Xfce Forum

pointyblue

Member

Registered: 2008-11-05

Posts: 1

How to create new desktop icons?

Hi,

I'm new to Xfce, please excuse me for asking this probably pretty lame question! 

I need to create icons for my favourite applications to place on the desktop. In Ubuntu/Gnome I just locate the application in the applications menu and then right click to create a desktop icon. Or I can simply drag the icon to the desktop.

But in Xubuntu/Xfce this appoach doesn't seem to work. Can you please help me figure out how this is done in Xfce?

Thanks! 

eriefisher

Member

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 537

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

First you have to enable desktop icons in menu>>settings>>desktop settings>>behaver.

Then go to /usr/share/applications and find the app you want. Just simply drag it to the desktop.

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Siduction
Debian Sid
Xfce 4.18

aszabo

Member

Registered: 2008-11-17

Posts: 1

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

Hi,

I dragged some files from /usr/share/applications to the desktop but I see that these icons have for type as text/plain and when I click them with mouse a text editor pops up instead of running. What did I make wrong?

Thanks for the reply.

vinoman7

Member

Registered: 2007-05-24

Posts: 11

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

How would you add icons to the taskbar ?

ptyxs

Member

Registered: 2009-06-03

Posts: 2

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

Is it impossible to add an application icon on the taskbar ??
If not, how ??

crimesaucer

Member

Registered: 2007-05-21

Posts: 103

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

The taskbar in Linux is actually called the 'panel'. To add icons that open programs to the panel you need to add a 'Launcher'. You then configure it yourself with the command used to run the program and the path of the icon location.

It seems difficult but it's not. I really like the 'Launchers' because I can add different commands to open folders that I use, or even Firefox to a web page address. The command is 'exo-open' and then add the location like this:

exo-open /etc

or:

exo-open /usr/share/themes

This is the xfce4-panel with Launchers (on the bottom, the top panel is only using xfce4-panel-plugins):

1440x900 view: http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr16 … t-17-7.png

MireilleDarc

Member

From: usa

Registered: 2009-05-30

Posts: 1

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

The cube effect is shown when you pres "ctr AND alt" key and then with the "left mouse button" drag the desktop all at the same time that is

Tried that?

Regards

Ron Deen

sixwingsfire

Member

From: Ohio

Registered: 2014-09-06

Posts: 21

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

The taskbar in Linux is actually called the 'panel'. To add icons that open programs to the panel you need to add a 'Launcher'. You then configure it yourself with the command used to run the program and the path of the icon location.

It seems difficult but it's not. I really like the 'Launchers' because I can add different commands to open folders that I use, or even Firefox to a web page address. The command is 'exo-open' and then add the location like this:

exo-open /etc

or:

exo-open /usr/share/themes

This is the xfce4-panel with Launchers (on the bottom, the top panel is only using xfce4-panel-plugins):

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr16 … t-17-6.png
1440x900 view: http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr16 … t-17-7.png

It seems difficult, because it is!
Simple things are not intuitive at all and require terminal "hacks" instead of simple GUI functionality. It doesn't have to be this hard, and it's precisely why Linux will never get the attention it deserves from a commercial market, and that makes me sad because it could truly be supierior....

I've spent several days learning the ins and outs of Linux, not to be a power user, but just to do simple tasks. Almost always the terminal is involved or a multi-step tutorial posted on an obscure forum in reply to a question by a user.

It's really frustrating.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,494

Re: How to create new desktop icons?

This thread is from 2009 - alot has changed since then. Adding launchers to the xfce4-panel or to the desktop is quite simple these days - no terminal required. Perhaps it would be best if you created a new thread detailing the issues that you are having and we'll be glad to help you out.

Closing thread.

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