Editing group-app.xml from desktop

In customizing my Linpus desktop to my liking, I have found the need to frequently edit the group-app.xml file using mousepad. So i have created an icon on my desktop under the files panel to do just that.

To do this I open up a Terminal and entered:

cd /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop (this step is optional - only for creating a backup)
cp group-app.xml group-app.xml.bak (this step is optional - only for creating a backup)

mousepad /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml

I then went down past the <id>8</id> section and enter a new line with the following:

<app sequence="5">/usr/share/applications/Mousepad.desktop</app>

(Make sure that the sequence value is unique within the section, in my case I used "5")

I save this file and then entered:

sudo mousepad /usr/share/applications/Mousepad.desktop

This opens a new file which I filled with the following lines:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Name=MousePad
Comment=MousePad Editor
GenericName=Mousepad
Exec=mousepad /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml
Icon=mousepad
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=System;Utility;
StartupNotify=true

I save this file and rebooted. Now I have the mousepad icon set to edit the group-app.xml file.

As always, be very careful when editing these configuration files.

 

Hi,

I will try that. I also see that you have a terminal and ftp on your desktop. Can you tell what you did for that?

I am a little confused about what file to change. There are seemingly 5 places that have that file:
/etc/xdg/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml
/home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml
/mnt/home/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml
/root/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml
/usr/share/pixmaps/group-app.xml

I found that when I edited the version in /home/user that nothing happened. But when I copied the file to the first 4 places then the changes took hold.

By the way I tried uncommenting the "voice recorder" but clicking on that crashed the desktop.

Jon

 

The file you need to change is /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml. But, you will not see the changes immediately.

The simpliest way to see the changes is to reboot.

However I prefer to open a terminal and do the following:
ps -ef | grep xfdesktop

this will produce a list of running process ID's with one line looking like:
user 754 1 0 08:31 tty 00:00:00 /usr/bin/xfdesktop2

This line tells me xfdesktop process is running with a PID (process ID) of 754. So I then kill this process by entering:
kill 754

(Edit: The above steps can be replaced by killall xfdesktop2.)

You will notice the the desktop behind the terminal disappears. Then open a new termiinal by entering:
xterm &

Then on the new terminal console enter:
/usr/bin/xfdesktop2 &

You should see the desktop come up again if all is well. With this method I should still have a terminal running in case things go wrong and I need to re-edit the group-app.xml file.

The Termiinal and FTP applications were already in the group-app.xml file but were commented out. I just remove the comment tags ( ) around these lines
and move them to the Files panel that I wanted them in.

Hope this helps.

 

You can accomplish the same task in a way that is far less complicated for the
risk-averse new-to-Linux user.

Assuming that you have made the right-click menu available, the
so-called advanced mode, simply open Settings > Menu Editor.

Use this editor to select "Add Entry" (+).

Enter Name: "Edit Group-app*" (or whatever), and enter

"mousepad /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml"

for the Command:.
(Beginners must note that there is a dot before config.)

Click OK, then the Save icon at the top of the window.

You can use the up and down arrows to move the new entry around a bit.

Afterthought.

While you are at it, if you make the somewhat more complicated change
described at (Search for) Make/Change A New Menu, you can use Menu Editor
to hide stuff that is redundant, dangerous, or space wasting.

Then your right-click menu can serve almost all your needs.

 

The right click menus just proves how flexible this system is. However I'm interesting in tinkering with the default acer panels.

I have gone a little further with this by creating another panel on the desktop similar to the games panel to include any new programs that I have installed. I decided to put a new icon in the 'Files' panel for this which would open up another panel. Below are the steps I took.

I opened up the Terminal and entered the following to create a new icon:

cd /user/shared/pixmaps
sudo cp games.png misc.png
sudo kolourpaint misc.png (used to slightly change the image)

I then created a directory file with:

sudo mousepad /usr/share/desktop-directories/misc.directory

And I inserted the following lines:

Desktop Entry]
Name=misc
Comment=misc
Icon=misc.png
Type=Directory
Encoding=UTF-8

I then edited the group-app.xml file with:

mousepad /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml

After '<group><id>8</id>' I entered:

<dir sequence="9" dir_id="2">/usr/share/desktop-directories/misc.directory</dir>

At the bottom of the file before '</xfdesktop>' tag, I entered the following lines
using the games panel as a guide:

<dir id="2" parent_dir_id="0">
<directory_file exec="" tag_background="/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-title.png">/usr/share/desktop-directories/misc.directory</directory_file>
<background_picture>/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-large.png</background_picture>
<app is_arrow="1" name="" sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/green-back.desktop</app>
<app sequence="1">/usr/share/applications/livna-vlc.desktop</app>
<app sequence="2">/usr/share/applications/vncviewer.desktop</app>
<app sequence="3" icon="ftp.png" name="FTP">/usr/share/applications/net-gftp.desktop</app>
</dir>

I included VLC, VNCViewer which I had previously installed and FTP which came installed.
I then rebooted.

