Desktop Menus

Discussion in 'Acer Aspire One' started by barrie, Nov 20, 2008.

  1. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi All,


    I know this may be basic for many, but after a week I defiantly need a little help, I have downloaded and installed most of the apps I want to run on my AAO running Linpus Linux. I have the right click desktop menu which is handy and also added both Skype and Thunderbird to my desktop, as screen shot.
    [​IMG]

    But my problem is Opera because both Skype and Thunderbird were in my /usr/share/applications folder it was easy to change the Group-app file. But Opera although available via a desktop right click > Web Browser is not, because it is in my /usr/local/share/applications, so my question is how do I get it to sit nicely alongside Skype and Thunderbird on my desktop?

    Any points would be gratefully received, still finding my way around Linux so all help appreciated. I have backed up my Group-app file but do not want to mess things up. :?
     
    barrie, Nov 20, 2008
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  2. barrie

    markh

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    If I read you right, you know how to add to group-app? You can either add the opera .desktop file, where ever it may be, to group-app. If you can't find where your install has put it, one method might be to use the search in the file manager - something like *opera*.desktop ought to get around any possible additions to the name. Once you've found the path, just edit it into group-app in the usual way. Alternatively, you could change the "exec=" line in the linpus-web.desktop file to launch opera (you can check the opera .desktop file to see what this should be), keeping the current icon.

    Alternatively, this link will take you through the process from scratch: http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/10/inst ... linux.html

    Hope that helps, Mark.
     
    markh, Nov 20, 2008
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  3. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi Mark,

    Thanks for the quick reply and link, please can just double check and tell me if this would be the right entry.

    This is the original FF group-app entry
    <app sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/linpus-web.desktop</app>

    So for Opera as it is at this location /usr/local/share/applications
    I should change the above entry to this.

    <app sequence="0">/usr/local/share/applications/opera.desktop </app>

    Do you agree this should work, or should it be this?

    <app sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/linpus-web.desktop /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop</app>

    Because this is what is confusing me and I do not want to mess up and loos all browsing.

    Cheers
    Barrie
     
    barrie, Nov 20, 2008
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  4. barrie

    markh

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    Definitely the first one - you can only have a link to one .desktop file per entry. You've checked that the opera.desktop file is definitely in that path, and that that is it's correct name (just try doing sudo mousepad /usr/local/share/applications/opera.desktop and if it brings up the file, then you've definitely got the right details). If you're nervous, just backup your group-app file first!
     
    markh, Nov 21, 2008
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  5. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi Mark,

    I tried this and double checked the entry you gave, all was fine. SO went ahead and altered the group-app file, then rebooted.

    But this had no effect other than remove my web browsing Icon from the desktop, and I could only access the net via FF`s right click desktop menu opera had gone. :cry:

    What do you think I have done wrong, if this is any help hear are the Opera exe locations.

    1.opera /home/user/desktop
    2.opera desktop /usr/local/share/applications
    3.opera /usr/lib/opera 9.62
    Once I removed the added line and rebooted all was back as before so I am a little bewildered as to what happened, and still can not get opera into my desktop area. Could this be an install issue if so how do I fully remove opera so I could re download and install again? Do I have to search all its files and manually delete or is there an easier way? Thank you for your time.
     
    barrie, Nov 22, 2008
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  6. barrie

    markh

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    I'm afraid I'm not sure what's happened there - we may be coming the the limit of my linux knowledge! Possibly someone who knows will jump in, but in the meantime I'll suggest what I can.

    Having no icon could mean that there's something wider wrong, but it could just mean that the icon hasn't been found. Sometimes, icon problems can be fixed by doing "sudo gtk-update-icon-cache -f /usr/share/icons/hicolor" after you've changed the desktop, but before you reboot. So you could retry, and run that.

    Just something to check is that all these things are case-sensitive - a misplaced capital can mess everything up!

    Alternatively, you could edit the .desktop file that is currently being used to launch firefox, and change it to launch opera instead. To find out how, go into your opera.desktop file, and see what the line exec= says (probably exec=opera, but you never know). Then go into the current browser desktop file (sudo mousepad /usr/share/applications/linpus-web.desktop, provided you haven't changed it before now) and change the exec= line there to match the opera.desktop line. This would leave the current icon, text, etc on your desktop, but it would simply launch opera. Possibly not a perfect solution, but thete you go.

    The final option, as you mention, is to uninstall and re-do using the instructions from macles. If you installed using yum or add/remove program, you should be able to remove it the same way (sudo yum remove ....). I'm afraid I don't know if other installation methods would work with these. You could run add/remove program, and use the search feature to see if opera is listed as installed.

    Hope that helps you along a bit.
     
    markh, Nov 22, 2008
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  7. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi Mark,

    Thanks again for your time I appreciate it , the initial opera install was an rpm file that I right clicked and initiated the installer.

    I have run the process again being very careful as you said about case sensitive issues and the same thing happened. ;)

    I then used the add and remove programs >applications >graphic internet to install seamonkeys browser, guess what all went like a dream and after I added the relevant line in the group-app file it is sitting nicely on the desktop next to Skype and thunderbird. :D (FF relegated to the light blue unseen area)

    So my conclusion is it must be the opera installation that is at fault, but when I am home tomorrow I will also try your suggestion regarding editing the .desktop file that is currently being used to launch FF.

    If still no luck will uninstall and start again, but as I said I installed via a right click.

    Have a good weekend.
     
    barrie, Nov 22, 2008
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  8. barrie

    markh

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    Ok, well, I guess that's progress of a sort. I believe the command to uninstall a rpm is rpm -e package_name, but I've never done it.
     
    markh, Nov 22, 2008
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  9. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi Mark,

    Final chapter here, as you can see from the screen shot I still have not succeeded with opera, so am content to access it via the right click desktop menu for the time being.
    [​IMG]

    But one very useful hint you gave me was the uninstall option via rpm. I found the rpm command cheat sheet for Linux page here, http://www.cyberciti.biz/howto/question/linux/linux-rpm-cheat-sheet.php
    and used the "rpm -qa –last "as well as this "rpm –qa "to find what I had installed, worked like a charm, thank you again for the hint.
     
    barrie, Nov 24, 2008
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  10. barrie

    barrie

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    Hi Mark,


    Just thought I would let you know the good news, as the screen shot shows I now have opera added to my desktop, it was the file location that seems to have been the issue, it was not in usr/share/applications :( so after I finally tracked it down and got it there all was fine. :D
    So all I have to do now is find and download a really nice high resolution icon, as the supplied one it really not good.
    [​IMG]

    Also as a hint to others adding programs to there desktop watch out that they are not hidden by the mobile partner or other Icon, if you find this change the “3” or whatever number it is to 9 and see what happens.

    Once again thanks for your hints, it just took me a little while to get there.
     
    barrie, Nov 25, 2008
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  11. barrie

    markh

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    Glad to hear it.
     
    markh, Nov 25, 2008
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