Hi,
I have a recent install Leap 42.3 + MATE.
I have the Menu Bar with Applications-Places-System. I’d like to organise the menus as for example System menu has so many items it is higher than the screen.
I tried with “Edit menus”(mozo) but I can’t understand the behaviour, as items are copied in the Other menu.
Moreover, lot of files are created in ~/.config/menus and ~/.local/share/applications
My questions:
How can I reset to the original layout and start over?
Do you have a link where I could understand how menu editor works? and the different files and locations
MATE says there is another editor “menulibre” better the Mozo. Is it available for Leap 42.3? https://smdavis.us/projects/menulibre/
After setting as I like, is it possible to backup it?
I have a “revert” button that promises to restore the default installed configuration
At least for me, everything makes sense to me. Perhaps if you asked a specific question with possible screenshots, any question you might have might be answered (or maybe we’ll see your situation more clearly)
Otherwise, a Google search returns the following from someone who also is trying to remove items. http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?t=6883
Menulibre can be installed from various private openSUSE repos. Don’t know how well it works but if it works for so many other Desktops, it’s interesting since nothing good really exists for example in LXDE/LXQt (and the most commonly recommended 3rd party party menu editor corrupts) Recommend you back up your system before using this. https://software.opensuse.org/package/menulibre?search_term=menulibre
Probably can be backed up, but requires verifying the architecture. If it shares the same gnome menu layout as LXDE(suggested if libremenu works for both LXDE and MATE), you’ll need to copy the entire tree containing the various menu files. I described some of this in my write-up for LXDE menu editing at the following link https://en.opensuse.org/User:Tsu2/LXDE-Main_Menu
I don’t know for sure, but what works for you may also be related to how you installed your MATE, so for instance if you added MATE after installing KDE I wouldn’t know what is in your system.
IMO there are only 2 ways to install MATE correctly…
Add MATE to a system where the previous (likely first) installed Desktop has a gnome sub-systtem, which can be either Gnome or a lightweight Desktop like XFCE. IMO only these Desktops can provide a proper foundation for MATE.
Install MATE as the first and possibly only Desktop. Since MATE is not available by default in openSUSE install media, you <must> enable online repositories during the initial system installation to then be offered the necessary MATE installation patterns… Yes, there are more than one pattern you need to install.
Thank you tsu2 for your answer.
My point is: There are 2 ways to configure Mate menu; with a GUI app or manually.
GUI:
Edit menu app (click right on the menu) has a behaviour I don’t understand and I am not the only one. See
[https://answers.launchpad.net/menulibre/+question/248817](http://Thank you tsu2 for your answer. My point is: There are 2 ways to configure Mate menu; with a GUI app or manually. GUI: Edit menu app (click right on the menu) has a behaviour I don’t understand and I am not the only one. See[https://answers.launchpad.net/menulibre/+question/248817
For example when an item is deleted, the item in fact is moved in the “other” menu.
I deleted undo files in ~/.config/menus/ and reboot. MATE menu works fine.
I installed menulibre from your link, and did some test yesterday.
At first conf files are /usr/share/applications/name.desktop
After saving, a copy with some modification and parameters added is in ~/.local/share/applications/ and a new file is created ~/.config/menus/Applications.menu
This last file describes all the menus and sub-menus structure.
Today when starting Menulibre, it fail to get the “prefix”, config. I’ll try to investigate further.
Manual:
I found the following directories imply in the menu setting:
/usr/share/applications/
Looks to be the list of all application desktop conf file. Nothing in the files related to the position in the menu
/usr/share/desktop-directories/
Looks like something to change language. Nothing in the files related to the position in the menu
~/.local/share/applications/
In this directory I have only wine config app and wine app. Nothing in the files related to the position in the menu
If mate-applications.menu does not exist in ~/.config/menus, you see the system-wide menu from /etc/xdg/menus.
*.undo-NN files can be safely deleted.
I’ll try that These file looks to be a backup system as it’s increment every time there is a change in the place of the item.
I spend few hours trying to understand how menulibre is working… unsuccessfully.
This application is, maybe, good to add item but is for sure not good to place the items in a different tree.
In the left pan, the item are sorted by categories and sub-categories, not like in the menu itself.
Example: Graphic and sub :3D, Image Editing, Photography, Scanning, Viewer
Internet and sub Admin, chat, Dial-up, Ham Radio, Telephone, Usenet, Web Brother, Web page Creation
For example I want to move Nvidia driver next to Display:
Fist there is no link between the name of the categories and the real place in the menu. I had to find and hadd 3 categories to move the item in the same place the Display. I one is missing, the item doesn’t move.
Moreover, now menulibre can’t find the config at start, last time I had to delete files in 3 directories.
So, my advice: AVOID menulibre.
This is how mozo looks on my system, you should see similar.
You’ll notice I’m not <deleting> any entries, only <unchecking> items so they still exist but are not displayed.
All works as expected, am not seeing unusual behavior.
The default mozo editor, In my case I simply typed “mozo” into the search input field and clicked on the result
Display the default contents of “other” folder. When I uncheck YaST modules in the next screenshot after this one, the contents of this “other” folder does not change
The result (immediate, does not even require closing mozo) is that the unchecked items disappear from the application menu.
If your mozo doesn’t display same as what I posted,
Then you may need to describe how you installed your system, and if it’s differently than what is in my first post.
My mozo looks very similar to your. It’s working well.
I say it’s hard to understand because first there is no user manual and because I didn’t expect some behaviours.
For example, Menu, System, Administration has a very long items list. I’d like to structure with sub-menus; Network, Software, Hardware, User, Printing.
I created the sub-menus and moved the items in. But items are not moved instead they are copied. So I did and deleted the one I don’t need. But delete is in fact move to “Other menu”. “Other menu” is used like the bin when I delete in Caja (Nautilus).
As I don’t want Other menu, I have to untick every item.
But there is at least one exception. Delete “About me” item is a real delete!?
Last is to know what directories and files I have to backup to keep my settings. No documentation. So maybe the directories in /home/user/,
~/.config/menus/
~/.local/share/desktop-directories/
~/.local/share/applications/
but I am not sure.
Now I a fine with my setting.
Thank you for you help