Re: [tlug] Create a direct command icon in Gnome

[Nick Hastings <mitsubishievo2@example.com>]

Hi Dave,

* Dave M G <dave@example.com> [090910 01:30]:
> 
> This seems like it should be a crazy-simple thing to do, but I can't
> find anything on the web.

The gnome documentation is pretty terrible if you want to do anything
more complicated than general mouse riding around the desktop. Try
looking in freedesktop.org and gnome lists/forums etc.

> I want to create an icon on my desktop that when clicked, runs the
> following command:
> 
> ssh -X computerB@example.com

Well that won't actually do much. I guess what you want to do is one of
two things: 1. Open a terminal emulator and ssh to that machine, or, 2.
run an x application on that machine. Either way you can achieve this by
creating a .desktop (eg foo.desktop) file and putting it in, or linking
it into ~/Desktop/

If 1. the file could look something like:

[Desktop Entry]
Exec=xterm -e ssh -X computerB@example.com
Type=Application

want to use gnome-terminal instead of xterm you need to do
things slightly differently since I don't think gnome-terminal has a
-e flag. In this case you should create an gnome terminal profile that
runs "ssh -X computerB@example.com". This can be done by right clicking
on a gnome-terminal, selecting "create new profile" and then adding the
"ssh -X foo@example.com" command in the field "custom command".  You would then
the Exec line in foo.desktop with: "Exec=gnome-terminal
--window-with-profile foo", assuimg that you have named your new profile
foo. If my instructions are a little vague, it's because it has been a
while since I ran gnome.

If 2., try something like

[Desktop Entry]                                 
Exec=ssh -X computerB@example.com someprogram
Type=Application

Have a look in /usr/share/applications/ for sample foo.desktop files.


If I remember correctly, according the the freeedesktop standards, if
you put foo.Desktop in ~/.local/share/applications/ this command
can be made available in various menus etc.

Good luck.

Nick.