How to create desktop icons?

[soursen]

How do I make shortcut icons on the desktop with the default Kubuntu 14.04 setup?

I did this before but can't remember how.
I don't want the icons to have those floating toolbars on the right side. (When I played around with making the icons in the past there was a way to make the icons that didn't leave those toolbars. I just can't remember how to do it.)

[DoYouKubuntu]

I'm not going to promise anything because I have NOTHING on my desktops. That's how I like it! But, I believe this is what you're looking for. Note that I use the Classic Menu for my KMenu, and don't know if the same method works from Application Launcher Menu. Just scroll through a menu until you're on an app you want on your desktop, right-click on it, and choose "Add to desktop."

[soursen]

Thanks for the reply, but that's the method that creates the toolbars on the right side. I want to use the other (or another) method.

[vinnywright]

How do I make shortcut icons on the desktop with the default Kubuntu 14.04 setup?

I did this before but can't remember how.
I don't want the icons to have those floating toolbars on the right side. (When I played around with making the icons in the past there was a way to make the icons that didn't leave those toolbars. I just can't remember how to do it.)

if after say dragging a .pdf from dolphin to the desktop and choosing "icon" in the box that pops up you relock the widgets you will not get the "floating toolbars" any more ,,,,,,,,of course the widgets must be unlocked to be able to drag and drop to the desktop in the first place.


VINNY

[DoYouKubuntu]

Thanks for the reply, but that's the method that creates the toolbars on the right side. I want to use the other (or another) method.

Hmmm...I just tried it to see what happens! The toolbar only appears when hovering over the icon. And that makes sense because the toolbar gives you options to do things, like delete the icon. But if that's not what you want, it's not what you want. I wonder if there's a config option somewhere that suppresses the toolbars.

[vinnywright]

Hmmm...I just tried it to see what happens! The toolbar only appears when hovering over the icon. And that makes sense because the toolbar gives you options to do things, like delete the icon. But if that's not what you want, it's not what you want. I wonder if there's a config option somewhere that suppresses the toolbars.

if you lock your widgets the tool bar will not appear .........do we not read vinny posts ?

VINNY

[GreyGeek]

How do I make shortcut icons on the desktop with the default Kubuntu 14.04 setup?

I did this before but can't remember how.
I don't want the icons to have those floating toolbars on the right side. (When I played around with making the icons in the past there was a way to make the icons that didn't leave those toolbars. I just can't remember how to do it.)

The floating toolbars attached to the desktop icons are because the widgets are unlocked. Lock the widgets and the will go away.
Before you lock the widgets you can change the picture of the icon, and other stuff.

[DoYouKubuntu]

if you lock your widgets the tool bar will not appear .........do we not read vinny posts ?

Oops...

[soursen]

Ok, after wasting hours on this, I finally figured out how to do it.
It would be GREAT if they would document this better for new users.


The following assumes you've left most desktop panel items at their default locations (for example, the Kicker start menu icon is in the bottom panel at the far left).

• right-click anywhere on empty space in the desktop

• choose from the context menu that appears: "Default Desktop Settings" - a configuration window will appear

• click Layout ---> FOLDER (Apply)

• click the 3-colored-dots icon in the bottom panel (second from left) in order to "Show Activity Manager"

• click [+Create Activity] ---> Template ---> Desktop Icons

• a notice saying "Desktop Icons" should appear on the desktop (upper right corner)

• now, click on the Kicker menu icon (bottom panel at far left), navigate to the icon showing which Application you want to create a desktop shortcut icon for

• right-click on the targeted Application's name in the Kicker menu

• select "Add to desktop" - and Voilà, you've got your desktop shortcut icon

• To create another desktop shortcut icon, just find the name of the application you want a shortcut for in the Kicker menu, right-click on it, and again select "Add to desktop"

There may be an even simpler way to do this -- specifically, I'm not sure that the first 3 steps are actually necessary (I can't tell without reinstalling to see how everything looked before I started trying different things).

[soursen]

Incidentally, thanks for the other suggestions. However, the floating toolbar wasn't the only issue. The shortcut icons that are generated by the other methods suggested don't look the same (different theme, much smaller - and to my eye, uglier - icon image). So even if I'd locked the widgets, I wouldn't have been happy with the appearance of those icons.

[anika200]

Right click on desktop and select "Unlock Widgets" and then follow soursen advise.

• right-click on the targeted Application's name in the Kicker menu

• select "Add to desktop" - and Voilà, you've got your desktop shortcut icon

.

When you are done with this step:

Right click on desktop and select "Lock Widgets".