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#1 2018-07-30 22:19:28

bushy3
Member
Registered: 2017-06-09
Posts: 20

Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

To make it easy for another user on my laptop I would like to add a link to firefox on my desktop.  Is it possible, if so how?

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#2 2018-07-31 01:23:35

Bearded_Blunder
Dodging A Bullet
From: Seat: seat0; vc7
Registered: 2015-09-29
Posts: 1,146

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

Pretty much everything is possible, that one I don't know the answer to, however, if changing the launcher icon (top left in tint2) is good enough, I did it by editing the X Web Browser .desktop file in /usr/share/applications & changing the icon line to read:

Icon=firefox-esr

(you need root to edit stuff in there)

You want an actual "Windows style" desktop shortcut, you'll need to wait for someone brighter than me, or install a different DE for them to login using.


Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed...
If there's an obscure or silly way to break it, but you don't know what.. Just ask me

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#3 2018-07-31 01:51:26

hhh
Gaucho
From: High in the Custerdome
Registered: 2015-09-17
Posts: 16,180
Website

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

bushy3 wrote:

To make it easy for another user on my laptop I would like to add a link to firefox on my desktop.  Is it possible, if so how?

The short answer is no. Use the browser "launcher" icon on the tint2 panel of BunsenLabs or use the keyboard shortcut "Windows/Super + W (for web-browser)".

You'd need to use a file manager to handle the desktop in an OpenBox session...

https://urukrama.wordpress.com/openbox-guide/#Icons

I've never tried this (I'd try PCManFM first) so I can't advise you. Also, that excellent guide is very old now, a web search is in order.


I don't care what you do at home. Would you care to explain?

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#4 2018-07-31 09:17:23

brontosaurusrex
Middle Office
Registered: 2015-09-29
Posts: 2,755

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

Actually an interesting non-solution to a no-problem would be opening openbox right-click root menu at start, so something like

# open ob menu
xdotool mousemove 20 20 click 3

in .config/openbox/autostart

does work on my system. Also it appears to take focus, so one can select an app with keyboard alone.

scrot
scrot16341.th.png

p.s. Another option is to just start a silly browser, again in autostart

# start silly browser
firefox-esr &

Last edited by brontosaurusrex (2018-07-31 09:38:40)

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#5 2018-07-31 09:36:57

ohnonot
...again
Registered: 2015-09-29
Posts: 5,592

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

Bearded_Blunder wrote:

editing the X Web Browser .desktop file in /usr/share/applications & changing the icon line to read:

Icon=firefox-esr

(you need root to edit stuff in there)

this will likely get overwritten with updates, and it just changes the icon on the tint2 launcher? if that is really so important, the "correct" way would be to copy the desktop file in question to ~/local/share/applications, and edit it there. afaiu, that will mask the original file, and survive upgrades.


hhh wrote:

The short answer is no. Use the browser "launcher" icon on the tint2 panel of BunsenLabs or use the keyboard shortcut "Windows/Super + W (for web-browser)".

You'd need to use a file manager to handle the desktop in an OpenBox session...

https://urukrama.wordpress.com/openbox-guide/#Icons

I've never tried this (I'd try PCManFM first) so I can't advise you. Also, that excellent guide is very old now, a web search is in order.

some comments on that:

  • i once tweaked a crunchbang install to make it more "user-friendly", and installed (and autostarted) xfdesktop. this worked perfectly, and should integrate better (compared to pcmanfm) into an existing bunsenlabs install!!!

  • i also once tried iDesk - it's ancient, but it still works. requires manual config, not very flexible. but it might be the best solution if only one launcher is required.

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#6 2018-07-31 13:00:02

bushy3
Member
Registered: 2017-06-09
Posts: 20

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

Thanks to all for the feedback and suggestions. Seems I need to do a lot of reading before attempting and changes to the system

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#7 2018-07-31 15:14:15

ohnonot
...again
Registered: 2015-09-29
Posts: 5,592

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

^ that sounds a bit like "I give up!"

you still haven't really clarified your problem:

  • where do you need the icon? desktop or panel?

  • just that one icon, or desktop icons in general?

once you answer that we can walk you through it, it isn't hard.

if you need icons on the desktop, but do not want to start installing & configuring software, then it is safe to say that bunsenlabs is not the most suitable distro because it does not provide that out of the box.
other equally lightweight distros, however, do.

Last edited by ohnonot (2018-07-31 15:15:31)

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#8 2018-08-01 02:01:31

johnraff
nullglob
From: Nagoya, Japan
Registered: 2015-09-09
Posts: 12,674
Website

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

ohnonot wrote:

i once tweaked a crunchbang install to make it more "user-friendly", and installed (and autostarted) xfdesktop. this worked perfectly, and should integrate better (compared to pcmanfm) into an existing bunsenlabs install!!!

Confirmed. I've been adding xfdesktop to my setups since #!, not for launchers in my case but just to have a place to throw files while I'm still not sure what's going to happen to them, and so I don't forget about them.

@bushy3 If you decide to use xfdesktop (package name xfdesktop4), post back, or start a new topic - there are some things you can do to make it a nicer experience.


...elevator in the Brain Hotel, broken down but just as well...
( a boring Japan blog (currently paused), now on Bluesky, there's also some GitStuff )

Introduction to the Bunsenlabs Boron Desktop

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#9 2018-08-01 02:13:14

hhh
Gaucho
From: High in the Custerdome
Registered: 2015-09-17
Posts: 16,180
Website

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

ohnonot wrote:
  • i once tweaked a crunchbang install to make it more "user-friendly", and installed (and autostarted) xfdesktop. this worked perfectly, and should integrate better (compared to pcmanfm) into an existing bunsenlabs install!!!

One of the first experiments I did, either right before or right after corenominal announced "The End." was to use xfdesktop, and I think xfce4-settings-manager. I can't find the thread, and most of those posts are deleted or hidden anyway. The #! forums are officially over, IMO.


I don't care what you do at home. Would you care to explain?

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#10 2018-08-01 02:21:42

hhh
Gaucho
From: High in the Custerdome
Registered: 2015-09-17
Posts: 16,180
Website

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

Another option is to use mate-desktop and its settings manager. It's been nearly 3 years since I did this though, so your mileage may vary.


I don't care what you do at home. Would you care to explain?

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#11 2018-08-05 21:38:41

obscurant
Member
Registered: 2017-08-06
Posts: 150

Re: Add a soft link with an icon on the desktop

A forum user suggested idesk, in a previous thread, which is working great here. It's pretty straight forward to set up.

screenshot

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