I am using Xubuntu 14.04 and cannot get a created launcher for Dropbox to work on the desktop. The program folder is in /data and every time I try to launch it the following message appears: "Failed to execute child process '/data/dropbox'(permission denied)".
I am able to launch the program by clicking on /data and then on the Dropbox folder.
I would appreciate guidance on how to overcome the problem.

I got a desktop launcher to work. It doesn't appear you need one, when I installed dropbox, the installer allowed me to launch dropbox on session startup.

You can try this method from xfce start button -->settings-->Sessions and startup-->applications autostart and check the dropbox option.

For a desktop laucher, right click the desktop, create launcher.

I'm assuming you installed dropbox in the standard location. If not, you will have to modify the path information to the path you used.

On my system, I entered on the launcher the following:

Command /home/yourusername/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd

Note, alter yourusername to your username.

Working directory /home/yourusername/.dropbox

Select the icon you wish to look at. Create the launcher.

The first time I launched it, I got a message saying I had to make this launcher executable, I clicked yes, it worked.

Hope this helps.

Cliff, I am fairly sure I am complicating a straightforward procedure but I am where I am. I originally downloaded Dropbox when I just had Windows on my laptop. When I installed Xubuntu, to dual boot, I set up a /data partition and moved Dropbox onto it so that I could use the facility from both O.Ss. I have a desktop link with the Dropbox which shows up as an icon which appears as a folder with a curved arrow thereon. What puzzles me, however, is that when I click on it all my files in Dropbox appear which is fine, but the heading indicates the files are in /home/gordon/desktop/Dropbox. I suppose it's all down to the wonders of Linux file system.
All of that is by the way, as the meat of my dilemma is that I want to get dropbox to launch from a Dropbox logo on the desktop. I set out to create a launcher incorporating the logo but what ever command I use I usually get the "Failed to execute the child process etc" message. Your suggested command lines don't seem to work for me but I am happy to try other ideas.

Further to my earlier mail I have concluded that desktop launchers can be created for programs in the /home directory but not for those parked in /data which is in a separate and NTFS partition. Why this is so is perhaps one of the mysteries of Linux, or maybe (and this is more likely) I do not have sufficient know-how to find the workaround. I have another program that is in /data but somehow a duplicate also found its way into /home. I was under the mistaken impression that any database change in one would automatically change the database in the other,i.e just like quantum theory spooky action at a distance. So, it seems my question comes down to this: Is there a way of creating a desktop launcher, with my chosen icon, for a program that is in my /data NTFS partition?

Yes. The fact that it is a NTFS partition does not matter, as long as the partition is mounted.

The process I posted above will work, if you set the paths up to match your system.

Not true. You can set up a launcher to any mounted directory, you have to get the path to the various files correct.

You are correct here, nothing spooky though.