How do I run the program I installed thru Synaptic?

[moeburn]

I just installed Nautilus because the file manager that Lubuntu came with couldn't do SAMBA network shares. So I fired up Synaptic Package Manager, installed Nautilus, and it finished.  But there's no "open" button in Synaptic, Nautilus didn't show up anywhere in my "start menu" or desktop, where can I find it/how do I run it?

[Karl L.]

If LXDE uses desktop launchers, which I am not sure is the case, you should have a "File Manager" or "Nautilus" shortcut in your menu. Otherwise you can always launch it from terminal by typing nautilus.

 

Also, you may need smbclient installed to access network shares via SAMBA. It is a very common prerequisite that is often suggested rather than recommended, meaning that apt-get, aptitude, and Synaptic do not install it by default with all software packages that could optionally make use of it.

 

Edit: I just checked the Nautilus 3.4.2 package in Debian. It installs a launcher that identifies Nautilus as "File Manager" in your menu. However the launcher also restricts it from showing in any desktop environment other than GNOME and Unity. You need to add LXDE to that list so the launcher for Nautilus shows in your DE. Run the following command to add LXDE to the "OnlyShowIn" line in your /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop:

 

sudo sed -ri 's|(OnlyShowIn[\S]*=[\S]*([A-Za-z]+;)+)|\1LXDE;|' /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop

Edit 2: According to the project's official wiki LXDE does support the desktop launcher convention. Nautilus should appear in your menu once you make the change I described above.

Edited July 18, 2013 by xorangekiller

[moeburn]

Okay, but what about VLC?  Same thing when I installed that; no way of opening it from Synaptic, no new icon in the desktop, and no shortcut in the start menu.  I had to make my own shortcut on the desktop to run VLC, but that just has an ugly placeholder icon of a gearcog.  Am I going to have to do this for every program I install?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

You do not run it from Synaptics. It is a installer/uninstaller/repairer

 

If you want to do it from terminal, just type its name, as vlc, nautilus, etc.

 

It should show up in the "start bar". I'm not that familiar with LDE, and its inner workings, but it should have a category in which it places it in, like good ol' Gnome.

 

But, to make your own icon, on the window where you create the shortcut, and it shows that picture on the left, click it, you can set it to whatever icon you want.

 

If you want to do it from terminal, this is an easy way to do it: http://pmsolfestsblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-create-minecraft-desktop.html

 

That is for minecraft, but it can be used for anything.

[Circaflex]

VLC should be in the menus

if you are in doubt, you should be able to start your program from ALT+F2 or the terminal, just type it's name. for instance, to start vlc you could just do ALT+F2 and type vlc, or open a terminal and type vlc.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Almost every program you install should have an icon in your menus...

[Karl L.]

Did my instructions work for Nautilus? If so, you should have no problems with VLC. Its launcher does not need any modifications because it does not have an "OnlyShowIn" stipulation like Nautilus. It is available in "Applications->Sound & Video->VLC media player" in MATE. LXDE should present you with a similar menu hierarchy.

[corrosive23]

Go to Menu --> Accessories --> File Manager --> right click, and choose properties, Change pcmafm to nautilus.

 

However that only changes the application that will be opened by the shortcut "file manager". It does not make nautilus the "default file manager" in the proper sense: Opening a folder on the desktop, or opening a file location from an application would not open nautilus, but still pcmanfm.

 

Change the contents of /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart as shown below.

From

@xscreensaver -no-splash@setxkbmap -option grp:switch,grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll us,ar@lxpanel --profile LXDE@pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE @/usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1

To

@xscreensaver -no-splash@setxkbmap -option grp:switch,grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll us,ar@lxpanel --profile LXDE@/usr/bin/nautilus -n@/usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1

[moeburn]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

You do not run it from Synaptics. It is a installer/uninstaller/repairer

 

Granted that linux package managers were invented first, but every other package manager I've ever used (Google Play/apk, Apple Store, Windows App store) lets you install/uninstall/update AND run.  Cause it makes sense that way.

 

But unfortunately it seems the LXDE environment doesn't automatically create shortcuts for anything.  Its start menu doesn't have an 'all programs' menu, they are grouped into things like "Games", "Internet", "Office", "Video" etc.  So it would have to know where to group it to automatically add it.  But no, VLC didn't show up under "video" after I installed it.

