Create a shortcut for an executable?

[ScottyK]

I downloaded a game for my kids (paintball 2) and to get it going, I have to go into a terminal, and type

./paintball2

How do I create a shortcut on the desktop so they can simply click on it and the game will launch?

Currently the game is residing in my home directory. I plan to just copy the game to each of their home directories.

Thanks!

[claydoh]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

try dragging it there, it will create an icon for it

[ScottyK]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

Ok, I've got it dragged over, but when I click on it, nothing happens.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

You can right click on the KGear and choose "Menu Edit".
Chose a menu directory where you want a new menu item to go, click "New Item" from the menu, and fill in the name, command (~/paintball2), and choose an icon for it, then save it.

When you open the KGear menu and navigate to that icon you can right mouse and chose "save to pane" (if widgets are unlocked) and the icon will appear on the panel. Click it and paintball2 will run.
Lock your widgets.

[ScottyK]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

Finally gathered enough information to ask the second part of my question.

On this Kubuntu box for the kids, I have an account with admin, but the three kids do not.

This is probably bloody obvious, but I've noticed that only in my account can I get the game started from the command line.

when I try it from the kids accounts, it starts to load, then it hangs up.

What do I need to add/subtract to the kids accounts to get this to run, but not give them full access like I have?

Thanks!!

[Snowhog]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

When you are logged in, do you have to launch the 'game' using kdesudo game_name?

[oshunluvr]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

I'd suspect a group ownership issue. Kubuntu defaults to an individual group name for each user. So if you installed the game - the kids likely aren't able to run it.

Check the ownership and permissions of each game directory and files. If I'm right, you can manually change permissions of the game and all others you install this way after you copy the game separately for each user.

Another more long-term and less duplicative solution might be to create a group for sharing, add all the kids and yourself to that group, create a partition for shared files and programs, set the group "sticky bit", and install all new games to that location along with music, movies, pictures - whatever else you want everyone to have access to.

This works well for some games - ones that are intended for multi-user high scoring and such.

[ScottyK]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

oshunluvr & Snowhog -

To launch the game I open up console and type ./(name of game).

and the goal is to have a separate copy of the game in each kids /home directory. That way they don't have to keep changing the player name.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

So - if you log into each kids desktop and then install the program, and create the icon it should work.

If you are logged in as your user and copy the program to each kids /home, it will not work.

You need to run "chown" on the directory and files and change the ownership to the kid that you hav copied the program to.

[ScottyK]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

Ah! That's exactly what I did. I just copied the program from my account into each kids account.

Will test it out tonight.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Create a shortcut for an executable?

Do you have rootactions_servicemenus installed? If so you can fix this with a right click and a "Change Ownership..." Otherwise, you can launch Dolphin from a terminal with "kdesudo dolphin" and change ownership that way. The terminal command line way is:

sudo chown -R billy:billy /home/billy/paintball2

and repeat for reginald and martha... - just guessing at the kids names, am I close?

Another idea: Since your kids are accessing this computer and you're the dad - add yourself to each of their groups. This should allow you to browse all their files and directories without "sudo". You have to log out and back in for group changes to take effect.