_computer.png
    /usr/share/hardinfo/pixmaps/computer.png
    /usr/share/icons/Gion/128x128/devices/computer.png
    ..
    /usr/share/icons/Shiki-Mint/16x16/devices/gnome-computer.png
    /usr/share/icons/Shiki-Mint/16x16/devices/gnome-dev-computer.png
    /usr/share/icons/Shiki-Mint/22x22/devices/computer.png
--and seeing what I could do with them, the text part comes from somewhere else, not part of image, simply added to it by the OS (Mint)

But you might be able to fake it by creating your own icon/launcher for
  • Computer, computer:///
    Home Folder /home/mintuserID
    --logged in user name
--this would end up under .gnome-private in /home/mintuserID ; and of course then deleting/trashing the original entries

Oops! right-click the desktop, Change Desktop background>interface>Icons only
--probably won't be only for what is on the desktop; I probably have to relog to see effect.
http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/GNOME.html
---I hope I haven't torn up my desktop too much by playing around with text/icons---
------------edit /snip---------------------------------------
Last edited by DrHu on Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

smokeymtn_ron wrote:No.
I tried that and soon as I close the rename box with nothing in it, the name still shows up. :roll:
Ron

Edit: There must be some file hidden somewhere that won't let me change this. I can rename them, but I can't erase the name. These are the 2 icons that show up on on the live cd and install, so I'm thinking there must be a locked file somewhere for them. Maybe?
Ron
So you can rename the icon to "c", but it won't let you rename the icon to " "? (Using an actual space in place of the c)
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

:lol: :lol: :lol: Finally got it!! :D
I'm knocking myself over the head right now for not thinking about this before :oops: :oops:
Open Appearance>Fonts> and then set the 'Desktop Fonts size to zero (0).
Thanks for the help Kaye and DrHu!!
I guess this will not let me show any fonts on my desktop, but I can live with that until some body can tell me if there is a way just to delete the names for these two icons.
Thanks again

@DrHu
---I hope I haven't torn up my desktop too much by playing around with text/icons---
I hope so too!! :)

Ron
rmockler

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by rmockler »

I have a simple answer that may satisfy you. I created a file with a hex editor, and entered one single character. It is hex 20, which resolves to space, a non-printable/non-displayable character. I opened the new file named blanks on my desktop, right clicked on the Computer icon to do a Rename, went back to the blanks file and did an Edit, Select All and then did a Edit, Copy. I went to the icon and pasted my blank space on the name area. While focus is still on the icon a highlighted single space shows under the icon, but when you click on the desktop to remove focus, absolutely nothing appears under the icon. If you would like to have my blanks file I will send it to you, otherwise you can just create your own with a hex editor.
Good luck
rmockler
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

rmockler wrote:I have a simple answer that may satisfy you. I created a file with a hex editor, and entered one single character. It is hex 20, which resolves to space, a non-printable/non-displayable character. I opened the new file named blanks on my desktop, right clicked on the Computer icon to do a Rename, went back to the blanks file and did an Edit, Select All and then did a Edit, Copy. I went to the icon and pasted my blank space on the name area. While focus is still on the icon a highlighted single space shows under the icon, but when you click on the desktop to remove focus, absolutely nothing appears under the icon. If you would like to have my blanks file I will send it to you, otherwise you can just create your own with a hex editor.
Good luck
rmockler
In essence this is exactly the same as just putting in a space for the name of the icon, which he said didn't work for him (for whatever strange reason). Using the hex value seems like serious overkill when a space could do the same thing :shock:
rmockler

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by rmockler »

Kaye,
You're exactly right. The issue was the "for whatever strange reason" you mentioned. I suspect the strange reason is that when he did the rename, he used the delete key and then hit enter. That did not place a valid "space" in the name, and consequently the original name reappeared. So, my effort was to have him use a failsafe method to get that "space" into the icon name so it would not bring back the original name. Perhaps a little overkill, but it only took two or three minutes to build the file and place the "space" into the name, and there would be no other strange reasons to cope with. Thanks for your accurate observation.
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

rmockler wrote:Kaye,
You're exactly right. The issue was the "for whatever strange reason" you mentioned. I suspect the strange reason is that when he did the rename, he used the delete key and then hit enter. That did not place a valid "space" in the name, and consequently the original name reappeared. So, my effort was to have him use a failsafe method to get that "space" into the icon name so it would not bring back the original name. Perhaps a little overkill, but it only took two or three minutes to build the file and place the "space" into the name, and there would be no other strange reasons to cope with. Thanks for your accurate observation.
Ah I see. Not a bad idea when you put it that way :lol: When I first read it I was like whaaaaat, but now it makes much more sense.
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

@mockler,
Yea! If you could send me the file I would really appreciate it. :D
I created a file with a hex editor, and entered one single character. It is hex 20, which resolves to space, a non-printable/non-displayable character.

