Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

[gbr]

Hi,

I switched from KDE (Kubuntu) when KDE 4.0 came out to Gnome (Ubuntu). Now that Ubuntu has chosen to go Unity (or Gnome 3), I'm switching back. Things are different than I remember!

My issue is: I have 3 custom application on the desktop. I want to give each one a custom icon. So, I right click->Properties->wrench->icon. Voila, I can change the icon. The problem is, all 3 of my apps get the same icon. I can't seem to give all 3 apps a different icon.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Gerald

[The Liquidator]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Hi and welcome back to Kubuntu

Right click on the icon and select properties. Then in the panel that shows the icon click on the icon itself that is beside the applications name. A dialog will open with alternatives to try

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Hi and welcome back to Kubuntu

Right click on the icon and select properties. Then in the panel that shows the icon click on the icon itself that is beside the applications name. A dialog will open with alternatives to try

Thanks for the quick response.

If I just click on the icon, nothing happens. I have to click on the wrench first. Then, when I change the icon from there, it applies it to the current application only. After logging out and back in, all my Desktop applications have the same icon -- the last one I applied -- instead of different icons.

Gerald

[Pondus]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

When you click on the wrench and then change the icon you change the icon for the whole class this file belongs to. When you just click on the symbol in properties you change the icon for this special file/link. The problem seems to be that you don't have the right to change the icon for your desktop link because it belongs to root I guess. This is common in plasma.

How did you add the link to your desktop?

I presume you mean the KDE desktop The title says gnome but your first posting seems to point to KDE?

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

When you click on the wrench and then change the icon you change the icon for the whole class this file belongs to. When you just click on the symbol in properties you change the icon for this special file/link. The problem seems to be that you don't have the right to change the icon for your desktop link because it belongs to root I guess. This is common.

How did you add the link to your desktop?

Hi,

The apps are owned by me, and have read/write/execute permissions for me:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 gbr gbr 8008431 2011-06-01 05:42 WordSlinger
-rwxr-xr-x 1 gbr gbr 5489936 2011-10-03 15:03 WordTsar
-rwxr-xr-x 1 gbr gbr 5375312 2011-05-02 17:21 WordTsar-old

Gerald

[Pondus]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

That was not my question, but maybe answers it. You didn't create links to the apps, you've put the apps themselves on the desktop?? Then you cannot change the icon individually! Or did you create symlinks for the apps? Then you also cannot change the icon individually.
You can only change the icon individually when you create a desktop link - which either is a text file with the ending ".desktop" or a plasma widget, depending on the role of your desktop and the method how you added the link.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Actually there is a way to do it - just remembered.

This might not be 100% accurate as I'm at a win box right now

A basic assumption is that the programs in question are available via the kmenu. If so, right click on the kmenu icon and select menu editor. Then navigate within the menu editor to the applications in question and select them one at a time. within the dialog you can switch icons without the error you got. When done close off the editor.

Now select kmenu again and either navigate to the apps or start typing the names in the search box at the top of the kmenu panel. When they appear simply drag them onto the desktop and when you release select the link option.

The beauty of doing it this way is that it ensures consistency between your menu and desktop.

Hope this helps

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

That was not my question, but maybe answers it. You didn't create links to the apps, you've put the apps themselves on the desktop?? Then you cannot change the icon individually! Or did you create symlinks for the apps? Then you also cannot change the icon individually.
You can only change the icon individually when you create a desktop link - which either is a text file with the ending ".desktop" or a plasma widget, depending on the role of your desktop and the method how you added the link.

Hi,

Sorry, I guess I didn't answer your question.

The executables aren't links. I copied the apps themselves into the desktop. I'm also have the issue with some document files, but file folders are allowing me to change icons.

Gerald

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Actually there is a way to do it - just remembered.

This might not be 100% accurate as I'm at a win box right now

A basic assumption is that the programs in question are available via the kmenu. If so, right click on the kmenu icon and select menu editor. Then navigate within the menu editor to the applications in question and select them one at a time. within the dialog you can switch icons without the error you got. When done close off the editor.

Now select kmenu again and either navigate to the apps or start typing the names in the search box at the top of the kmenu panel. When they appear simply drag them onto the desktop and when you release select the link option.

The beauty of doing it this way is that it ensures consistency between your menu and desktop.

Hope this helps

Hi,

Thanks for the input! Unfortunately, the apps are not in the menu at all.

Gerald

[The Liquidator]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

So they are not formally installed within the system eg they are simply tar etc files that you extracted?

By "custom" I assume you mean they are not available in the repositories o from some generally available source (like sourceforge)?

It's not generally a good idea to have applications themselves on the desktop. A KDE upgrade for example could in theory go wrong and cause you to lose them. A far better way would be to create a program folder within your /home directory and move the applications there. Then on your desktop you can right click/new/link to application and navigate to the executable. I think you ought to be able to edit the icon by right-clicking on it.

HTH

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

So they are not formally installed within the system eg they are simply tar etc files that you extracted?

By "custom" I assume you mean they are not available in the repositories o from some generally available source (like sourceforge)?

It's not generally a good idea to have applications themselves on the desktop. A KDE upgrade for example could in theory go wrong and cause you to lose them. A far better way would be to create a program folder within your /home directory and move the applications there. Then on your desktop you can right click/new/link to application and navigate to the executable. I think you ought to be able to edit the icon by right-clicking on it.

HTH

These apps are just small things I wrote myself. I moved them from my development directory to desktop, just so I could have access to a stable binary during development.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Okay I understand.

However, my belief is that if you follow the procedure I set out in my previous posting, you will be able to allocate icons to the applications when you have created a link to them, because you can freely edit the properties of the link.

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Okay I understand.

However, my belief is that if you follow the procedure I set out in my previous posting, you will be able to allocate icons to the applications when you have created a link to them, because you can freely edit the properties of the link.

Hi,

Tried that, and it certainly works. Still, kinda weird I can't change the icon of a single application.

Gerald

[The Liquidator]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Now that I'm afraid I don't understand. Once you have a separate link set up for each application, you should be able to assign different icons to each one, simply by right clicking on them and selecting properties and then allocating icon designs to them.

However, if you are simply getting nondescript, generic -style icons it may be that the icons you are assigning might not be consistent with the theme you are running. Would you please upload one of the icons you are trying to use so we can test it on our machines?

Thanks

[gbr]

Re: Desktop icons for custom apps (gnome)

Hi,

Once I have a link set up for the app, I can change the icon. I'm wondering why KDE4 blocks me from changing an applications (sitting on the desktop) icon on a per application basis.

Gerald