How to create shortcuts to application on the desktop on Linux Mint 18 or up?

I want to create a shortcut to my program on the desktop on Linux Mint 18, but I simply can't find any ways to do this.

8 Answers

There are multiple ways to do this:

Method 1 (directories)

Go to the folder you want, right Click and select Make Link, then drag and drop it on the Desktop

Method 2

Find your application through the Linux Mint menu, right Click and press Add to Desktop

Method 3

Right click on the Desktop and press Create Launcher

The pop up window will ask you to either enter a terminal command that will launch it, or browse through the directories.

Method 4

Create a symlink

Note: To successfully create a symlink you have to provide the full path, otherwise you could get a broken link. Generally a symlink syntax is ln -s SOURCE DESTINATION.

You do not need to specify a filename in the DESTINATION, just where you need to place it

Or, even easier, just hold Ctrl+Alt+Shift and drag and drop your file/executable.

Unless they changed that from 17.3 to 18.x, but doubt it.

2

1. Launch Nautilus (the file manager).
2. In Nautilus, click on Computer.
3. From there, navigate to /usr/share/applications.
4. Find the icon of the program you want a shortcut for, click on it, and type Ctrl+C to copy.
5. In Nautilus, click on Desktop in the left pane.
6. Type Ctrl+V to copy the shortcut to the desktop.
7. Right-click your new shortcut, click Properties, click on the Permissions tab, and make sure that the Allow executing file as program box is ticked.
8. X out of the Properties dialog and also out of Nautilus.

Enjoy your new desktop shortcut!

3

from Linuxmint forum Creating shortcuts

In the file manager (Nemo) open the View menu > Extra Pane. Open the Desktop folder in one pane, and the source folder in the other pane. Click on the folder or file you want to symlink. Hold down SHIFT-CTRL and drag the folder to the other pane. A symlink will be magically created.

On Linux Mint 19, Linux Mint 20.

Open File Manager, navigate to the location (where file is located).

Hold Ctrl+Shift.

Drag and Drop to your Desktop.

All that is super fancy, a simple text file, go to properties, permissions, tick allow «executing file as program».

From now, simply by double clicking this file, the tasks will be performed. (bash!)

For example, this will launch Firefox, if installed.

#!/bin/bash
firefox

How cool is that?

Using Knoppix: drag & release app to desktop. A menu shows up...click on 'link here'

Sample for Firefox developer:

1- Create ~/.local/share/applications/firex-dev.desktop

2- paste:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=FirexFox Dev
Icon=/opt/firefox-dev/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
Exec= "/opt/firefox-dev/firefox"
Comment=Internet b for developer
Categories=Development;Internet;
Terminal=false
StartupWMClass=test

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