# Add Drive Shortcuts on Desktop in Ubuntu



## Akshay (Jun 26, 2007)

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
> ...


----------



## QwertyManiac (Jun 26, 2007)

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 (Jun 27, 2007)

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


----------



## rakeshishere (Jun 27, 2007)

Too many Geeks around here


----------



## RCuber (Jun 27, 2007)

^^^ thats why Digit is so famous


----------



## QwertyManiac (Jun 27, 2007)

amitava82 said:
			
		

> 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 (Jun 27, 2007)

@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*

*img222.imageshack.us/img222/6049/screenshotconfigurationnx8.png

@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
> ...



Rite now my desktop has only LINUX link.


----------



## cynosure (Jun 27, 2007)

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 (Jun 27, 2007)

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


----------



## QwertyManiac (Jun 27, 2007)

cynosure said:
			
		

> cd ~/Desktop
> ln -s /dev/sda3 C
> ln -s /dev/sda6 D
> ln -s /dev/sda1 E
> ...


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

And yes, *anantkhaitan* is right *Akshay*. No sudo!


----------



## Akshay (Jun 28, 2007)

cynosure said:
			
		

> cd ~/Desktop
> ln -s /dev/sda3 C
> ln -s /dev/sda6 D
> ln -s /dev/sda1 E
> ...



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 (Jun 28, 2007)

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:\

*img215.imageshack.us/img215/38/screenshotcreatelauncheot0.png


----------



## Akshay (Jun 29, 2007)

@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
> 
> ...



Then I entered - 



> sudo umount /dev/sda1
> sudo umount /dev/sda3
> sudo umount /dev/sda5
> sudo umount /dev/sda6
> ...



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 (Jun 29, 2007)

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 (Jun 29, 2007)

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


----------



## QwertyManiac (Jun 29, 2007)

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 (Jun 30, 2007)

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 (Jun 30, 2007)

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 (Jun 30, 2007)

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


----------



## Vivek788 (Jul 2, 2007)

oh boy so many replies..great

so using 'ln' command is the CLI solution?


----------



## Akshay (Jul 2, 2007)

@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 (Jul 2, 2007)

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


----------

