Can I add VueScan to the LXDE menus? (SOLVED)

[Howard]

Some time ago I purchased a lifetime (professional) copy of VueScan and have just installed the latest version onto my LXDE netbook.    Xsane works, but VueScan is better for me - it has a good OCR built in for example.  It's installed simply by unpacking a .tgz file, so it bypasses the usual synaptic process. The only way I can find to run it is to navigate to the VueScan folder and click on the VueScan application file, it seems to run OK so far.

Is there any way I can put it into the menus or onto the desktop for easier access?

By the way, I was searching to find out more about how LXDE menus are created and came across references to the "application's .desktop file on /usr/share/applications.  I couldn't see any files of this description in that folder, only applications themselves.  A full file search (locate as SU) didn't find them anywhere else either.  I presume all this has changed with the latest version?  

[Neal ManBear]

You will need to create a .desktop file for it. Look in /usr/share/applications for your .desktop files. Open a few of them and look them over to get an idea of how they are constructed.

When you are ready to create the file, right click in the directory and choose to create a new file. Give it the name VueScan.desktop or whatever you prefer. The extension .desktop must be used. (This part must be done while using the file manager in super user mode.)

[Howard]

Look in /usr/share/applications for your .desktop files. Open a few of them and look them over to get an idea of how they are constructed.

That's what I was trying to do, but I was confused as the .desktop extension does not appear on screen in the lists in PCmanFm as I have it set up.  All I get is an icon and the basic application name.  (Nor could I locate any files in that folder with a .desktop extension.) However, I find that they are listed as desktop configuration files under the detailed view, so I opened one with leafpad and can more or less see how they work.  The obvious thing is to edit a copy of the xsane file.  And I'll need to create an icon, which I think I can do.

However, there is a problem, the .desktop files assume that the program is properly registered somewhere and can be called up from the CLI by typing its name - this doesn't work with vuescan as all I did was to pour out the contents of the .tgz file into its folder in /usr/share/.  I can enter "xsane" and up it comes, but "vuescan" gets the "command not found" response.

I'd be interested to know how I can do this.

[Neal ManBear]

The .desktop files show as the icon used for the application. An example would be leafpad. Look for the green leaf that is the leafpad icon. When you find it, you will have found the .desktop file for leafpad. You can also right click an icon and choose Properties to get info.

[Howard]

A bit of lateral thinking from your superuser .desktop script in the other thread solved my exec problem, I just have to put the full path in.  Now to deal with the icon part.

[Neal ManBear]

If it doesn't have an icon, plenty are available at --
http://www.openclipart.org/browse

[Howard]

I made a new icon from a bmp file supplied by Vuescan, pointed to that and Bob's your Uncle - now in menu with its own icon.

Thanks Neal.  (I hope I can remember all this next time!)

[Neal ManBear]

Thanks Neal.  (I hope I can remember all this next time!)

Bookmark this thread.