Re: Adding item to the menu (GNOME)

[Kurt Sabathy <sabathy eng bluewin ch>]

On ?Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:21:33 +0200
>?whichever you want. their names matches treir contents quite well (at
>?least i haven't had any problems of determining which desktop entry is
>?which menu item)
>
>?open them with vim (or whatever text editor your'e using), take a closer
>?look :) Those who start with kde probably are kde games.
>
>?If you want to remove the menu item (but not the coresponding app) just
>?delete that desktop file. If you are not sure, check the Name tag (???)
>?inside the file - it contains the name you see in Applications menu and
>?Nautilus
>
>?If you want to add a menu item, create new file with .desktop extension
>?(haven't tried without, maybe it works too). All application menu
>?entries have Categories=Application; games have category 'Game;' Sound &
>?Video have 'AudioVideo'; (those are the ones i have changed the most -
>?some games like enemy territory have 'Games;' instead of 'Game;', that's
>?how i found out that i can edit menu without risking to lose it)
>
>?If you want to add new submenu i'm afraid i can't help you at the moment
>?- the menu itself is a xml-style file (i think it was called gnome vfs)
>?i know it exists somewhere but i can't remember where it is and how i
>?found it :) (because i didn't need it at the moment i had found it so i
>?closed the file)
>
>?pinco wrote:
>?> thedogfarted ha scritto:
>?>> try this:
>?>>
>?>> cd /usr/share/applications
>?>> ls
>?>>
>?>> and what do you see now??
>?>>
>?>> if i open /usr/share/applications i can't see any .desktop files too,
>?>> that's because nautilus displays the names specified in those files.
>?>
>?> Hi, I see a lot of gnome-xxxxx-xxx.desktop and kde-xxxx-xxx.desktop!
>?>
>?> Which one should I modify?
>?>
>?> Ciao,
>?> Nino

Hey,

I 've recorded my mini-howto in managing panel menus/submenus manually:

?How-To Add a Submenu To The Default Folder Structure
? ?====================================================
? ?
? ?This sample assume that we want to add two sub-menus 'StarOffice 7' and
? ?'Docu & Admin' to the 'Office' menu in the default Main Menu on the panel.
? ?These enhancements should be for a local user only.
? ?
? ?The OpSystem is Fedora Cora 1, custom installation with all pkg's.

? ?Tree of the 'Main Menu' in the default Panel ?with nodes / submenu's
? ?only (no launcher-obj):

? ?Tree: Application ? ? ? ? # root/main menu-icon on the panel
? ?snip: ?
?| ? ..... ? ? ? ? ?# tip-text = Main Menu
?|-- Internet
?| ? ?
?|-- Office ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# 1st submenu
?| ? ?|__ More Office Applications ? ? # sub-submenu
?| ? ?|
?| ? ?|__ StarOffice 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? < < NEW sub-submenu
?| ? ? ? ?^^^^^^^|^^^^
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? |__ Docu & Admin ? ?< < NEW sub-sub-submenu
?|-- Other ? ? ? ? ? ^^^^^^^^^^^^
?| ? ......
? ? ? ? ? 
? ? ? ? ? 
? ?(1) Edit File "applications.menu"
? ? ? ?----------------------------
? ? ? ?Add the new sub-folder/sub-menu to the applications.menu file i.e.
? ? ? ?the the definition file of the whole Menu Structure:
? ?
? ? ? ?° make a backup copy of the file to edit.
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?° as ROOT edit file '/etc/X11/desktop-menus/applications.menu'
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ?- if deciding a local enhancement only, you must set the path
? ? ? ? ? ?to the *.desktop files at the begining of this menu file add:
? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? <!-- Local for User=xyz ?-->
? ? ? ? ? ? ? <MergeDir>/home/ksa/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7</MergeDir>
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ?- carefully search the folder 'Office'; 
? ? ? ? ? ?Note: the folder's <Name> is a script-variable and may be something
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?different.
? ? ? ? ? ?<Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? # begin folder 'Office'
?| ? ? <Name>myOffice</Name>
?- ? ? . . .
?| ? ? <Query>
?- ? ? ? ?.....
?| ? ? </Query>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# folder 'More Office ...
?| ? ? <Folder>
?v ? ? | ? ?<Name>MoreMyOffice</Name
?| ? ?+ ? ? ? ...
?- ? ? | ? ?<DontShowIfEmpty/>
?| ? ? </Folder>
?-
?| ? ? ^^^^ ? ?- ? ? <Folder> - begin 'StarOffice 7'
?- ? ? ^^^^ ? ?| ? ? ? ? <Name>StarOffice7</Name>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?<Desktop>StarOffice7.directory</Desktop>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? ?<Query>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?<Keyword>Application</Keyword>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? <Keyword>sOffice-7</Keyword>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? </Query>
?- ?> ?insert here: ? ?< - ?<Folder> ?
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ?<Name>DocAdmin</Name>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? * ? ? <Desktop>StarOffice7-DocuAdmin</Desktop>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ?<Query>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? * ? ? ? ? ?<Keyword>sOffice7-Doc</Keyword>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ?</Query>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? * ? ? <DontShowIfEmpty/>
?| ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- ?</Folder>
?- ? ? ? ? ? ? ?| ? ? ? ? <DontShowIfEmpty/>
?| ? ? ?vvvv ? - ? ? </Folder> - end ? 'StarOffice 7' 
?- ? ? ?vvvv
?| ? ? <DontShowIfEmpty/>
?</Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# end folder 'Office' 


