Error when trying to create desktop icons

Question

New user to Ubuntu 14.04, and having trouble trying to create desktop icons. When I drag and drop it tells me :

Error while copying.

There was an error getting information about “/”.

Unable to get past this, not sure of the commands to do it through terminal screen.

Any ideas?

girardengo · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-26T23:52:15.530

1

To create a launcher on the desktop, run this command:

 gnome-desktop-item-edit /home/<username>/Desktop --create-new

this starts the GUI application for creating new launcher.

In the command field, enter the name of the application, such as nautilus, or select executable from /usr/bin or any other directory.

edited Apr 26 '14 at 23:52

answered Apr 26 '14 at 23:45

girardengo

This worked after I installed the gnome utitity. Thanks. Is there not a way to do a drag and drop operation? Very new to linux sytems and have seen it done on videos. Does 14.04 not support this? I will make sure to keep this command handy... – Dhartman3076 Apr 27 '14 at 00:20

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24

0

Try to create your desktop icons with symbolic-link in terminal by this command.

ln -s target_path link_path , where your desktop path will be something like this

ln -s target_path ~/Desktop/icon_name

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24

Community

answered Apr 26 '14 at 23:22

Jan Špička

Tried but got this error: – Dhartman3076 Apr 26 '14 at 23:37
ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘/home/david/desktop/application://brasero.desktop’: No such file or directory – Dhartman3076 Apr 26 '14 at 23:38
And what are you copying? Or what you exactly run in terminal? – Jan Špička Apr 26 '14 at 23:39
Anything... I am just trying to learn how to make a shortcut to application on the desktop. Nothing I am trying is working. – Dhartman3076 Apr 26 '14 at 23:44
Can make folders, just not shortcuts to apps... – Dhartman3076 Apr 26 '14 at 23:44
Because the path /home/david/desktop/application://brasero.desktop really doesnt exist, if you write any commands in terminal use "Tab" button to autocomplete. If autocomplete dont work then something is wrong. – Jan Špička Apr 26 '14 at 23:48
Not sure what you are using the autocomplete command for? Does this then create the folder/file after the command is typed? – Dhartman3076 Apr 27 '14 at 00:21

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 20 '14 at 22:52

0

If you are DnD'ing from a location you don't own like /usr/share/applications you can't as DnD is a move. So just copy & paste

answered Dec 20 '14 at 22:52

doug

3 Answers3