Make a shortcut to a FOLDER on your Desktop

[mmm]

Menu > Files > Edit > Preferences > Context Menus > Tick "Make Link".
Then right-click any folder and left-click on Make Link.
This will make a shortcut, which you can drag to your Desktop - or to anywhere you like.

[Termy]

Is the menu stuff from the file manager? If so, which file manager?

An alternative, by way of example:

Code: Select all

ln -s /usr/bin ~/Desktop/

Or, to specify the link name:

Code: Select all

ln -s /usr/bin ~/Desktop/UsrBin

The same approach works for files. The -s tells the ln program to create a symbolic link, which is what a "shortcut" is, in this context. A symbolic link in Linux is much like the shortcut in Windows.

[The Muffin Man]

This is actually a case where I open up the terminal (which I don't do often) and create a symlink to the folder in my desktop.

[RollyShed]

Menu > Files > ......

That is 8 steps to do a 2 step item.

Click on the folder wanting a Link then Ctrl+M
A link "folder" will appear and then drag it to the Desktop or where ever needed.

[motoryzen]

While RollyShed is correct ( I've confirmed this works on LM 21.1 Cinnamon)

If you're as nitpicky as I am ( xD ) about not having that Link emblem. Here's how you create a shortcut to a folder on your Desktop ..IF..you're using Cinnamon desktop

*** My instructions assume you are using Cinnamon desktop...given you posted this in " Main Edition Support *** ... If you are using XFCE or Mate, the instructions may be different...****

Let's pretend you want to create a shortcut to the folder Downloads and you named your system taco

You can accomplish this one of two way that I know of.

1. Launcher :
A. Right click empty area of desktop, select Create a new launcher here..
B. In the command field. paste the following below
nemo '/home/taco/Downloads'
C. Name it whatever you want, but makes sense to name it something coherent; which for me would be Downloads
D= optional. Be it before or after you select Ok button, you can left click on that red rocket icon on the left part of that little window to change the icon for that folder to whatever you want.

2. Text file that you turn into a simple bashscript with the precisely same command as in Part 1 B. above
A. Rightclick empty area of desktop, move mouse over Create New Document towards the right and select Empty Document
B. Name it whatever you want. Let's keep it consistent and name it Downloads
C. Now paste all the exact info below that is inside code tags, then save it

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

nemo '/home/taco/Downloads'

D. Make it executable by either right clicking on this new text file, select Properties, then Permissions button/tab up top, then left click on the tiny box to the right of Execute between that and Allow executing file as program, close that window..... ... ... or.......

Right click empty area of desktop, select Open in terminal, then paste the following command below and press enter.
chmod +x Downloads

Now when you double left click on the newly created Launcher OR text file you turned into a bashscript, it will use Nemo to open directly into that Downloads folder.

Again..even with the text file you made into a bashscript..you can still right click on it, and change the icon the same way as you can the Launcher.

[RollyShed]

While RollyShed is correct (I've confirmed this works on LM 21.1 Cinnamon)
If you're as nitpicky as I am ( xD ) about not having that Link emblem.

My reply to motoryzen in another thread is -
if you mean the little arrow on the bottom right of the icon, then that is exactly what I always want as I remove the words "Link to..." from the name of the folder produced.

As an example, a folder on the Desktop will be named "Music" and that arrow shows it is a "link" type folder.

Why make them in the first place? It saves a few clicks, two clicks instead of 4 clicks to open a "Link" type folder.

My method works in every version. I've done it on a dozen or so installations. Before that I used the menu to find "Make links".

[mmm]

RollyShed - your method is much better than mine.
It does not involve changing preferences of File Manager.

It is not easy to write a good tutorial because there is no defined target population, and the amount of knowledge of the tutee is impossible to guess.

For instance, when I tried your method on someone he interpreted Ctrl+M like this:
click Ctrl Then click + Then click Caps Lock Then click m

I was aiming at a person moving from Windows or Mac, who does not know what a terminal is, and who has just installed 21.1 cinnamon, and not changed anything.
I was not aiming at a systems engineer.

Would you like to replace my tutorial by one written by you?
I don't think you can edit my post.
But if you post your version here I can overwrite mine by yours.
Is that the best way to go?

[RollyShed]

RollyShed - your method is much better than mine.

Thank you.

It is not easy to write a good tutorial because there is no defined target population, and the amount of knowledge of the tutee is impossible to guess.

