I can't create new menu items in gnome. The main menu only recognizes the launchers in the /usr/share/applications panel. It ignores anything users try to add using the Right-click->Entire Menu->Add new item to menu method. When I try, all goes well but when I'm done creating it, it simply doesn't show up in the menu no matter now many times I try. They do, however, show up in nautilus when I go to the URL applications:/// and look for them there.

Is there a panel setting (perhaps in gconf) that must be activated in order for custom launchers to show up? if so, where, and how does it work? I am about to recompile some programs including and related to gnome-panel in hopes of it fixing itself but it's very unlikely. I'll get back to you on what I find.

In the mean time, Thanks in advance for your answers.

If you 'killall gnome-panel' or login and back out, do they show? It's supposed to update automatically but I think it requires a complicated subsystem. Otherwise, just whacking the panel usually works.

nope. killall didn't work. One can hardly expect it to though because the launchers existed even before gnome-panel was started. I will, however, make sure I didn't need any extra command-line switches added. (man gnome-panel.) I'll see if that works. Thanks anyway.

that's dumb. It doesn't have any command-line switches at all.