Xfce Forum

barbex

Member

Registered: 2006-07-20

Posts: 9

xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

I'm sorry for being stupid but I can't figure this out.

When I open the menu editor I can edit the menu top and bottom but not the entries for the installed applications.
How do I change the order and the descriptions for the installed applications? Where is that file located?

I need to make a super easy menu for my kids, so that they don't have to search for their programs.

mikeym

Member

From: Glasgow, Scotland

Registered: 2007-01-07

Posts: 27

Website

Re: xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

Hi,

here's a suggestion for adding entries to the menu (it's quite graphical - or you can edit the ".desktop" file by hand).

Basically the system menu is built out of the .desktop files that are on your system. Most of these are in the /usr/share/applications folder. They are organised into the folders you see in the menu (there's no way to my knowledge of changing these) but you can move an icon into a different folder by changing its category by editing the ".desktop" file. Such as:

Categories=Application;Settings;

or

Categories=Application;Game;

barbex

Member

Registered: 2006-07-20

Posts: 9

Re: xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

Ah, thanks.

I think the menu editor needs some major overhaul then because it is nearly useless like it is now. Normally this wouldn't bother me all so much but my kids can't read english or other cryptic descriptions that I find in the menu right now and I thought the menu editor would be the natural place to use for changing that.

Thanks for your help!

barbex

Member

Registered: 2006-07-20

Posts: 9

Re: xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

Ok, that works.
But how do I add new categories?

dergutekoenig

Member

Registered: 2008-01-17

Posts: 2

Re: xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

I did it in a very different way. Might not be the best way, but for me it's the simplest. I just deleted the "System" category with the menu editor and created several subfolders with the entries I need. This way, I got a very custom menu without any need for editing config files and without any application I don't need. It's a bit of work, but I find it very comfortable this way.

darthchaosofrspw

Member

Registered: 2008-08-17

Posts: 2

Re: xfce Menu - edit the system file with the applications

Hi,

here's a suggestion for adding entries to the menu (it's quite graphical - or you can edit the ".desktop" file by hand).

Basically the system menu is built out of the .desktop files that are on your system. Most of these are in the /usr/share/applications folder. They are organised into the folders you see in the menu (there's no way to my knowledge of changing these) but you can move an icon into a different folder by changing its category by editing the ".desktop" file. Such as:

Categories=Application;Settings;

or

Categories=Application;Game;

Bump.

I'm making a "cloudy" version of Xubuntu and I want to create categories for shopping and online videos and stuff like that.

Would a shopping category be like this?

Categories=Application;Shopping;