For instance, when I tried your method on someone he interpreted Ctrl+M like this:
click Ctrl Then click + Then click Caps Lock Then click m

Yes, that is a problem and I have previously pointed out that the "+" means do two keys (Ctrl & M) at the same time. Maybe the "+" should be replaced by a "&" though the way I did it Ctrl+M is the "standard" way of showing those short cut ways of doing things.

I put up on the wall where there is tuition, a handful of shortcuts - Ctrl+X (Cut), Ctrl+C (Copy), Ctrl+V (Paste) and possibly Ctrl+Z (Step back one step) - that's four of your fingers so what about the thumb? F2 to rename things.

A handful.

I was aiming at a person moving from Windows or Mac, who does not know what a terminal is, and who has just installed 21.1 cinnamon, and not changed anything.

Agreed, so many seem to think the Terminal is the only way to go where as I have so many users who don't know the Terminal exists.

Would you like to replace my tutorial by one written by you?

Basically there are a lot of short-cuts and if you go to a Menu for doing things and see how to do something, the short cut method is on the same line. Probably it is missed being seen as users concentrate on the worded bit of a menu.

Incidentally, in Terminal those shortcuts are usually three keys though some how (unknown) I've ended up with the standard two key shortcuts, Copy Paste etc.

[mmm]

RollyShed - You said "Incidentally, in Terminal those shortcuts are usually three keys though some how (unknown) I've ended up with the standard two key shortcuts, Copy Paste etc."

Actually, it is three keys in terminal:
Ctrl+Shift+c to copy
Ctrl+Shift+v to paste

Try it and see if you agree.

BTW - because Linux is usually case sensitive I prefer to write "c" rather than "C".
And I ALWAYS have Caps Lock disabled.

[motoryzen]

then that is exactly what I always want

and

As an example, a folder on the Desktop will be named "Music" and that arrow shows it is a "link" type folder.

Why make them in the first place? It saves a few clicks, two clicks instead of 4 clicks to open a "Link" type folder

Because maybe the OP doesn't want that little arrow emblem. Maybe mmm wants a cleaner looking shortcut (Shrugs). It wasn't a jab against you MollyShed, just offering an alternative. That's all. There is never anything wrong with offering multiple ways to accomplish something

[motoryzen]

Actually, it is three keys in terminal:
Ctrl+Shift+c to copy
Ctrl+Shift+v to paste

Indeed...by default. to copy or paste involving the gnome-terminal in Linux mint..you are correct.

Me, personally, one of the first things I do in gnome-terminal in Linux mine on a fresh installation is change those two hotkeys aka keybindings ( among a few others) is ...

copy to Clrl+c
paste to Ctrl+v
preferences to ctrl+p
select all to ctrl+a

I also go into the keyboard shortcuts ( two ways to do that....gui way that is obvious with main menu, then typing keyboard, navigate from there the obvious.... or. alt+f2 or terminal command of cinnamon-settings, then navigate the obvious), and select Launchers on the left, then select Launch terminal and ADD... super+Return as another option to launch the terminal with.

2 key presses is quicker and super+Return to my immediate knowledge isn't automatically used for anything special nor basic and critical ( thanks to Distro Experiment on youtube for that suggestion)

[RollyShed]

Actually, it is three keys in terminal:
Ctrl+Shift+c to copy
Ctrl+Shift+v to paste

Yes, that's what I said, 3 keys.
It looks as if motoryzen has explained how I changed it to 2 keys from 3 keys removing the necessity of using the Shift key.

BTW - because Linux is usually case sensitive I prefer to write "c" rather than "C".
And I ALWAYS have Caps Lock disabled.

Agreed, it should be shown with lower case "C" "V" etc. except it is always written upper case in all menus including menus found in things such as LibreOffice Write, Calc etc.

[Termy]

Agreed, it should be shown with lower case "C" "V" etc. except it is always written upper case in all menus including menus found in things such as LibreOffice Write, Calc etc.

That's because it's pretty much the standard across the board. In-fact, by providing a lower-case character, it's going to be confusing to someone who's familiar with this syntax. When you want to include Shift, you write it as such, therefore there's no need to have a character with the target case, because we're talking about keyboard combinations, not standard text.

[mmm]

It's quite useful to have a desktop shortcut to a rather hidden-away folder such as
/home/john/.var/app/com.github.alexkdeveloper.recorder/data/Recordings/

That relates to a very good flatpak program "recorder", which records what is going TO your speakers.