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Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2022 5:46 pm
by smhardesty
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OK. I'm relatively new to using LXDE so all you LXDE gurus bear with me on this. I used LXDE many years ago, but just recently came back to it after seeing the software bloat in Mint XFCE. One of the things I was struggling with was doing some editing (add/remove/change) of Menu items. Call it Start menu, Main Menu, whatever. By accident, I found that it is possible to edit the Menu using PCManFM. Open the file manager, then Go>Applications. You can then add, remove, move, change, change the icon, etc, etc, for Menu items.

I expect most anybody that has used LXDE for any length of time probably already knows this, but I found it by accident and thought maybe some newer users would benefit from this little tidbit. Yes, I already have Ala Carte and MenuLibre installed, but there were a couple of things that I couldn't do using either of those. Both things were easily accomplished using PCManFM for the task.

Just a bit of help for new users. I'm learning and discovering things all the time now. LXDE may be different than other desktop environments and is definitely lighter, but I'm learning that there really aren't a lot of things that are completely impossible.
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Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 6:49 am
by drooly
I didn't know that actually.

But then I don't really use pcmanfm's xdg menu.

Generally for XDG menus:
Removing items (making them invisible) is a little tricky; adding new ones is as simple as dropping a properly formatted .desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications.

But hey, thanks, that's a useful hint.

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 2:16 pm
by smhardesty
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But hey, thanks, that's a useful hint.
No problem. I keep finding ways to do things by accident. LXDE is a lot more configurable than I first thought. Yes, it's a lot lighter than other DMs, but I'm finding it's not nearly as unfriendly as most people (me included) think. Combined with Openbox, I think it might be every bit as configurable and easy to use as XFCE.

My wife is using LXDE/Openbox on her laptop and she hasn't come to me with a single complaint. I think she has only asked me to make two changes to her configuration since I turned the laptop over to her. She's perfectly content and she is nowhere near computer savvy. She's not afraid of Linux like a lot of people are. I switched her to Linux somewhere around 15 years ago. Since that time, she has come to love her Linux laptop. She uses a Windows PC where she works and she'll come home regularly and complain about that PC locking up multiple times each day. She tells me she reboots that PC multiple times a day. I guess the message would be that if you're tired of your Windows computer crashing all the time, give Linux a look and for performance you might want to really consider a Linux distro with LXDE as the DM.
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Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2022 3:50 pm
by anderseninc
Hey, maybe I can help... LXDE is a great desktop environment for those who want something lightweight and easy to use. PCManFM is a great file manager for LXDE, and it supports editing the menu. To edit the menu, open PCManFM and select Edit-> Preferences. In the preferences window, select the Menu tab and make the changes you want. Save your changes and they will be applied to the LXDE menu.

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Mon May 08, 2023 2:41 am
by Mirandajoye
It helps me a lot

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 1:24 am
by kleasywe
What a fantastic ideabackrooms game The solution to my issue has been located.

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 2:21 pm
by donchriscoe
I use the program "main menu" or alacarte (sudo apt install alacarte). Works fine.

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 5:01 am
by mayomayo72218
i usually use pcmanfm's xdg menu. it still works perfectly fine
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Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 2:22 am
by JamieOhara321
The tips you provided were helpful to me. I appreciate it. wordle unlimited

Re: Editing Menu with PCManFM

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 3:01 am
by nutterbutternut
Removing items (making them invisible) is a little complicated; adding new ones is as simple as dropping a correctly prepared .desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications. snake io. If you're looking for a minimal and user-friendly desktop environment, LXDE is a fantastic choice. PCManFM is a wonderful file manager for LXDE, and it supports modifying the menu.