Create custom Desktop launchers

[dbbolton]

Just another long time user suffering from one of the idiotic design changes in Gnome 3.

I am setting up a computer for another user who likes desktop icons. I've already followed the numerous guides online that say you need to use gnome tweak tool to turn off "let file browser manage the desktop". I did that, logged out, logged back in, and right-clicking on the desktop does nothing.

Now, I know how to create launchers manually with .desktop files, but that is just not an option for the typical desktop user.

I'm considering writing my own program to assist in this process, unless someone knows of one that already exists.

[zerozero]

i don't use (even in gnome2 days i didn't) icons on the desktop, but i believe it's the other way around:
- you need the file browser handling the desktop (as always did > even in gnome2 was nautilus handling the desktop icons, in gnome3 that functionality is turned off)
- then you have right-click menu and the basic icons in the desktop (a logout might be needed) but for further enhancements see 1b. here http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=86813

Just another long time user suffering from one of the idiotic design changes in Gnome 3.

on unrelated news wasn't gnome3 that invented it

Posted 03 February 2004 - 14:10

A quite essential hack as this seems to be a frequently asked question.

By default, Nautilus takes control over the desktop with icons and
right-click-menus. Quite a lot of users don't like this, and used to disable
this setting in the preferences with earlier versions of N.

With Nautilus 2.2 this preference was removed from the gui.

To disable this now, use gconftool and set a certain option to false (or find,
create and disable the relevant option in gconf-editor)

gconftool -t bool /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop -s false

(just see the date - 2004 - we are going all over the same )
http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/13791 ... -handling/

[z06gal]

Just another long time user suffering from one of the idiotic design changes in Gnome 3.

I am setting up a computer for another user who likes desktop icons. I've already followed the numerous guides online that say you need to use gnome tweak tool to turn off "let file browser manage the desktop". I did that, logged out, logged back in, and right-clicking on the desktop does nothing.

Now, I know how to create launchers manually with .desktop files, but that is just not an option for the typical desktop user.

I'm considering writing my own program to assist in this process, unless someone knows of one that already exists.

Just install gnome pie. That is all I use now and you can configure it to launch anything

[micheletrecaffe]

Actually, this method does not work for me.

I can create the script, but when I right-click on the desktop I do not get a 'create script' or 'create launcher' option. I get 'create file' and 'create folder' and that's it.

So I figured out another method. I find a launcher already installed on my computer, and copy that to the desktop. Right-clicking that brings up 'properties' and 'launch'. Clicking 'properties' brings up a set of fields that can be filled, including type (application) name and command. To the right of 'command' is a 'browse' button which allows one to browse to the initializing script of choice.

Doubtless there SHOULD be a better way to do this, something a bit simpler than 'write a script, drop it into a folder, right-click on desktop... and if that doesn't work jackhammer it', but then again one could say the same thing about so many aspects of linux.

But as a classmate recently said of the gimp, 'nothing beats free.'