 

Hi,
I'm also trying to modify my desktop... but the success is half... I replaced the writer Icon by Abiword and the second one by Mousepad, and the third one by Evince (pfd viewer), but only Mousepad and Evince appear correctly on the desktop. Where Abiword icon should be there is nothing... can someone help me?

there is the code from the group-app file:

<group>
<id>6</id>
<sequence>5</sequence>
<directory_file exec="" tag_background="/usr/share/backgrounds/images/orange-bk-title.png">/usr/share/desktop-directories/Works.directory</directory_file>
<background_picture>/usr/share/backgrounds/images/orange-bk-large.png</background_picture>

<app is_arrow="1" name="" sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/orange-back.desktop</app>


<app sequence="3">/usr/share/applications/evince.desktop</app>
<app sequence="1">/usr/share/applications/abiword.desktop</app>
<app sequence="2">/usr/share/applications/mousepad.desktop</app>
<app sequence="4">/usr/share/applications/acercalendar.desktop</app>
<app sequence="5">/usr/share/applications/acercontact.desktop</app>
<!--app icon="burning.png" name="CD/DVD Burning" sequence="6">/usr/share/applications/gnome-gcalctool.desktop</app>
<app sequence="6">/opt/Adobe/Reader8/Resource/Support/AdobeReader.desktop</app>-->
<app sequence="6">/usr/share/applications/galculator.desktop</app>

<app sequence="8">/usr/share/applications/xpad.desktop</app>
</group>


Thanks!

 

You need to verify that the file /usr/share/applications/abiworld.desktop exists and that it contains an Exec=xxx and a Icon=yyy line where xxx is the name of the executable and Icon is the image file for the icon. If the icon file does not exist you can make one by copying an existing one and modifying the image with a program like kolourpaint.

 

Hi,
I don't see a sequence 7. Maybe that is the problem.
Jon

 

zebulon, the line you refered to below:-

<app sequence="1">/usr/share/applications/abiword.desktop</app>

Instead of abiword.desktop, it should be fedora-abiword.desktop

It worked for me, anyway.

 

hey hiker_jon : sequence 7 make trouble! never use!

hello how to change the color of the title bar text??? "FUN" in white for example

 

this 's my problem

i install linux from recovery cd <everything OK>

but

when i use Live update on 18/ 9/2008 shortcut on app-group decrease to 2

how can i change it to 3

 

why???

 

Oatmax, you can try try dragging an icon to the first position and if that does not work do it manually by editing the group-app.xml and changing the seqence number of the entry to "1".

 

Hola Kapinouwi, I don't know of a way to change the font color on the title bars. I have not try the following but you can try to replace the title bar image in the group-app.xml file with an image that contains the title you want in the color you want. Lets say you wanted to change the text for the Files panel.

You need to look in the group-app file by entering:

cd /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop
mousepad group-app.xml

look for the section containing the following:

<group>
<id>8</id>
<sequence>7</sequence>
<directory_file exec="" tag_background="/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-title.png">
/usr/share/desktop-directories/Files.directory</directory_file>
<background_picture>/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-large.png</background_picture>
<app is_arrow="1" name="" sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/green-back.desktop</app>

Notice the two highlighted files. The green-bk-title.png file is image is used for the title bar.
The Files.directory file contains the text for the title bar. You need to replace the title bar image with your new image and you need to replace the tile in the Files.directory with spaces.

The following are the detail steps.

Make a copy of the title image by entering:
cd /usr/share/backgrounds/images
sudo cp green-bk-title.png green-bk-title-files.png

Edit the image with:

sudo kolourpaint green-bk-title-files.png

insert the text that you want in the color you want right into the image,
then save the image.

Edit the group-app.xml file with:

cd /home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop
mousepad group-app.xml
Change /usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-title.png to point to
/usr/share/backgrounds/images/green-bk-title-files.png

At this point you should be able to reboot and see how it looks. if everything went well you should see 2 titles.
Next you need to elimnate the original title.

Edit the Files.directory file with

cd /usr/share/desktop-directories
sudo mousepad Files.directory

Change the line that contains Name=Files to Name= or Name="" ir Name=. and save it.
(Edit: Name= does not work, use Name=.)

Reboot and see if this works. It seems like a lot of work to me, but if you try it, let me know how it went.
As always, don't try this if you are not willing to restore you system if things do not go well.

Update: Below is sample image.

 

holaaaaaa!

thank but i find another solution for this! see in viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3656#p24837

huuuu just for change backgrounds! not background + text like you, but if works! and i want to know how to change the text color! grrrrrraaaaarghhhhhh i want to know i want to know etc etc!!!

 

Come join us in this thread.... no one seems to know the solution to this at the moment.

 

the solution is too renum the sequence app of the group-app and starting at 0

 

thank you for your solution

:lol:

 

i see that when i change my group-app again!

 

In order to avoid losing your default panel icons I recomend the following:

Dont' test your changes in any of the main four panels. Test them instead in a deeper panel such as the Games Panel, or a panel as I describe before, that is accessible from one of the main four. If a change fails you can reboot and re-edit the xml before selecting that deeper panel again.

Use adcomp SwitchDesktop (Topic: http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1525)
to switching out and back in to the default desktop, so that you can test your changes without rebooting.