Icons on desktop

Dear Group,

I've got rid of those great big buttons and now have a nice clean, empty desktop.
BUT.........I'm wondering, is there a way to add an icon to the desktop or tool bar to quickly start Firefox?

Phil

 

Hi Phil

Open file manager, navigate to /user/share/applications and open it. Look for the Firefox icon and drag it to the desktop.
You do not say what desktop you have but the above certainly works for Xfce.

 

Yes, I've got XFCE..........but when slide the icons over, they just slide back.

Maybe I need a sudo thunar or some other sort of magic word?

Phil

 

Just to add that I,ve just tried this method and also found the file keeps on flying back?
And for the info of others interested in adding additional icons my experience has been puzzling. Following the guidance in
Register hardward 10 tips. and
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4350
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=6261&p=41357&hilit=install+picasa#p41357

took some first steps and removed the hide code from a hidden dictionary application that was in the orginal file- success it appeared as an additional icon, could move it one by one to the front of the row, although on start up the word but not the icon was displayed until the cursor went accross it and then it appeared.!
Boldened went ahead with downloading Picasa. followed the instructions etc - no icon?. Opened up the xfce file again and what i had entered had disappeared!!.
Tried again. still in the list but still not appearing as an icon.

As a side issue found out a bit more on the file manager and away from the my documents (home) section ( you need to enable the advanced view settings) found the (file System) section ie where all the programme etc files are. So checked out that picasa and real player 11 (downloaded a week ago in trying to sort out streaming radio issue) desktop configuration files are in usr/local/share/.... At the same time found that thunderbird is in usr/share...
So added these 3 icons this time. And.....No icons!!!!!!!!!!!
Went back into the dektop group file and found everything i had entered had disappeared. In fact the one successful one with the dictionary had also been reset. The whole desktop layout had also reverted back to the factory setting.
So, ugh...............

Well I do have thunderbird in the advanced menu, this and picasa can open if you enter the program name in the AltF2 command window. Can anyone explain what i need to write in this to get Real palayer 11 to open though???

Ah well Xp simplicity seems really attractive at the moment.

 

Hi,

Not sure what has happened, but solpuerto instructions should work fine( drag and drop)

 

Following on from Barries comments I thought i would have another go. I think the issue may be misinterpreting desktop with an icon on a desktop, but apologies if i still have got it wrong.

for other newbies I have only just discovered that opening the File Manager ie My files or My docs from the front screen. If you enable the advanced view ie View- sidepanel- tick tree option, the left side panel now has the full list of files and folders on the disk. Within this is a desktop folder.
Any time you follow the good advice from Solpuero etc of dragging and dropping to the front screen although an icon didn't appear on mine a copy of the "icon" /start up file appears in this folder.
There is an emblem attached to the icon now, cant seem to find a way of clearing it but hey thats a small issue.
now if you click etc on this the application opens up.

Alternatively by finding the desktop config file for each application (see prev posts) and copy , then navigate to the file manager you can paste it wherever you like, a good one is within home, then the applications icons/start ups are under your docs/music/file list. This way you don't get the emblem too.

So for me this seems at the moment to give a solution to this issue of adding on new programmes but finding a way of easily accessing them.
Unless someone knows a better way.

 

I am using Linpus. I have no firefox icon whatsoever in that folder. A few days ago, my Firefox icon just 'poofed' away. Now all I have is text that says Browser. I click it and it opens Firefox, it all works, just no icon. The icon is also missing from the right click menus.

 

Not sure I know what I'm talking about here, but is it possible that, from the Advanced Menu, in "Settings"-"Desktop Settings", under the "Behavior" tab, the "Desktop Icons" entry is set to "None"? There appear to be three choices available if you hit the down arrow (1) "None" (2) "Minimized application icons", and (3) "File/launcher" icons". When I set mine to "File/launcher icons" (from "None") I was able (finally!) to drag 'n' drop.

 

Hi gmgdnj,

If you open your documents folder then click the search binoculars under files type Firefox, and then scroll down the list to see all FF entries. Double check that the FF.exe file has not moved, for some reason the text link in your /user/share/applications folder is not just a shortcut.


@ sbaute,

I am please to hear you have now got the drag and drop option, have to say as it is a while since I set my box up as I wanted it I had totally forgotten about the drop down menu. :roll:

 

sbaute thank you very much... i forgot that i tick mine to none so i thought i messed up installing a couple of compilers... anyways managed to get my icons back.. thanks

-shinden15

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acer aspire one 110 SSD 8GB +8GB SDHC

normal desktop couple of games and 2 compilers(C and Java)