How do I add an application to the menu?

[Eric Weir]

I just downloaded and installed an application from outside any repository -- it uses no libraries -- and I'd like to add it to the menu, put a button for it on the panel, etc.

Actually, I've added it to the menu, but apparently I don't know how to enter the command to make the application run. The application's name is "treepadlite," no extension. When I double click on the file name in Konqueror, it runs. So I just entered the file name in the "command" field for the application in Menu Editor. But when I do this, clicking on the the line for the application in the menu doesn't cause it to run.

I notice some other applications have additional characters along with the file name in the "command" field. Obviously, the file name is not enough in this case.

Assuming some other characters are required, how do I know which ones? If not other characters, what is required?

Thanks in advance,

[ppberns]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

Hi,

Sounds like it needs the full path the the file. Find where it was installed to (/usr/local/bin or /usr/local/sbin) and then just put the full path along with the executable name (something like /usr/local/bin/treepadlite). I wouldn't worry about the additional characers as they usually set system wide params. Or another thing you can do is put the location of the executable into your PATH variable.

[Eric Weir]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

Sounds like it needs the full path the the file. Find where it was installed to (/usr/local/bin or /usr/local/sbin) and then just put the full path along with the executable name (something like /usr/local/bin/treepadlite).

That's where I started. That didn't work, so I went with what I saw in the setup for other menu items.

While I'm at it, I may not have put the application in the right place. As I said, it was a binary, from outside the repositories -- I downloaded it from the developer's site -- which uses no libraries. I created a folder for it in my home directory and copied the executable, a couple of manual files that came with it, and an icon I got from the website to it.

Any problem with that?

Or another thing you can do is put the location of the executable into your PATH variable.

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean the "work path" field in the Menu Editor? Did that, too. Still doesn't run.

[Rog131]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

The application's name is "treepadlite," no extension.

Is it this ?:
TreePad Lite for Linux
http://www.treepad.com/linux/treepadlite/

tplitelx_complete.tar.gz
Freeware tar.gz file, 2950 Kb.

Description
Freeware ('lite') version. Supports plain text, no images. For Linux.
Runs directly without installing anything. Compatible with any Linux distribution which comes with KDE and/or Gnome. This version and does not need any external libraries (they are integrated into the program itself).

=> Executable is TreePadLiteLX

Here it is in the /media/sda2/path/tplitelx_complete/ => command in the KDE Menu editor is '/media/sda2/path/tplitelx_complete/TreePadLiteLX' (just click open file dialogue):

[Snowhog]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

Here it is in the /media/sda2/path/tplitelx_complete/ => command in the KDE Menu editor is '/media/sda2/path/tplitelx_complete/TreePadLiteLX' (just click open file dialogue):

Keep in mind, that 'media/sds2/....' probably isn't the same for Eric. But still, the 'easiest' way to get the command path correct in the entry you created in K Menu, is to go to where you have the program with Konqueror, copy the URL and paste that in the Command box of the open item in K Menu Editor and add TreePadLiteLX (if that is the program name you click on in Konqueror) to the end of it.

[Eric Weir]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

Keep in mind, that 'media/sds2/....' probably isn't the same for Eric. But still, the 'easiest' way to get the command path correct in the entry you created in K Menu, is to go to where you have the program with Konqueror, copy the URL and paste that in the Command box of the open item in K Menu Editor and add TreePadLiteLX (if that is the program name you click on in Konqueror) to the end of it.

I didn't go to Konqueror, but I basically did what you suggest. Actually, there's a way in the Menu Editor itself to browse to the file location from within the command field. The result was what I'd have gotten by copying the URL from Konqueror and adding the filename "treepadlitelx." But it's not working.

In Konqueror the file has a generic KDE icon, a blue gear. If I copy that to the panel. the application runs. But as indicated above, the same information entered in command field in the Menu Editor produces no result. I checked "enable launch feedback," and the icon bounces up and down as if the application is going to run, but it doesn't.

I'm wondering, could it be because I put the binary in a folder in my home folder? [I just tried putting it in /usr/bin, but was denied permission. So how do I get permission? "kedsu konqueror"?]

Maybe I'm getting there?

Thanks,

[lingenfr]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

Yes, you can do it from the command line or with:

kdesu konqueror

[Snowhog]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?

In Konqueror the file has a generic KDE icon, a blue gear. If I copy that to the panel. the application runs. But as indicated above, the same information entered in command field in the Menu Editor produces no result. I checked "enable launch feedback," and the icon bounces up and down as if the application is going to run, but it doesn't.

You say the program file is 'binary.' Does that mean it has an .exe extention? Edit your K Menu item and include that extention as part of the name in the command field.

[Eric Weir]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu? SOLVED

You say the program file is 'binary.' Does that mean it has an .exe extention? Edit your K Menu item and include that extention as part of the name in the command field.

No, it doesn't have an extension. However, moving the file to /usr/bin did the trick. It now runs from the menu -- though a good bit more slowly than from the icon I copied to the panel.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Snowhog]

Re: How do I add an application to the menu?