Launchers

A launcher is an object that performs a specific action when you open it.

You can find launchers in the panels, in the panel menubar, and on the desktop. A launcher is represented by an icon in all of these locations.

You might use a launcher to do any of the following:

  • Start a particular application.
  • Execute a command.
  • Open a folder.
  • Open a Web browser at a particular page on the Web.
  • Open special Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). The GNOME Desktop contains special URIs that enable you to access particular functions from the file manager.

You can modify the properties of a launcher. For example, the properties of a launcher include the name of the launcher, the icon that represents the launcher, and how the launcher runs. For more on this, see Section 4.5.2 ― Modifying a Launcher.

In certain situations, a launcher in a menu might not show an icon. For example, if it specifies no icon to display, or if the entire menu is set to show no icons.

AppletsAdding a Launcher to a Panel