applications not on menu

Asked by BillT

Hello,

I am using Ubuntu 10.04, because that is the only one I can get to work on my ancient pc.

I wanted to explore an application as reference to a project I am working on I installed using Ubuntu Software Center.

The application does not show up in my Applications menu, yes I went to Systems ->Preferences -> Main Menu to add it but it does not show up. Then I tried to start it from a Terminal but got an error that it was not installed. So I went to Applications ->Accessories -> Search for files but that snippet could not find the file. Then I went to System -> Administrator -> Synaptic Package Manager and did a search and it shows as installed., as does Software Center.
Searched here for a solution...One of the posts a responder stated..... "Hi, lifelines seems to be a text-based software. Therefore, it does not make a lot of sense to have it in the graphical menu (you cannot use it with the mouse)."..... Now this is just plain stupid, whether an applications is a gui, a terminal, a text, or a foobar it should show up in the applications menu so that an ignorant lay person such as myself can use it.

So since I was flamed the last time for hiding my question here they are......

Where are the installed applications hidden?
If I go there can I find the "executable" to make an icon for my menu?
And......why are they not placed in the menu to start with?

I look forward with anticipation to a resolution.
Bill

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

Lucid has less than 6 months support. If you have an older PC, you may want to try Xubuntu or Lubuntu. It is designed to use fewer resources and should run ok.

What application are you trying to find? Installed applications are not hidden otherwise the menu would be empty.

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BillT (whtemple1959) said :
#2

action,

well when I said hidden what I meant is coming from the mindless world of windows they make it look like all my applications are in program flies unless I install them some place else. No I read where things in Linux are in /usr/bin, opt, and I was told that gui apps and term apps are installed indifferent locations. I understand that doc go one place and libraries go to another place but couldn't there be one place fro at least a symbolic link, I mean just for us idiots...
So I installed micropolis to study its interface and behaviour for a project I am working on, but, it is no where to be found. I am trying to teach myself Python and C++ and I also wanted to explore OenSceneGraph but OSG is missing from my menu. And funny enough I was going to take a screen shot of the various utilities showing that stuff was installed yet nowhere to be found but when I tried to open imagemagic it too was not in my menu. I was going to create an icon but "find a file" could not locate them.
As for my aged PC I did have Kubuntu but it would just arbitrarily log out and then my external drives could not be mounted which means firefox could not find my profile so I would have to reboot. I had Ubuntu 12 installed but the unity launcher kept aggravating me and the tutorials on how to move it did not work so I wiped it and reloaded 10.04 I am sure win xp is coming to the end of its life if not already but until I can learn a new windows and still remain productive I will not leave winxp same with Ubuntu, I am having a hard enough time learning the ins and outs of Linux I am not about to struggle with new useless aggravating crap.
So I hoped you can glean some understanding of the problem.
BTW why does Linux have to be so confusing and dare I say convoluted?
Bill

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Warren Hill (warren-hill) said :
#3

1. There are plenty programs in Windows that in order to run you need to know what they are called and are not in the menu so in this respect Linux is not different from Windows. Both put the applications you are expected to use frequently (and have a GUI) in the menus and command line applications usually are not included.

You wont for example find "ipconfig" in the windows menu but you may need to run it if you have network problems.

2. If you open a terminal which you can find in the menu or you can start by pressing CTRL, ALT and T together and enter this command

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo $PATH
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You will list of where Ubuntu looks for programs on my computer I see

$ echo $PATH
/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games

Which means it looks in the following folders (in order)
/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm
/usr/local/sbin
/usr/local/bin
/usr/sbin
/usr/bin
/sbin
/bin
/usr/games

Your system is probably the same

3. Lucid 10.04 only has six months support left so you will need to upgrade at some point. I would recommend Xubuntu as its closest to the interface on Ubuntu 10.04. There is no urgent need to upgrade though.

4. Linux is evolving and so is Windows both started from very different places and they are not headed to the same point so it is not fair to compare moving from XP to Vista against moving from XP to Ubuntu 10.04. They are different and in just the same way as moving from XP to Vista is relatively small changes; moving from Ubuntu 10.04 to Ubuntu 10.10 would be similarly small changes. Ubuntu is no more convoluted or difficult than Windows but it is different. People have just as much difficulty going from Linux to Windows as you are having going from Windows to Ubuntu.

We are here to help however.

If you are still having difficulties let us know what you are looking for and we will try to assist further.

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