Directory Entry Files To Configure Menus That Users Cannot Modify

Editing Menus

You use the following GNOME Desktop components to edit menus:

  • Nautilus file manager
  • Menus on panels

When you use the file manager to add menus or menu items for all users, you must add the menu or menu item to a URI location. Table 2-1 lists the menus to which you can add items, and the URI locations that correspond to the menus.

When you use panels to customize menus for all users, you use the menu item popup menu. For more information, see Working With Menus in the GNOME 2.6 Desktop User Guide.

You can also use menu configuration files and menu data files to customize menus.

2.6.1. Adding Menus

You can add menus for all users in the following ways:

  • Use the file manager.
  • Modify the menu configuration files and menu data files.

2.6.1.1. To Add a Menu Using the File Manager

To add a menu for all users, perform the following steps:

  1. In a file manager window, access the location where you want to add the menu. For example, to add a menu to the Applications menu, type applications-all-users:/// in the Location field, then press Return.
  2. Choose File ▸ New Folder. An untitled folder is added to the view pane. The name of the folder is selected.
  3. Type a name for the folder, then press Return. The vfolder information file for the location that you accessed in step 1 is automatically updated with the details of the new menu. The name of the folder is displayed as the name of the menu.

The next time that users log in, the menu is in the assigned location.

2.6.1.2. To Add a Menu Using Menu Files

To add a menu for all users, perform the following steps:

  1. Create a directory entry file for the item that you want to add. Create the directory entry file in the /usr/share/gnome/vfolders directory. For more information on directory entry files, see Section 2.5 ― Directory Entry Files.
  2. Locate the vfolder information file for the location where you want to add the menu. For example, to add a menu to the Applications menu, locate the file /etc/gnome-vfs-2.0/vfolders/applications-all-users.vfolder-info.
  3. In the vfolder information file, add a <Folder> element for the new menu. For more information on vfolder information files, see Section 2.3 ― Vfolders and Menus.

The next time that users log in, the menu is in the assigned location.

2.6.2. To Add an Item to a Menu

To add an item to a menu for all users, perform the following steps:

  1. Create a desktop entry file for the item that you want to add. For more information on desktop entry files, see Section 2.4 ― Desktop Entry Files.

  2. Open a file manager window. Choose File ▸ New Window to open a second file manager window.

  3. In one window, access the location where you want to add the menu item. For example, to add a menu item to the Preferences menu, type preferences-all-users:/// in the Location field, then press Return.

  4. In the other window, select the desktop entry file that you created for the menu item. Drag the desktop entry file to the location where you want to add the menu item.

    Alternatively, you can copy the desktop entry file, then paste the file into the location where you want to add the menu item.

The next time that users log in, the menu item is in the assigned location.

2.6.3. To Edit the Properties of a Menu

To edit the properties of a menu for all users, perform the following steps:

  1. From a panel, open the menu that you want to edit. Right-click on any item in the menu.
  2. Choose Entire menu ▸ Properties. A Launcher Properties dialog is displayed.
  3. Modify the properties of the menu in the Launcher Properties dialog. For more information on the elements in the Launcher Properties dialog, see Working With Panels in the GNOME 2.6 Desktop User Guide.
  4. Click OK.

2.6.4. To Edit a Menu Item

To edit a menu item, perform the following steps:

  1. From a panel, open the menu that contains the item that you want to edit. Right-click on the item that you want to edit.
  2. Choose Properties. A Launcher Properties dialog is displayed.
  3. Modify the properties of the menu item in the Launcher Properties dialog. For more information on the elements in the Launcher Properties dialog, see Working With Panels in the GNOME 2.6 Desktop User Guide.
  4. Click OK.

2.6.5. To Delete an Item from a Menu

To delete an item from a menu, from a panel, open the menu that contains the item that you want to delete. Right-click on the item that you want to delete. Choose Remove this item.

The next time that users log in, the menu item is not displayed in the menu.

Directory Entry Files To Configure Menus That Users Cannot Modify