[GNOME] Create application shortcut that can be added to favorites

Some applications you install come as archives that you extract in a desired location. However, not all come with an installer that takes care of creating the proper application entries, leaving the task to the user.

You can add a shortcut for any application by creating a file APPLICATION_NAME.desktop under /usr/share/applications and adding this content:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Categories=OPTIONAL_CATEGORY_LIST

GenericName=APPLICATION_NAME
Comment=OPTIONAL_COMMENT
Name=APPLICATION_NAME
Path=FULL_PATH_TO_APPLICATION_FOLDER
Exec=FULL_PATH_TO_APPLICATION_EXECUTABLE

Icon=OPTIONAL_FULL_PATH_TO_ICON

StartupWMClass=APPLICATION_WM_CLASS

[Ubuntu] Change terminal background color

On Ubuntu Linux, the default gnome terminal theme doesn't lend itself easily to screenshots, since they decided for some reason that violet would be a good background choice.

To change it, install gconf-editor:

sudo apt-get install gconf-editor

Then run it:

gconf-editor &

And browse to:

/apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/

where you should uncheck "use_theme_colors" and change the default background color to anything you like. You will also find all other settings such as foreground color, font and so on.

GNOME 3 add applications taskbar/panel

GNOME 3 does not have, like GNOME 2, two taskbars: one for the applications and one for the system tray. It is possible to add the application taskbar (which includes a system tray panel too) manually with the project tint2. All instructions for installing under different distros are available directly on the developers website.

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GNOME 3 enable right click on desktop and show icons

GNOME 3 by default doen’t show any icon on the desktop and does not allow right-clicking it. You could change this behaviour manually:

• run yum install dconf-editor as root or install it via add/remove software and launch it when it’s ready
• navigate the menus through org –> GNOME –> Desktop –> Background
• search for the show-desktop-icons entry and chek its checkbox

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GNOME 3 add minimize and restore buttons to windows

GNOME 3 by default shows only the “close” button on windows. You could add the other two (minimize and restore/maximize) manually:

• run yum install gconf-editor as root or install it via add/remove software and launch it when it’s ready
• navigate the menus through Desktop –> GNOME –> Shell –> Windows
• search for the button_layout entry and edit its value to :minimize,maximize,close (colon included!)
• restart nautilus or log out and in again to see the changes take effect

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