newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

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drreuss

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by drreuss »

Hi
I am new to Linux.
Wanted to get away from the windows conglamorate and after some reading decided to install Mint 12.
Found the options for configuring the destktop dissapointing and tried to download MintMenu to help. Then realized that a number of the apps I had downloaded wouldn't show up in the menu. As I was reading up on it in this thread it seems to me my menu and desktop isn't all there...
people talk about right clicks in the menu and bars top and bottom (which seem a waste of space if I can't modify them or add shortcuts...) I get no popups with rightclicks anywhere.
Also the desktop settings panel made me suspicious: it only shows the Terminal (select fortune cookies...) as an option. Never thought much of Microsoft, but this is lame.
Please somebody tell me I'm missing something or help me figure out how to make this desktop a little more accessible.

I am running a AMD 64X2 4200+ X2 64 bit Gallium 0.4 on NV4C with 4 gig ram
I installed off a live CD download and then upgraded to full DVD installation through the menu.
Something DID go wrong after the install, as there was an old GRUB loader on one of my drives from a previous Linux version. I booted off a windows disk and rebuild the MBR and Mint loaded seemingly fine. It DID mess up the other harddrive, but I had only aloted SWAP space to a partition on it.
drreuss

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by drreuss »

I should add that I am using the GNOME desktop version...
veggen

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by veggen »

Wow, 4 years old thread resurrected.

Anyway. It is Gnome at fault here. The Gnome Shell (integral part of Gnome 3) is so rigid that it doesn't allow context menus and editing anywhere. If you log out and select Mate from the "tool" menu, you'll get a more Gnome 2-like environment where you can actually edit things. But Mate is still unstable so bugs are inevitable. Mint team is developing their own environment called Cinnamon (very easy to install and try) that relies on Gnome 3 but is customizable and looks more traditional (read: normal). It is as well under heavy development and buggy at times, but, for me, it's the only acceptable option. Basically, you either have the option of learning how to beat Gnome 3 into submission (through extensions mainly, but hacks and tricks as well) or install a different environment: like Cinnamon (Mint's own, brand new), Xfce (light weight, looks sort of like Gnome 2), KDE (This and Gnome are the biggest players. If want you go this route, try Mint KDE Edition.) etc.
drreuss

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by drreuss »

Thanks for the info.
Is there a way I can get to the apps I can't see in my menu ? Can I make shortcuts to them somehow ?
sanda

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by sanda »

Is it really that difficult after 2 full years of the same problem 2009-2011 to not have a Application Menu show the files which are EXECUTABLE for that Linux Mint User? REALLY?
Yes, it's really that difficult. No, I don't think it's fair to blame "gnome's rigid shell", nor "Mint", nor "the Mint Menu"...

For any given application that you or I might download+install, via "Software Manager" or via "sudo apt-get install mumbo jumbo..." or via "Synaptic":

JimmySho writes a neato app and elects to share it with the world. Jimmy is a C++ geek, and uses BSD Unix
(he knows/cares little about "Linux" nor "Gnome" nor "Synaptic" nor "Mint Frosting Menu")
-=-
SammyHo finds Jimmy's app useful, and he ports it to Linux, packaged as an rpm.
-=-
CindyCho, who happens to be a Debian user/developer, AND happens to speak little bit likey English good yes... repackages the app as a deb. Cindy struggles to come up with translations for the button labels of the app's GTK interface and, with the help of other multilingual Debian package maintainers, cobbles together multilingual "Name" and "Comment" text for the app's .desktop file.

Documentation? There's a convention (/usr/share/doc) for including docs
(ref: http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-docs.html )
but no firm requirement to include docs with each package. Perhaps for Jimmy's app, no docs exist until you or I learn Mandarin and undertake translation and submit docs for our language to the app's package maintainers.

Scroll back to Post #20 in this thread, then scroll forward to Post #40.
If the app was installed from a .deb package, then via the Synaptic GUI we can find the app's manifest of "installed files".
Was a .desktop file installed for the app? If not, why not?
Perhaps the app is intended to launch via commandline, or terminal, and the package maintainer didn't presume to guess
whether (for your install) the appropriate launch command is "gksu jimmyapp" or "kdesu -t %c --mumbolala jimmyapp"

Where do .desktop files reside (on your system)?
open a terminal and type locate .desktop
Aha.
Now, type sudo locate .desktop and you may discover
additional installed apps which aren't available to (displayed in the menu for) your "regular" user account.
Following installation of a new app, before attempting to list (locate) its .desktop, might want/need to refresh the lookup table by typing
updatedb (and/or read man updatedb to learn what this command does)

Operating from inside the GUI shell, each time we "create a launcher" or "edit a menu entry", the result is creation of a new .desktop file, under the home directory of our user account. Each of these "local" .desktop files trumps any same-named systemwide .desktop file (residing in /usr/share/applications or other "pathed' dirs). You own these "local" shortcuts (and probably will need to manually delete a "local" launcher which points to an UNinstalled app).

