Custom desktop files?

Cyan · 2015-05-07 05:25:45

Hi,

I multiboot for various reasons. On Manjaro, which I use for work, the way the desktop is set up by default happens to be pretty much exactly how I like it. Is there a way to save a custom file from there that I can then load somehow within other distros(particularly Ubuntu/Mint) so that it'll have the same look and feel? In particular, I like having the menu not only pop up when I hit the super key, but I like having it automatically allow me to search within the menu by typing immediately after I press super.

Any suggestions(or even a link to a tutorial) is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

ToZ · 2015-05-07 23:07:55

Here is a process that might work for you. I just tested it on a Xubuntu-to-Xubuntu and an Arch-to-Xubuntu migration and it mostly works (see the Caveats section below).

First, on my source system, here are the directories/files that have some sort of Xfce configuration or data files (note that this is not an extensive list):

Configuration (main)
-------------------
.cache/xfce4
.config/Thunar
.config/xfce4
.gtkrc-2.0
.local/share/xfce4

Configuration (optional)
-------------------
bin (if you've saved your own script fles here)
.config/catfish (if you use this app)
.config/gigolo (if you use this app)
.config/menus (if you've changed the default menu entries or layouts)
.config/mimeapps.list (if you want to save your mime filetype associations)
.config/Mousepad (if you use this app)
.config/orage (if you use this app)
.config/ristretto (if you use this app)
.config/user-dirs.dirs (if you've changed the default XDG directories)
.config/xfburn (if you use this app)
.config/xfce4-dict (if you use this app)
.icons (if you have any user-specific icons or icon themes saved here)
.local/share/applications (if you've created any user-specific menu items)
.local/share/desktop-directories (if you've created any user-specific menu categories)
.local/share/orage (if you use this app)
.local/share/ristretto (if you use this app)
.themes (if you have any user-specific themes saved here)

Default Data Directories:
-------------------
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Music
Pictures
Public
Templates
Videos

The goal here is to move these configuration settings and/or data files from one computer to the next keeping the configuration as identical as possible (transferring data files as a secondary option). Here is the process that I used:

Create a list.txt file in the home directory of your source computer and list the file/directories that you want to migrate (use the above list as a template for what you want to copy over). For example, here is the list that I used:
```
.cache/xfce4
.config/Thunar
.config/xfce4
.gtkrc-2.0
```
On the source computer, issue the following command to tar up these directories:
```
tar czvf configs.tar.gz -T list.txt
```
Copy over this file (configs.tar.gz) to your destination computer's destination user's home directory. For testing purposes, I created a "test" user on the destination computer.
Log into the text console (console tty, not the Xfce GUI environment) and do the following:
1. Probably a good idea to delete the existing directories for the configuration files you want to transfer over. In my example:
```
rm -rf .cache/xfce4
rm -rf .config/Thunar
rm -rf .config/xfce4
rm -rf .gtkrc-2.0
```
2. Uncompress the archive:
```
tar xzvf configs.tar.gz
```
Then log into the Xfce GUI as this user and check to see how accurate the configuration is.

Caveats
You may not be able to get a complete visually-identical migration because different distros may deploy Xfce slightly differently, such as:
- some distros may use specific theme sets that others don't
- some distros may use specific fonts that others don't
- there may be different default Xfce plugins installed (e.g. no xfce4-indicator-plugin) or missing supporting libraries
- you may be migrating between Xfce versions where certain functionality is not supported
- etc...

Important
The best thing to do is test this first using a test account to see if the process works for you. And always, always back up your data before trying anything like this.

Cyan · 2015-05-08 08:01:25

Thanks for the detailed reply.

When I type the command to tar it up, this happens both when I try it on the source distro(Manjaro) and when I try it on the target(Mint:) tar: list.txt: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

In both, I made sure it was in the home folder of the respective distro/partition before attempting. Anything else I may be doing wrong?

ToZ · 2015-05-08 10:21:48

It looks like it can't find the list.txt file. Make sure that this file exists in your home directory. To confirm, from the source computer, post back:

pwd
ls -l list.txt

On the destination computer, after you have copied over the configs.tar.gz file, post back:

pwd
ls -l configs.tar.gz

(note, you do not need the list.txt file here, just the configs.tar.gz file.

Cyan · 2015-05-13 08:12:12

Hi ToZ,

Thanks again. It's getting a bit late and I'm not sure I'll be able to try the instructions just now from your last post, but I intend to ASAP and hopefully within a day.

I also want to ask if there's a way in the XFCE edition of Mint to install the menu that opens when the super key is pressed and has a blank displayed that allows one to immediately search for programs. Do you know what that particular menu is called and how to add it to the menu bar? Mint Cinnamon has it by default, as does Xubuntu, but the default XFCE Mint menu is a more stripped down one that lacks any apparent search feature. This is by far the main thing I want to replicate from my Manjaro partition, and I'd probably be satisfied by simply adding this feature to Mint XFCE for the time being. Thanks in advance!

ToZ · 2015-05-13 10:16:31

Cyan wrote:

I also want to ask if there's a way in the XFCE edition of Mint to install the menu that opens when the super key is pressed and has a blank displayed that allows one to immediately search for programs. Do you know what that particular menu is called and how to add it to the menu bar? Mint Cinnamon has it by default, as does Xubuntu, but the default XFCE Mint menu is a more stripped down one that lacks any apparent search feature. This is by far the main thing I want to replicate from my Manjaro partition, and I'd probably be satisfied by simply adding this feature to Mint XFCE for the time being. Thanks in advance!

That's probably the xfce4-whisker-menu that you are talking about. Make sure its installed and add it to your panel. I'm not sure how Mint maps only the Super key to run this app. There is currently an issue in Xfce where if you map only the Super key, it interferes with any other keyboard shortcut that use the super key. Basically, both apps get started. Unless in Mint, there is only one Super key shortcut....

MountainDewManiac · 2015-05-13 20:47:32

Cyan wrote:

I also want to ask if there's a way in the XFCE edition of Mint to install the menu that opens when the super key is pressed and has a blank displayed that allows one to immediately search for programs. Do you know what that particular menu is called and how to add it to the menu bar? Mint Cinnamon has it by default, as does Xubuntu, but the default XFCE Mint menu is a more stripped down one that lacks any apparent search feature.

Just how old is your version of Mint? Both Mint 17 and 17.1 (Xfce, of course) come with the Whisker menu preinstalled and already set up to activate when the user presses the button that has the graphic that looks like a piece of four-way blotter ( ) . I think that might be the key that some folks call the super key, but that's (somewhat of) a guess. I put one of the old Penguin stickers that I got when I bought Mandrake Linux 8.1 PowerPack way back when on it, so I call it the "Penguin key."

BtW, if using an old version of Mint: Older versions - other than Mint 13 - are past their "Best By:" date and are unsupported. Mint 17 (and 17.1) will be supported until 2019, whereas Mint 13 loses support two years before that. So... I'd suggest updating to a current version. (If you are actually using Mint 17/17.1 and someone has just sneaked in and uninstalled your Whisker menu, then disregard this paragraph, I guess.)

Regards,
MDM

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#1 2015-05-07 05:25:45

Custom desktop files?

#2 2015-05-07 23:07:55

Re: Custom desktop files?

#3 2015-05-08 08:01:25

Re: Custom desktop files?

#4 2015-05-08 10:21:48

Re: Custom desktop files?

#5 2015-05-13 08:12:12

Re: Custom desktop files?

#6 2015-05-13 10:16:31

Re: Custom desktop files?

#7 2015-05-13 20:47:32

Re: Custom desktop files?

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