e.g. for 'Docu & Admin' folder we define:
? ? ? ? ? ?
<Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? # begin 'StarOffice 7'
? ? ?. . . . . 
? ? ?<!-- More StarOffice 7 ?--> ? ? ? ? ? ?# comment
? ? ?<Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? # start submenu item
? ? ?<Name>DocAdmin</Name> ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# folder script variable
? ? ?<Desktop>StarOffice7-DocuAdmin</Desktop> # *.directory file
? ? ?<Query> ? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? <Keyword>sOffice7-Doc</Keyword> # Categories in *.desktop
? ? ?</Query> ? ? ? ? ^^^^^^^^^^^^
? ? ?<DontShowIfEmpty/>
? ? ?</Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# end submenu
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ?<DontShowIfEmpty/>
</Folder> ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# end 'StarOffice 7'

? ? ? ?° save file
? ? ? ?


? ?(2) Edit The *.directory Files
? ? ? ?----------------------------
? ? ? ?Edit for every sub-menu a file [name].directory, where [name] is
? ? ? ?the defined name in tag <Desktop>StarOffice7-DocuAdmin</Desktop> of
? ? ? ?the previous changed 'applications.menu' file.
? ? ? ?For locally use save it to a user dir and create a symLink in the pre-
? ? ? ?defined global subdirectory '/usr/share/desktop-menu-files/'.
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?° as <USER> create local directory e.g.
? ? ? ? ? ? $ mkdir ~/.gnome/apps/menu-files
? ? ? ? ? ? $ cd ? ?~/.gnome/apps/menu-files
? ? ? ?° create a NEW file [name].directory:
? ? ? ? ? ? $ [edit] ./StarOffice7-DocuAdmin.directory ? # any meaningful name
? ? ? ? ? ? 
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?[Desktop Entry]
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Type=Directory
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name=Docu & Admin ? ? ? ? ? ? # you see THIS name in the
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name[de]=Doku + Admin ? ? ? ? # panel sub-sub-menu
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name[fr]=.....
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Icon=/home/<user>/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7/icons/folder.png
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Terminal=0
? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?° as ROOT create symbolic Link in global *.directory dir to local dir:
? ? ? ? ? ? $ su
? ? ? ? ? ? $ cd /usr/share/desktop-menu-files
? ? ? ? ? ? $ ln -s /home/<user>/.gnome/apps/ ? \
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?menu-files/StarOffice7-DocuAdmin.directory ?\
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ./StarOffice7-DocuAdmin.directory
? ? ? ?


? ?(3) Edit The *.desktop Files
? ? ? ?----------------------------
? ? ? ?Edit for every launcher-object you want in this sub-submenu a file
? ? ? ?[name].desktop, where the file-name is free.
? ? ? ?For locally use save they also to an user dir [searchpath] as defined
? ? ? ?in the applications-menu file:
? ? ? ? ? ? <MergeDir>/home/ksa/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7</MergeDir>
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
? ? ? ?° as <USER> create local directory e.g.
? ? ? ? ? ? $ mkdir ~/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7
? ? ? ? ? ? $ cd ? ?~/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7
? ? ? ?° If NO Launcher Object exist:
? ? ? ? ?create a NEW file [name].directory; name can be any meaningful token
? ? ? ? ?because system search is done only by inspcting 'Categories'.
? ? ? ? ? ? $ [edit] ./StarOffice7-DocuAdmin.directory ? # any meaningful name
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name=Docu & Admin ? ? ? ? ? ? # you see THIS name in the
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name[de]=Doku + Admin ? ? ? ? # panel sub-sub-menu
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Name[fr]=..... ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# in French
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Comment=Applications ? ? ? ? ?# tip-text
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Comment[da]=Programmer ? ? ? ?# in french -> locale
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Comment[de]=Anwendungen ? ? ? # in german
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Terminal=false ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?# run not in a terminal
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Icon=/home/<user>/.gnome/apps/StarOffice-7/icons/draw.png
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Exec=/home/<user>/opt/appl/staroffice7/program/sdraw
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Type=Application ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Categories=Application;sOffice-7;
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?^-- see file applications.menu
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?<Keyword>sOffice7-Doc</Keyword>
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?° If a launcher-obj / *.desktop file exist:
? ? ? ? ?If you have a *.desktop of your application, or if you created a
? ? ? ? ?launcher-obj with your GUI (creates also a *.desktop file)
? ? ? ? ?you have to check and edit:
? ? ? ? ?- path of 'Icon' + 'Exec' attributes
? ? ? ? ?- 'Categories' is your Keyword token (file applications.menu)
? ? ? ? ? ? included

I hope that help others a bit.

Kurt