Don't bother "going all sudo" and editing the auto-created (by installer) copies of .desktop file(s) residing in ...xdg path.
All of these are overwritten by the installer (and your edits lost), as a step in the process each time a new package is installed, upgraded, or uninstalled. If you want to create "customized" .desktop files and intend these to be available to all user accounts on your system... your customized files will need to reside elsewhere (in a pathed dir under /opt or /skel ) (i don't have a reference bookmark at hand for this)
Is there a way I can get to the apps I can't see in my menu ? Can I make shortcuts to them somehow ?
"my menu" == Xfce menu? Gnome menu? MintMenu?
try Google search:
"gnome menu create launcher"
"mint menu create launcher"
veggen

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by veggen »

drreuss wrote:Thanks for the info.
Is there a way I can get to the apps I can't see in my menu ? Can I make shortcuts to them somehow ?
If you're on Gnome, use Alacarte (package name is alacarte, in the menu it's displayed as "Main Menu"), that will allow you to edit the menus easily.
For the apps, you don't have to care where they are because they'll be automatically added to the path, so just trying the command anywhere will be enough. Knowing that, you can use Alacarte to add whatever launcher to the menu, you just select the display name, and the command to run and, optionally, an icon. For desktop launchers, I'm not sure for Gnome Shell as I rarely use it, but you can find everything you need in the Mint Tips topic. Remember, making a launcher requires only that you know the command, not the location, and the command is in 99% the name of the app.
diederic

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by diederic »

Hi I'm using LinuxMint 12 (gnome) -mate desktop on a iMac.
Installed simplebackup (usr/bin/simplebackup and /man.....) No icon to be seen in menu; going to /usr/bin and entering ./simplebackup, message:

stat: cannot stat `/home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf': No such file or directory
./simplebackup: line 81: /home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf: No such file or directory
Right clicking on menu, and then on Edit menu: nothing????
What to do??
Thanks,
Diederic
diederic

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by diederic »

Hi
I've installed LM-13, fine. However, same problem with Simplebackup. I manually added it to the menu (couldn't find an icon), and no luck.
Starting Simple backup from the terminal prodices the message:

~ /usr/bin $ ./simplebackup
stat: cannot stat `/home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf': No such file or directory
./simplebackup: line 81: /home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf: No such file or directory
NB same as Mar 13/12. Home /diederic does indeed not contain the line ./simplebackup.
So what now?

Cheers
Diederic
VestaViejo

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by VestaViejo »

slower too!
Joeby

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by Joeby »

My problem is related to this discussion in that if I try to 'open with ....' I can't find the app.
diederic

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by diederic »

Hi I've installed LM14; most things are fine.
However, clicking on *simplebackup in terminal, produces the following message (as in LM 13) :

Code: Select all

diederic@LM14-iMac /usr/bin $ ./simplebackup
stat: cannot stat `/home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf': No such file or directory
./simplebackup: line 81: /home/diederic/.simplebackup.conf: No such file or directory

Anybody able to shed some light?

Can one set backuptool to back up on a regular basis?

in anticipation,
Diederic
iwestbury

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by iwestbury »

I'm a newbie just installed LMMS and wondered where the hell it had gone. Followed the instructions and voila... all good. Thanks guys!
MAR_C_33

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by MAR_C_33 »

outerdimensions wrote:Hi a am a New.B to linux. I have used the package manager to install some apps but they do not show up in the menu ??? went i try to add a new item ther do not show up as being available ??
in win XP etc the apps are in the program files directory.. but where R they in Linux ????
Oh & after runing the mint update my VMware virtual box XP doesn't work any more either :(
can some one PLZ help
Thanks
Anda a menu principal, aplicaciones, nuevo elemento escribi el nombre y luego busca la aplicacion en: usr/bin. Espero que te sirva. Saludos
Akiviri

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by Akiviri »

I'm (fairly) new to unix also, I've been playing around with it for a couple years - and new to Cinnamon, I had a little trouble with this at first also. I found that by relogging or restarting altogether programs then showed up in the menu. I'm fairly sure this will got worked out as this isn't an issue in Ubuntu - or at least it wasn't when I last used it. As far as creating a launcher goes - that is really easy. Right click anywhere on the desktop and click create launcher. Enter whatever name you like - if you're using a wine program and ran the .exe once already it'll show up in the panel on the left, just simply click it and the path will go into the command line. If you're using a native program simply add the name of the program into the command and it'll start that way - ex for GKrellM - enter gkrellm and voila! Same for the startup applications app, and same way with the terminal - open a terminal, enter gedit and it will start. Same with firefox or any other native program. Simple.

Sure there are bugs with Mint - it's new, they are working on it. For me the few bugs here and there are worth it compared to the expense, TIME, S-L-O-W working, non-customizable, "Are You Sure?" BS with windows. Plus we get free upgrades, free software that in most cases is comparable if not better than the proprietary stuff you pay hundreds for, it's completely customizable (excepting, ATM, window color AFAIK), and FAST. Wine, true to form, is getting better with age so the few games/programs you want to run do run here as well. If you can't manage to configure wine to work with your favorite app - Play On Linux makes it all a snap with the hundreds of custom scripts for every game/app that people have managed to get working in it, and it's free to boot. Then, of course, there's always winetrix <3.

If you're frustrated, ready to throw your keyboard through the monitor - take a break. Chill. It takes a bit of time to go from the intense handholding of windows to a more 'DIY' approach. But in the end, the freedom and customization available to you is well worth it IMO.
Gaytan

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by Gaytan »

I switched from Windows 7, XP etc to Linux Mint 14 Nadia and I love it!!!

My experience; may sound silly but … IF your (newly) installed app does NOT show up in the menu; reboot! Simple; after that they SHOULD appear in the menu.
Reboot only takes a couple of minutes; if not in the menu afterwards, look further!
This worked for me on more then one occasion!

Succes!
:)

Grtz.
cankol33

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by cankol33 »

sounds confusing, maybe you unchecked the show up in the desktop check box,
Last edited by dagon on Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Link removed
havdaddy

Re: newly installed apps not showing up in the menu

Post by havdaddy »

Okay, so what does "look further" mean? I have tried the reboot process but the applications are still not showing up in the dash. Specifically, SoftMaker Officer 2012. Really nice program that i like a LOT but I have to access via application finder every time I want to run the program. Is there a quick way to force items on the menu? Using Edit Applications takes forever on the system update. I'm supposing there's no "drag n drop" method of adding to the menu? Using Mint 16 KDE and loving it but has a bit of a learning curve.
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