I'm a real newbie at linux, so can you please explain to me about about this 'hex editor' , and just to make sure , step by step what you did so I can learn. This really seams like a cure for me :D :D
Thanks,
Ron

Edit: I just looked on package manager and there seems to be a few hex editors there. Which one do I need to get?
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

smokeymtn_ron wrote:@mockler,
Yea! If you could send me the file I would really appreciate it. :D
I created a file with a hex editor, and entered one single character. It is hex 20, which resolves to space, a non-printable/non-displayable character.

I'm a real newbie at linux, so can you please explain to me about about this 'hex editor' , and just to make sure , step by step what you did so I can learn. This really seams like a cure for me :D :D
Thanks,
Ron

Edit: I just looked on package manager and there seems to be a few hex editors there. Which one do I need to get?
You won't need a hex editor. He'll just send you a file with a blank character basically, that you can copy and paste as the name for icons.
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

Thanks Kaye :D :D
I was reading about hex editors just now and really started to get confused. Especially how you can make a file and send it to desktop :oops: . Always something new to learn in Linux, And I"M LOVING IT :D :D
Thanks,
Ron
tenfoot
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by tenfoot »

rmockler wrote:Kaye,
You're exactly right. The issue was the "for whatever strange reason" you mentioned. I suspect the strange reason is that when he did the rename, he used the delete key and then hit enter. That did not place a valid "space" in the name, and consequently the original name reappeared. So, my effort was to have him use a failsafe method to get that "space" into the icon name so it would not bring back the original name. Perhaps a little overkill, but it only took two or three minutes to build the file and place the "space" into the name, and there would be no other strange reasons to cope with. Thanks for your accurate observation.
Perhaps the easiest fail safe method is to:

Click on rename
Delete name
Hit space-bar
Hit enter

Voila! icon without a name.

Works every time for this geriatric :D
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

:oops: :oops: I really feel dumb now :oops: :oops:
It just dawned on me what you all were talking about 'space'. I was just backspacing the word out, without putting a space.
In essence this is exactly the same as just putting in a space for the name of the icon, which he said didn't work for him (for whatever strange reason)
Kaye, the strange reason was me being such a dummy. You were exactly right about the 'space'. It works just like you all said it would!! Thank you very much!!
Ron
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

Just saw your post tenfoot. You are exactly right. For some reason when somebody said 'space', it just wasn't computing in my brain :oops:

Thanks tenfoot,
Ron
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names

Post by Kaye »

smokeymtn_ron wrote:Just saw your post tenfoot. You are exactly right. For some reason when somebody said 'space', it just wasn't computing in my brain :oops:

Thanks tenfoot,
Ron
No need to be so apologetic :lol: we've all had a moment similar to this. The important thing is that you got everything working and managed to never be a jerk to any of us who were trying to help you (you'd be amazed how many people can't get past that point). A little patience goes a long way!
DrHu

Re: Desktop icon names (Solved)

Post by DrHu »

tenfoot wrote:Perhaps the easiest fail safe method is to:
Click on rename
Delete name
Hit space-bar
Hit enter
Voila! icon without a name. Works every time for this geriatric :D
Your steps 1..2..3 work as posted.
--yes that's very good, I guess I was getting hung up on the character (space)

I knew the rename command to a blank (just delete the name) itself didn't work
and even that makes sense when you think about it, as I would only have partially renamed it by deleting the entry, then forgot to the next step: put a replacement string or character in its place.

I didn't use the space character until after I had tried c or ' ', a space character in quotes; the hex editor insert isn't needed, your method is fine; and rename to almost anything no doubt works..
smokeymtn_ron
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Re: Desktop icon names (Only 1/2 solved)

Post by smokeymtn_ron »

This is working just like you said, but I've noticed one thing. It won't remember the 'space'. When I reboot it goes back to the original name. Anybody got any ideas how to lock it in? :?:
Ron
Kaye

Re: Desktop icon names (Only 1/2 solved)

Post by Kaye »

smokeymtn_ron wrote:This is working just like you said, but I've noticed one thing. It won't remember the 'space'. When I reboot it goes back to the original name. Anybody got any ideas how to lock it in? :?:
Ron
I'm not 100% certain this will work, but try

Code: Select all

gconf-editor
Go to apps->nautilus->desktop and try changing the icon names there.
Locked

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