GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 152779
Creating directory shortcuts on desktop is a pain in the bum
Last modified: 2004-12-22 21:47:04 UTC
Creating a new "Home" shortcut on the desktop (in case you lost the original) is a pain in the bum. Trying to drag-n-drop or cntrol-dnd or shift-dnd from nautilus to desktop, it just tells you that you are not allowed to move that folder, while all I want is a darn shortcut. I have to use the "Create Launcher" dialog, and when I tell it that this is a "Directory", and then try to launch the new icon, it tells me that such a folder doesn't exist, or something. I have to tell it load "nautilus /home/eugenia" and place the type as "Application" to make the damn thing to work. Creating a shortcut on the desktop should be an easy process, a Drag-n-drop that asks you if you want to copy, move or link. Currently IT IS NOT and this operation is one of the most BASIC forms of a file manager's operations. And Nautilus lacks it.
Why don't you drag the icon with the middle-button ? You then get a menu letting you select between move/copy/link.
And why don't the modifiers work? (shift, control or alt) The third mouse button is a REALLY OBSCURE way to be discoverable.
I've just checked in nautilus help. In section 7.9.1 ("Drag-n-drop in the file manager"), it states : Create a symbolic link to an item Grab the item, then press-and-hold Ctrl+Shift. Drag the item to the location where you want the symbolic link to reside. Note that you can also get the selection menu by beginning a drag, and then holding ALT and dropping. If you hold ALT first, the key press is grabbed by metacity and it moves the window. This is also correctly referenced into nautilus help : Ask what to do with the item you drag Grab the item, then press-and-hold Alt. Drag the item to the location where you want the item to reside. Release the mouse button. A popup menu appears. [...]
What will actually happen when you drop the item is made clear by the mouse pointer (begin to drag an icon, then use the modifiers). To be honest, I was not aware of this either. I guess it makes sense if we consider metacity grabs all keystrokes.
Look. All filemanagers of the world that people are used to, work a certain way, and up to a level, I expect nautilus to work the same way. Why do I have to do SHFT+CNTRL+DnD? Why can't I do CNTRL+DnD and have SHFT+DnD and ALT+DnD for move/copy/link and maybe use the existing SHFT+CNTRL+DnD for the context menu itself?
If Metacity grabs all these modifiers (I think that only grabs ALT by default? -- maybe Metacity should change then), then create a context menu when someone tries to DnD. Like Konqueror does it. That way everyone is happy.
I understand your concerns, but I was merely trying to explain the way nautilus currently works. I personally have zero control over this. I guess you could explain your suggestions on the nautilus mailing list, as nautilus developers are usually flooded with bug reports and tend to ignore most of them.
Ctrl is copy, shift is move, ctrl-shift is make link. Alt is query, i.e. open context menu, also availible on middle drag. Making links is also availible as "make link" in the menus.