Adding to the Main Menu under LXDE

[Forester]

Hi,

I've tried adding a new item to the Programming group of the Main Menu under LXDE.

I selected the Main Menu (editor) item from the Preferences group of the Main Menu itself. I filled in the correct information, including selecting an icon file. However the new menu item does not appear as an entry in the Programming Group of the (real) Main Menu.

I've rebooted and it still does not appear in the (real) Main Meny but if I start the Main Menu (editor) again, the entry is there.

What am I missing ? What should I try next ?

[utu]

I would like to know as well.
The reference below says there's no graphical way to do it.
Whether that's the last word or not, I don't know.

http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Main_Menu

Let us know how you solve this.

[Werner P. Schulz]

I selected the Main Menu (editor) item from the Preferences group of the Main Menu itself.

This is the menueditor "alacarte"; he is only designed for editing Gnome-menu, not LXDE-menu.

Create a new entry in '/boot/grub/menu.lst' of your HD-installation and append at kernel-line "desktop=gnome".

Boot Gnome Desktop! Now all changes made with "alacarte" will be permanent in Gnome-menu (not in LXDE-Menu!).

Greetings Werner * http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/summary.html
Own Rescue-CD with Knoppix (Knoppix V6.4.4 remaster)

[Forester]

Let us know how you solve this.

Moi ? Mess around with XML files in hidden directories with a text editor ? I haven't had so much fun since I tried to configure an xfce desktop back in the days when I used Horrible Hog (or was it Hardly Horrendous ? I forget, gladly).

The Main Menu editor deposits a little file with a Spanish name in ./local/share/applications and references it from .config/menus/gnome-applications.menu, which might work for a gnome desktop but dunt work for lxde.

A copy the Spannish desktop file in ~/Desktop gave me a nice desktop icon with the correct name and iconic representation. So that might do except its usually hidden behind some window or other.

I managed to patch it into the "Application Launch Bar" "Panel Applet", which is much more satisfactory, but not by doing it "graphically" - that use of the word isn't in my English dictionary: I prefer the terms "wimpingly" or "gooeyly".

I did it by editing .config/lxpanel/LXDE/panels/panel (this is a structured file but it's not XML). In the Plugin block with type lanuchbar (I feel hungrier already), I added the subblock:

Button {
    id=/absolute/path/of/spanish/desktop/file
}

Naturally I renamed the desktop file first just in case I ever add another application (which seems unlikely now that I know just how easy this is).

I had to make one minor adjustment to the desktop file itself. On the desktop, the Name[us] and Icon[us] entries are honoured but in the lunch bar the Name[us] and the Icon entries are honoured. You say potato and I say potato and all that.

As for the Main Menu itself, I'm flummoxed. I have, in the past, done this by hand for the gnome, kde and xfce desktops but I can't find where the lxde main menu comes from or goes to.

Me thinks some brave soul might like to boot the Knoppix iso, take a snapshot of KNOPPIX-DATA, uninstall some hapless app, take another snapshot, compare the snapshots and so reverse engineer the problem.

Anyway, utu, thanks for the encouragement to get this far.

[mcicak]

I started a project called lxmed. The project is written in Java and it's main goal is to provide a gui tool for customizing your Main Menu in LXDE. The work is still in beta, any suggestions are appreciated.

[Forester]

I started a project called lxmed. The project is written in Java and it's main goal is to provide a gui tool for customizing your Main Menu in LXDE. The work is still in beta, any suggestions are appreciated.

Hi McIcak and welcome to the Knoppix forums.

So where is your project ? Source forge ? I'm sure utu would love to down load it and take it for a spin.

[mcicak]

Yes it's on sourceforge. You can find it by typing lxmed in sourceforge or google. Or you can follow this link. It is still in beta. It has a few unfinished stuff, buy you get the idea what it looks like.

[dinosoep]

I have a very simple menu editor installed, but you can only hide and show items
let me know if you want to know the name, I'll try and find it

[Werner P. Schulz]

... be aware: Gnome-desktop is only available with Knoppix-DVD not -CD!

Greetings Werner * http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/summary.html
Own Rescue-CD with Knoppix (Knoppix V6.4.4 remaster)