Add Drive Shortcuts on Desktop in Ubuntu

[Akshay]

I dont c icons of windows partition (c:\, d:\, e:\, f:\) on my Ubuntu desktop unless I open dem once thru Places-Computer. How do I permanently make my drive icons to appear on my Ubuntu desktop?

My df -h =

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda7 4.4G 2.2G 2.0G 53% /
varrun 375M 228K 375M 1% /var/run
varlock 375M 4.0K 375M 1% /var/lock
procbususb 375M 120K 375M 1% /proc/bus/usb
udev 375M 120K 375M 1% /dev
devshm 375M 0 375M 0% /dev/shm
lrm 375M 33M 342M 9% /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/volatile
/dev/scd0 676M 676M 0 100% /media/cdrom0
/dev/sda3 8.6G 5.1G 3.6G 59% /media/LINUX
/dev/sda6 4.6G 18M 4.6G 1% /media/MISC
/dev/sda1 9.8G 7.5G 2.4G 77% /media/OS
/dev/sda5 5.1G 1.7G 3.4G 34% /media/PROGRAMS

[QwertyManiac]

Lets do this the geeky way

cd ~/Desktop
ln -s /media/OS C
ln -s /media/LINUX D
ln -s /media/PROGRAMS E
ln -s /media/MISC F

Paste this in your terminal and you must have 4 Links waiting for you on the Desktop

[amitava82]

I have easier way.
go to applications > system tools > configuration editor
navigate through Apps > Nautilus > Desktop
check "volumes_visible"
Done

[rakeshishere]

Too many Geeks around here

[Charan]

^^^ thats why Digit is so famous

[QwertyManiac]

Originally Posted by amitava82

I have easier way.
go to applications > system tools > configuration editor
navigate through Apps > Nautilus > Desktop
check "volumes_visible"
Done

Nice way, can be accessed via the terminal by:

gconf-editor

But that option's generally turned on by default for all, wonder how he wasn't getting the icons ..

[Akshay]

@amitava

I have easier way.
go to applications > system tools > configuration editor
navigate through Apps > Nautilus > Desktop
check "volumes_visible"
Done

I dont hav dat option - applications > system tools > configuration editor

@qwerty

gconf-editor

returned dis -

** (yelp:6196): WARNING **: AT_SPI_REGISTRY was not started at session startup.

** (yelp:6196): WARNING **: IOR not set.

** (yelp:6196): WARNING **: Could not locate registry

On trying again wit sudo gconf-editor, Configuration Editor opened & I navigated to -

/desktop/gnome/volume_manager. The autodrive option was already selected but my drives r not displayed unless I access dem once thru Places.

SCREENSHOT



@qwerty

cd ~/Desktop
ln -s /media/OS C
ln -s /media/LINUX D
ln -s /media/PROGRAMS E
ln -s /media/MISC F

returns -

akshay@AAG:~$ sudo ln -s /media/LINUX D
Password:
ln: creating symbolic link `D/LINUX' to `/media/LINUX': Operation not permitted
akshay@AAG:~$ sudo ln -s /media/OS C
ln: creating symbolic link `C' to `/media/OS': File exists
akshay@AAG:~$ sudo ln -s /media/MISC F
ln: creating symbolic link `F' to `/media/MISC': File exists
akshay@AAG:~$ sudo ln -s /media/PROGRAMS E
ln: creating symbolic link `E' to `/media/PROGRAMS': File exists

Rite now my desktop has only LINUX link.

[cynosure]

cd ~/Desktop
ln -s /dev/sda3 C
ln -s /dev/sda6 D
ln -s /dev/sda1 E
ln -s /dev/sda5 F

This should do the job.

[anantkhaitan]

@Akshay
No need of 'sudo' dear.. neither for 'gconf-editor' nor for 'ln'

[QwertyManiac]

Originally Posted by cynosure

cd ~/Desktop
ln -s /dev/sda3 C
ln -s /dev/sda6 D
ln -s /dev/sda1 E
ln -s /dev/sda5 F

This should do the job.

