Shortcuts on desktop do not work with ubuntu 17.10

How did you make the shortcut, please?
Which desktop environment are you using?
If you launch the application using the icon in Dash / Application menu does it run OK?
Has the shortcut ever worked?

I opened files. I navigated to the application. I right clicked and copied
the app icon. Then I pasted it to the desktop. When I click on the
shortcut nothing happens. If I click on the app icon in file. The app
starts up.

I am using the desktop that came with Ubuntu 17.10.

I looked up dash on the internet to find out what it is. I do not have
Dash on my computer.

Richard

What application are you wanting the shortcut to run, please?

What folder did you navigate to in order to copy the icon?

     I installed the Skype software. This is the shortcut that I wish to
create and run on my desktop. I went to the file, download, usr (the
extracted file for skype), share, skypeforlinux, skypeforlinux (an
executable file to start skype)

Richard

Right click the desktop and select New Launcher. Select the binary you run and an icon.

You should now be able to run this and launch Skype. If you copy the file to /usr/share/applications it will appear in the application search

What is the output of:

lsb_release -a; uname -a; apt-cache policy skype

Thanks

I right click the desktop and there is no option for New Launcher.

Also, there is no output to lsb_release -a; uname -a; apt-cache policy
skype in the command line.

Richard

     I opened up a terminal by right clicking the desktop and I typed in
the command you gave me and the answer was the version of ubuntu that I
have and that there is no skype installed even though I installed it and I
can run it throught file,downloads.

Richard

The launcher is for the Skype command you are running to launch the application.

The command I gave is to be ran in the terminal. Please provide it's output.

There is so much terminal output that it would take me two hours to type it
in an email. I tried to copy and paste but it did not work. It basically
stated the version of Ubuntu 17.10 and that there was no skype installed.

I repeat there is no launcher on the desktop when I right click on the
desktop.

Richard

How did you install Skype?

I went to the msn.com page and clicked on skype. It brought me to pages to install for Ubuntu Linux. After the download I used files, download and clicked to extract it. Then I clicked on the extracted file and installed it. After this I went to file, download and found the executable file and clicked on it and it ran. Then I signed in and used skype to call a person. It worked fine. There were no shortcuts to click on the desktop to run it so I copied a shortcut from the executable file and pasted it on the desktop and it did not run. I still have to go to file, download and click on the executable file to run the app. It went basically like this.

Richard

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: actionparsnip
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 6:27 PM
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #661629]: Shortcuts on desktop do not work with ubuntu17.10

Your question #661629 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

    Status: Open => Needs information

actionparsnip requested more information:
How did you install Skype?

--
To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
this email or enter your reply at the following page:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

Where did you extract the files to? What is the full path and name of the executable?

If you go to the Skype website there is a deb that will install just like any other application. There is no need to extract anything. You just install and run. The OS is configured for you. Have you tried the deb file? Getting Skype isn't this hard

I finally realized that I had a version of skype that was not deb Linux. I had a different version of skype for Linux. I got it from the msn.com website. I clicked on the wrong version when it asked me what I wanted to download. Your last email to me showed me that I needed the deb version. I deleted the downloaded file version and the executable file that I had and I cleaned up the computer OS. Then I went to skype.com and downloaded and installed the deb version. Now everything works great. I even added a favorite for skype to the dock. When I click on it skype starts up.

Richard

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: actionparsnip
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 3:22 AM
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #661629]: Shortcuts on desktop do not work with ubuntu17.10

Your question #661629 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

    Status: Open => Answered

actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
Where did you extract the files to? What is the full path and name of
the executable?

If you go to the Skype website there is a deb that will install just
like any other application. There is no need to extract anything. You
just install and run. The OS is configured for you. Have you tried the
deb file? Getting Skype isn't this hard

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629/+confirm?answer_id=12

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

I deleted the downloaded file and the extracted file and then I cleaned up the OS.

Richard

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: actionparsnip
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 3:22 AM
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #661629]: Shortcuts on desktop do not work with ubuntu17.10

Your question #661629 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

    Status: Open => Answered

actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
Where did you extract the files to? What is the full path and name of
the executable?

If you go to the Skype website there is a deb that will install just
like any other application. There is no need to extract anything. You
just install and run. The OS is configured for you. Have you tried the
deb file? Getting Skype isn't this hard

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629/+confirm?answer_id=12

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/661629

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

     Done.

Richard