 

Do I have to make my own shortcut for everything I install, or is there an easy way of automating that?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Guess what? This installer is neither of those. Linux NEVER had a run option from its installer. Get that in your head.

[moeburn]

Guess what? This installer is neither of those. Linux NEVER had a run option from its installer. Get that in your head.

 

The installer is neither of what?  I listed some package managers.  Synaptic isn't a package manager?  I never said Linux Synaptic had a run option from its installer.  I said I'm used to other installers having them, and it seems like a pretty basic feature to include.  Get that through your head.

 

I'm sorry I hurt your fragile ego somehow, but you can take your jerky attitude elsewhere.  There's no point at all to a response like that.

[Circaflex]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

 

Granted that linux package managers were invented first, but every other package manager I've ever used (Google Play/apk, Apple Store, Windows App store) lets you install/uninstall/update AND run.  Cause it makes sense that way.

 

But unfortunately it seems the LXDE environment doesn't automatically create shortcuts for anything.  Its start menu doesn't have an 'all programs' menu, they are grouped into things like "Games", "Internet", "Office", "Video" etc.  So it would have to know where to group it to automatically add it.  But no, VLC didn't show up under "video" after I installed it.

 

Do I have to make my own shortcut for everything I install, or is there an easy way of automating that?

no, unless you are doing something wrong. did you check under entertainment or multimedia for vlc? its somewhere in the menu

 

 

I really hope a mod takes notice of your posts and topics, each i have seen over the last few days results in you arguing with another poster, lets all just relax

[moeburn]

no, unless you are doing something wrong. did you check under entertainment or multimedia for vlc? its somewhere in the menu

 

 

I really hope a mod takes notice of your posts and topics, each i have seen over the last few days results in you arguing with another poster, lets all just relax

 

A quick reboot and VLC showed up in the Video menu.  But unless I had known where to look, I would have had to look in every menu.  And I hope I don't have to reboot after every time I install something.  The only way of listing ALL recently installed programs is with Synaptic, but for some reason, no one thought it was important to code a "run" command in it.  And I've yet to find an easy way of making desktop shortcuts without placeholder icons.

 

I seem to attract the bumholes.  But for the record, I never start an argument.  People just seem to like throwing insults at me, either because of the way I sound, or because they just can't stand being disagreed with.  I think if you read through this thread, you'll see my posts consisted of "Thanks for the advice, everyone!" and his post consisted of "Get this through your head!".  I'm not sure why you're telling a mod to watch me, since you're one of the offenders.

[Circaflex]

"But unless I had known where to look" how is that any different than looking in a start menu? it seems logical to me to search the menus after i install something, i dont understand why it was so hard?

[moeburn]

Would someone like to explain to me wtf happened to all the posts in this thread?  If a mod deleted them, shouldn't there be a message to that fact somewhere?  And why delete only the second half of the thread, and not the whole thing?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

If you have a problem with something, why don't you PM a mod instead of complaining?

[ViperAFK]

I just installed Nautilus because the file manager that Lubuntu came with couldn't do SAMBA network shares. So I fired up Synaptic Package Manager, installed Nautilus, and it finished.  But there's no "open" button in Synaptic, Nautilus didn't show up anywhere in my "start menu" or desktop, where can I find it/how do I run it?

Nautilus will just be called "Files" in your applications menu. nautilus is the name of the package, but in recent releases the nautilus developers renamed it to "files", and "files" is what nautilus refers to itself as as the application name in your app menu.

[Karl L.]

Would someone like to explain to me wtf happened to all the posts in this thread?  If a mod deleted them, shouldn't there be a message to that fact somewhere?  And why delete only the second half of the thread, and not the whole thing?

I noticed that too. Between this thread and the other one I commented in 3 or 4 times last night, all of those posts seem to be gone. It's a little annoying because I remember thinking that there was some good discussion unfolding (especially after Marshall cleaned this thread), but I have such a terrible memory that I don't even remember what I wrote, so it is probably gone for good. The most probable explanation is that the data loss has something to do with the database server migration Neobond wrote about in an announcements thread this morning.