No, it won't. It links to the device file instead!

And yes, anantkhaitan is right Akshay. No sudo!

[Akshay]

Originally Posted by cynosure

cd ~/Desktop
ln -s /dev/sda3 C
ln -s /dev/sda6 D
ln -s /dev/sda1 E
ln -s /dev/sda5 F

This should do the job.

Icon is created on d desktop. On clicking it, it returns -

Cannot open /home/akshay/Desktop/E:
No application is known for this kind of file.

Still not able to get drive shortcuts on d desktop...

[QwertyManiac]

Sigh, lets do it the normal way

Right click on desktop, select Create Launcher...

In the dialog box that appears, choose File from the drop-down menu.

In Name, give anything you like, like C or D or whatever.

In Location, enter the /media/* mount point, like /media/OS and so on..

Comment is optional .. Enter whatever you like.

Screenshot for your C:\

[Akshay]

@Qwerty

The link appears n wrks only if I access my C: once from Places. I tried d same wit My Documents on C: but dat didnt wrk at all.

Phew! Finally got a way 2 do it - Let me knw if it is a rite thing to do coz its wrkg 4 me rite now -

1. I entered

sudo fdisk -l

which returned -

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1275 10241406 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2 1276 3142 14996677+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 3750 4863 8948205 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda5 1276 1936 5309451 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6 2551 3142 4755208+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda7 * 1937 2516 4658818+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 2517 2550 273073+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Then I entered -

sudo umount /dev/sda1
sudo umount /dev/sda3
sudo umount /dev/sda5
sudo umount /dev/sda6
sudo mkdir /fat_files
sudo mkdir /fat_files1
sudo mkdir /fat_files2
sudo mkdir /fat_files3

then -

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab_backup

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Thr I added these lines -

/dev/sda1 /fat_files vfat iocharset=utf8,umask=000 00
/dev/sda3 /fat_files1 vfat iocharset=utf8,umask=000 00
/dev/sda5 /fat_files2 vfat iocharset=utf8,umask=000 00
/dev/sda6 /fat_files3 vfat iocharset=utf8,umask=000 00

Finally

sudo mount -a

I hav no exact idea wht these cmnds did 4 me bt I edited n used d commands frm this source

[QwertyManiac]

Oh, usually Ubuntu adds entries to the FSTAB by themselves. I was wondering what went wrong at your end. What you've done is actually, enable auto mounting at every boot up. Now your drive volume icons would show up automatically. It might be because you are still using Fat32. Bug probably. Anyway, good to know its fixed

[Akshay]

Oh well reboot made all d icons disappear! So den used ur instructions in post 12 but replaced /media wit /fat_files.

[QwertyManiac]

Hmm, the gconf-editor's trick must have worked here! I don't understand why it isn't showing the mounted volumes if the options' turned on. Are your icons fine now? Works fine right?

[Akshay]

I rebooted my laptop n all d icons do appear properly. Evn managed to get My Documents on Desktop.. Aftr formating n reinstallation of Ubuntu, wil I hav to go thru all dis again?

[QwertyManiac]

Hopefully not! Ubuntu auto-mounts your Windows Partitions and even while installing it shows you how Windows partitions will be mounted and where. Be sure you don't un-check them off there, else yeah you'll have to add it manually to the FSTAB

[Akshay]

Thnx 4 ur help qwerty... It is coz of supporters like u, praka n odrs dat Ubuntu is easier for non-linux ppl...

[Vivek788]

oh boy so many replies..great

so using 'ln' command is the CLI solution?

[Akshay]

@vivek

Post no.12 n 13 wrkd 4 me. But if u r facing d same prb., u rathr start wit post no.2

[QwertyManiac]

ln is the easiest way to me, than the gui launcher thing