Do You Use Desktop Icons?

frankbell · 12-20-2011, 07:42 PM

I ask this because I do not and I wonder if I'm alone in the world.

I stopped using icons under Windows XP before my Linux days. I like pretty pictures for my wallpaper (I lean toward shots of scenery) and icons cover up my pretty pictures.

tweezerhead · 12-20-2011, 08:04 PM

Hi, I do keep a few icons on my desktop. I move them so they don't block the background too much.

fukawi1 · 12-20-2011, 08:26 PM

Not for me..
XFCE with xfdesktop disabled... Using them becomes a pain when 99% of the time i have windows sprawled across the 3 screens, and 3 sides of my desktop cube (i like to leave one empty so i can have a quick perv when im swapping desktops/workspaces

).

For what its worth, the desktop that my screens sit on is just as disorganised

lamegaptop · 12-20-2011, 10:17 PM

Nope.

If I want desktop icons in Gnome3 I sling my cursor to the upper left hand corner or tap the "special key" on the keyboard.

wile_coyote · 12-20-2011, 10:22 PM

I don't tend to use them. On Windows I will use desktop icons occasionally, but Linux hardly ever.

Sed_Awk · 12-20-2011, 11:03 PM

I keep a few icons of my most used programs like firefox, terminal, etc

lumak · 12-21-2011, 12:46 AM

@ Gnome3 & Plasma

does the activities overlay count as desktop icons? does the plasma launch screen count? How is it any different then executing a "show desktop" command?

I would say 'no' but I use gnome-shell... so 'maybe'

Nylex · 12-21-2011, 05:50 AM

I have no need for desktop icons. I use keyboard shortcuts for commonly used applications and for everything else, I use the terminal.

brianL · 12-21-2011, 05:58 AM

No, I prefer using the menu.

cynwulf · 12-21-2011, 06:34 AM

I use Xfce4 with desktop icons turned off, but I do keep xfdesktop4 installed for the right click menus, etc.

MTK358 · 12-21-2011, 08:12 AM

I don't use them because it's really inconvenient to have to hide all your windows to get to them. It's much easier to use a menu or keyboard shortcut to launch stuff.

lumak · 12-21-2011, 09:24 AM

@MTK358
In that respect, gnome-shell doesn't count.

Alt+F1 - overylay
Start typing anything related to what you want: e.g. documents, music, graphics, gimp, system
Press Enter when your selection comes up (generally within three letters)

Kind of like a visual run prompt... Assuming you have the right key words in the "comments" parameter of a .desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications or /usr/share/applications. If you don't have a .desktop file, there is still Alt+F2 for the run prompt.

H_TeXMeX_H · 12-21-2011, 09:37 AM

No, I do not. They always clutter the desktop and get in the way of the wallpaper. The fluxbox right-click menu is easy enough to access, so I don't need them.

TobiSGD · 12-21-2011, 10:45 AM

Desktop icons don't make sense when using a tiling WM. To start the most used apps I use keyboard shortcuts, for everything else a terminal or the menu of wmii.

frankbell · 12-21-2011, 08:47 PM

24 hours later, I must say I find it notable that Nos are winning. Given all the agony in the forums about icons and stuff, I must admit that I am most pleasantly taken aback.

One reason I have become a Fluxbox aficionado is that Flux doesn't do desktop icons, at least not without an add-on (I think it's called fbdesk).

I use keybindings* for my frequently-used applications and the menu for others. Sometimes I even start an application from the terminal because it can be easier or quicker for what I'm doing right then.

I have looked a few tiling window managers, but they've never grabbed me.

_________________

*Thanks to one of klaatu's podcasts for opening the wonderful world of Fluxbox keybindings to me.