Create an "Invisible" desktop shortcut in Ubuntu

Using this instructable, you can create a hidden desktop shortcut with the judicious use of The Gimp, or some other full-featured editor.

Step 1 Choose your background

Odds are you have a favorite picture as your background. Once you've selected one, open the original file in the GIMP. We'll use this picture for the icon. Also, check your screen resolution (System-->Preferences-->Screen Resolution) and write down what you find (Mine is set to 1024x768). The screen resolution is only important if the image you use is bigger than your resolution. On my PC, the image size is 1920x1440, much larger than my screen resolution of 1024x768.

Comments

[scott-ian]

Why not just make a transparent image? No need to match the desktop background, and you can use the same image for multiple icons.

[sonicx059]

Thanks for the info! Going to start hiding a whole bunch of directories = )

[future-tinker]

Brilliant

[jj32x]

I like this idea. however i used transparency. here is a screenshot (im using ubuntu studios btw). basically where there the musical notes etc it links to the appropriate folder.

[stuffman]

I'm not sure I understand, can you explain further please? Shawn

[jeffconnelly]

doing what jj32x does would be better. he says that he uses a transparency, so if someone changes the background, the folder still can't be seen. It would also hide it (maybe) if some "helpfully" orgainizes your desktop automatically. Since in my version of Ubuntu it orgainises by name, i'm going to have to find out where " " (space) fits on the alphabet spectrum...

[jj32x]

it doesn't matter

[berky93]

this would be 10 times easier if instead of using part of the background as the icon you just used a completely alpha icon...

[Ramnosity]

What OS are you running?

[mikedoth]

That's Ubuntu Linux.

[Ramnosity]

oh alright, thanks

[Black Jelly]

just make a new folder, when it says new folder, meaning it wants you to rename it just hit alt+0160. then in the properties of the folder just choose one of the invisible icons!yay

[Andrew546]

Would it work to just make a transparent image? Do icons support transparency?

[zachninme]

Yeah, they do.

[stuffman]

I kind of hope not, otherwise my instructable is seriously unnecessary :0)

[threecheersfornick]

It's totally unnecessary... all you have to do is add a "dot" before the filename, and linux hides the file... you can find it again by opening a file browser, and setting the browser to "show hidden files".

[stuffman]

Wow, that's timely. I just created that instructable this morning. No kidding. Check it out, it has a monkey and will rock your face. LINK

[threecheersfornick]

Oh, ya... I followed the link from there to here to post about the uselessness of this one compared to that... didn't realize the same person wrote both, though! Good job with the munky.

[CameronSS]

It does on XP SP2, I know this because I just tried it. I created a 50x50 pixel image on the GIMP, erased everything, and saved it as a .ico file. I then set a desktop shortcut to use it as an icon, and the icon vanished. Don't know on Linux, my Ubuntu machine isn't up and running.

[Andrew546]

I just tried it too, on Vista, and the icon was transparent, but the little "shortcut arrow" was still there, and it wouldn't let me put no text... Hmmm.

[stuffman]

I've never actually tried it in Windows, because I've never found a way to get rid of the text. I know you can make the arrows go away with TweakUI (Maybe not in Vista, though).

[stuffman]

What about the text? How did you get the icon not to have text underneath?

[CameronSS]

I said the icon vanished, not the filename. Not sure if that's possible in XP. Didn't see a way to get rid of filenames in TweakUI. If I felt like making one, I'd probably just rename the shortcut "," or something.

[zachninme]

Its named " ", a solitary space ;-)

[CameronSS]

Not in XP.

[zachninme]

But this is how to do it in Ubuntu...

[bluenightweasel]

no, that dosent work in XP. to do it in XP, simply rename it, hold down alt, and press 0160 on your num pad and then hit enter.

[jj32x]

or if you are on a laptop and you don't have the numberpad open character map (start, then programs, then accessories, then system tools, then character map) then click advanced view. then where it says go to unincode: type 2000. then click select then copy. then go to the rename shortcut screen and press ctrl+v.

[bluenightweasel]

I think Fn + Alt + 0160 works also, that is if you have those little blue numbers on the letter keys of your laptop. Most of them do.But don't take my word for it, if I'm wrong let me know by all means =)

[jj32x]

I just discovered that just before you told me :-) but thanks anyway