Where to find and start certain applications
I see that there are some applications (like gedit, which opens when I open a text file) that have a GUI, but are not listed under Accessories or any other category of applications.
Another example, I see that I have a package installed called "python-gnupginterface", a Python interface to GnuPG (GPG). But I don't see a way to find, open, and work with GPG.
1. So how do I find and open such applications that have GUI, are listed in Synaptic, but are not appearing in Accessories or in the other categories of applications, even when I look in System Settings/Main Menu?
2. And how do I find and open applications that do NOT have GUI? I know it will be somehow through the terminal, but that's as far as I can get...
I looked in the online documentation about this, but couldn't find an answer.
Thanks.
Click on the "Start" menu, (Trisquel Logo) then System Settings, then "Main Menu". Check the box next to the programs you want in the menu.
I did, but gedit and PGP, and I am sure other applications too, do not even appear in there. But I can see in Synaptic that they are installed and should be available, somewhere.
"2. And how do I find and open applications that do NOT have GUI? I know it will be somehow through the terminal, but that's as far as I can get..."
You type in the name of the program in the terminal. For example, open the Terminal and type nano to run the GNU nano text editor.
After you've installed package PACKAGENAME, you can use the following command to find the binaries (executables) it contains
dpkg -L PACKAGENAME|grep /bin/
Those might be GUI apps or not. If you omit the grep part (|grep /bin/), you'll see all files in the package. Looks like that python gpg package doesn't contain binaries but comes with a README. Point your favorite text editor to it, or try pointing the less command there.
Usually commands (executables) come with a manual page which you can access with
man COMMAND
(replace PACKAGENAME and COMMAND with actual names)
This worked with gedit, but not with gnome-utils.
To make it simple, for a new user like me, I'll focus my question on applications rather than packages. I updated and clarified my question in entry #8 below.
(This is meant to appear right after Entry#3 above)
How about other applications, like the "Python interface to GnuPG (GPG)"? I typed the name of the package (python-gnupginterface) in the terminal, but that didn't start the application GPG. Typing Abrowser's package name, which is abrowser, starts the browser, but others don't start when I type the package name (e.g., python-gnupginterface, indicator-datetime (supposed to start a simple clock), debianutils (supposed to start Debian utilities), etc.)
Click Start - Places - Search for Files - type the item name in the first line - you probably want to look in "File System" folder (second line) - from there you can do what you wish with files
Let me try to express my question a little better (and more accurately):
1. In Add/Remove Applications I can see all installed applications, including these two, for example: "gedit" and "GNOME Desktop Utilities".
2. Neither of these two shows up when I click Start/Accessories, or any other category of applications (Science, Internet, Office, etc.). So I go to System Settings/Main Menu, and try to find them there to check the box in front of them. But they're not listed there, so there is no box to check, like there is with some other applications, so I can't make them appear on the list of applications under Accessories or one of the other categories.
3. So how do I start such applications? I know I can start gedit by opening a text file, but there has to be a simple way to start any of the applications appearing in the Add/Remove Applications list. It would be nice to be able to start them by double-clicking them on the Add/Remove Applications list...
You want to add a custom launcher to the Alacarte menu (main menu).
Click the Trisquel icon in the lower left of the bottom panel. Click System Settings. Click Main Menu. Highlight the list in the left column where you would like to place your new launch icon. Click the + New Item in the right column. Type the name you wish to use. Click the Browse button. If you already searched the files as I explained in the previous comment above, the program you seek will be listed in the Recently Used items. Find and Click that program. Click Open. That window will close. Click on the icon in the upper left corner. Click the share button on the top row. Scroll until you find your program folder. Open that folder. Click the Logo folder. Select the icon pic. Close everything. Your new program launcher is now available in the start menu.
gedit *is* in accessories menu. It is called "Text Editor".
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The gui for pgp is called seahorse, and is listed as Passwords and Keys; You should see that in settings. If you'd like the Text Editor item to sey gedit, instead, you can do this in Main Menu.
Thanks!
I also seem to have found a directory from where I can start all applications, it is:
/usr/share/applications
Is there an easy way to create a shortcut to this location on the desktop or in the taskbar next to Abrowser's icon?
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Either Alt+Right click on the panel (if Metacity is your window manager) or Alt+Windows key+Right click on the panel (if Compiz is your window manager). That will give you a contextual menu that includes an entry to add "elements" to the panel. Click on: + Add to panel..
Choose (Click on) 'Custum Application Launcher'. Next on '+ Add'.
This wil give you a new window. Copy/paste in the field after Name: AppOverview
and in the field after Command: nautilus "/usr/share/applications"
Than close that window. A new icon appears on your panel.
Drag and drop that icon to your desktop. Thats all.
But, as said, why not using the "Start" menu, (Trisquel Logo) ??