Working with shortcuts in Linux (Ubuntu)

Hamish Taylor
Monday, 14 July 2008 20:19

Opinion and Analysis

In my last couple of articles, I have highlighted how easy it can be to install applications in Linux. In this article, I will talk about how to work with shortcuts.

When you install an application, in most cases it will show up somewhere in the menu. Sometimes the location seems to be a bit arbitrary.

So, firstly we'll have a look at how to move items in the menu. Once again, all of the following information applies to Ubuntu.

To move things around in the menu and to create new items in the menu, click on System, Preferences, Main Menu. You'll see some items listed on the left-hand side. All of the italicised entries are not shown in the actual menu. Most of the time this is because the folders are empty or the shortcuts are located in another area.

Have a click around in the folder on the left-hand side and see what shows up on the right-hand side. Compare that to what you see in the actual menu system.

One of the first things I do when setting up Ubuntu is move the shortcut for OpenOffice Drawing. I don't think it should be under "Graphics" as I prefer it to be under "Office" to keep all the OpenOffice applications together.

So lets have a look at how to move it. On the left-hand side of the Main Menu window, click on Graphics. Find the OpenOffice Drawing item, click it and drag it into the Office folder on the left-hand side. Done!

For Windows users, this would be much the same as using Windows Explorer, navigating to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and moving application shortcuts around. It really is that simple.

So, how do we create a new shortcut to appear in the menu? Please read onto page 2...