Gnome: how put launcher/directory shortcuts as default/mandatory for all computer users?

Frantisek Hanzlik franta at hanzlici.cz
Tue Nov 9 14:38:16 UTC 2010


please, can someone suggest how is possible add launcher or directory shortcuts/icons at desktop area, as default or mandatory, for all users, who has/will have account at given PC?

Some as icons for computer/trash/homedir are - but it seems they are some sort of special cases.
Gnome SAG has nothing about it (I think), some googling was unsuccessful (maybe i can't form right question, ouch my terrible language skills ;).

For now i'v solved it as symlinks from user's ~/Desktop/ dirs to .desktop files in central place:

  ln -s /central/dir/task.desktop /home/OneUser/Desktop/

for all users and all desired desktop items. But it's bad solution, as:
1) at icons are ugly symlink signs
2) when I create new user, i must create these symlinks for him
3) user can easily delete these symlinks, there isn't any "mandatory" use
4) maintaining these links maybe difficult, as desktop directory name is generally subject to each user national setting
5) at first glance it is weird, solving this with GConf will be probably optimal. Ever best-of-galaxy OSes with its "default" user is better solution than my this.

(for those which would like stone me for having icon bollocks on desktop - I like better almost clear desktop and start programs from menu or panel launchers. But in this case it concerns about PCs for nursery school, each with several tens or hunderts accounts (but only several of them will be actively used), and it is assumed that kids will have running mainly one program, and only several programs will be used frequently. Launchers for these programs I would like have at desktop, with large - easily clickable - icons).

tia, Franta Hanzlik


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