Creating Quick Launchers in Lubuntu

Lubuntu, a lightweight Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, is known for its speed and efficiency. One of the features that contributes to its user-friendliness is the ability to create quick launchers for frequently used applications. In this article, we’ll delve into the process of creating quick launchers in Lubuntu, exploring various methods and providing step-by-step instructions.

Using lxshortcut Command

The lxshortcut command is a handy tool for creating quick launchers in Lubuntu. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open a terminal. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or by navigating to the menu and selecting Terminal.
2. Run the following command: lxshortcut -o ~/Desktop/myLauncher. The -o option stands for output, and ~/Desktop/myLauncher specifies the location and name of the launcher. You can replace myLauncher with the name of your choice.
3. A dialog box will appear. Here, you can choose the path to the application or enter a command to run.
4. Optionally, select an icon for the launcher. This will make it easier to identify on your desktop.
5. Click ‘OK’ to create the launcher.

Note: In Lubuntu 20, you may need to rename the file to “myLauncher.desktop” and add a “Terminal=true” line inside the file if launching a shell script.

Using PCManFM File Manager

PCManFM is the default file manager in Lubuntu. You can use it to create quick launchers as follows:

1. Open PCManFM and navigate to the file you want to create a launcher for.
2. Go to the command panel and choose “Edit” -> “Create Link…”.
3. In the dialog box that appears, select the destination folder for the launcher and give it a name.
4. Click ‘OK’ to create the launcher.

Using menulibre Package

The menulibre package is a powerful tool for managing menus and launchers in Linux. Here’s how to use it in Lubuntu:

1. Open a terminal and install menulibre using the command: sudo apt-get install menulibre. The sudo command runs the following command with root privileges, apt-get is the package handling utility in Ubuntu, and install is the command to install a package.
2. Once installed, open menulibre by typing menulibre in the terminal.
3. In the menulibre interface, you can create a new launcher in the application menu. This launcher can be added to the panel if needed.

Creating a Symlink

A symlink, or symbolic link, is a file that points to another file or directory. You can create a symlink to a program to use as a quick launcher.

1. Open a terminal and create a symlink to the program you want to launch. For example: sudo ln -s /opt/android-studio/bin/studio.sh /usr/bin/android-studio. The ln -s command creates a symbolic link, /opt/android-studio/bin/studio.sh is the path to the original file, and /usr/bin/android-studio is the path where the symlink will be created.
2. Make sure the file is executable by running: chmod a+x /opt/android-studio/bin/studio.sh. The chmod a+x command changes the permissions of the file to make it executable.
3. Now, you can use the quick launcher by pressing Alt + F2 and typing the name of the program.

In conclusion, Lubuntu provides several ways to create quick launchers for your most frequently used applications. Whether you prefer using commands, the file manager, or a dedicated package like menulibre, you can easily customize your Lubuntu environment to suit your needs.