Confused about Desktop Files

volvogga · 05-16-2005, 06:35 PM

This is kind of silly and petty when I think about it, but I am having trouble making a desktop link file for Azureus. The program starts by a shell script. I could easily make a link file to the desktop, but I wanted to use the .png icon file. Like I said, kind of silly.

After making the link, I renamed it to 'azureus.desktop' and was then allowed to change the icon. This put a [desktop configuration] (or something like that) into the .desktop file that identified the icon's location. The problem is that the original shell script also got this modification, making it inoperable. No matter what I change the desktop file to, the original script gets changed with it.

Any ideas, solutions, workarounds, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.

Matir · 05-16-2005, 06:39 PM

Desktop files are NOT shell scripts. The easiest way to create a good desktop file is to look at a functional one and use it.

volvogga · 05-16-2005, 06:49 PM

Sorry but....
Look for a fuctional 'what'?

I get that the destop file is not a shell script. That part of your post is clear. What I want to know is how do I make a .desktop file run a shell script that is already in existence.

Thanks for the speedy reply.

Matir · 05-16-2005, 07:00 PM

Code:

find / -name '*.desktop'

Depending on the software installed in your system, this will return a number of .desktop files you can open in any text editor for reference in creating yours. For example, I have the following on my system:

Code:

$ cat mozilla.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Mozilla
Comment=Web Browser
Exec=/usr/bin/mozilla
Icon=mozilla-icon.png
Terminal=0
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Network;

volvogga · 05-16-2005, 07:18 PM

Ok. I think I got the desktop file working now.
Sadly, the script seems to have died somewhere along the line.

Thanks for all the help, Matir. I appreciate it.

Matir · 05-16-2005, 07:34 PM

No problem. Good luck and let me know if you need any further help.

mlangdn · 05-16-2005, 08:03 PM

There is another way - if you are using KDE.

K > Settings > Menu Editor

Select New Item from the toolbar, or Click File > New Item

A box will come up that will ask you to name the item. Name it however you want and click ok.

The item name will appear at the top right of the menu editor. In the command box, select the folder to the right and you can then browse to the script you want. This is the path. When you have what you want, click the white box to the right of the description, and it will let you select an icon, or you can select other and browse to an icon you already have in your /home directory. Save it and exit.

Click on the K again, and you will find your new item! Drag it to the desktop and select copy. All done!