Please note that right now, most of the information contained below is outdated and cannot be updated. Be careful, most of this won't work on Ubuntu 12.04 and newer.

Creating a custom launcher for Unity is simple. Quicklists provide an easy and efficient way to quickly access commonly used tasks for a specific application.

NOTE: Starting with Ubuntu 11.10, this popup option has vanished. Launchers can now only be created by editing text files in your home folder.

Creating a custom launcher is easy.

Right-click on your desktop and click create a launcher.
Edit the .desktop file using a text editor. (More information can be found here and here.)

So, which custom launchers do you use on Unity?

Note: Please limit yourself to one custom launcher per answer. Also, please provide a screenshot of it in action.

46 Answers

12 Next

Home Icon Quicklist

Copy 'Home Folder' launcher file to your home directory:

mkdir ~/.local/share/applications
cp /usr/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file for editing in gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop

Delete the following line from the file:
```
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
```

Add this text to the bottom of the file, then close and save:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Videos;Documents;Music;Pictures;Downloads
[Videos Shortcut Group]
Name=Videos
Exec=nautilus Videos
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Documents Shortcut Group]
Name=Documents
Exec=nautilus Documents
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Music Shortcut Group]
Name=Music
Exec=nautilus Music
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Pictures Shortcut Group]
Name=Pictures
Exec=nautilus Pictures
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Downloads Shortcut Group]
Name=Downloads
Exec=nautilus Downloads
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Log out and log in again to see the changes.

Source

SSH Launcher

Access of list of your favorite SSH servers quickly.

ssh quicklist

Create a new file with gedit, in the Terminal type:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/ssh-launcher.desktop

Copy & Paste this text into the above file:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Remote Servers
Comment=Login to my servers
Exec=gnome-terminal --disable-factory --sm-client-disable --class=remoteserver -x ssh -t minibox.local
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=utilities-terminal
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=RemoteServers
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Server1;
[Server1 Shortcut Group]
Name=SSH into minibox.local
Exec=gnome-terminal --disable-factory --sm-client-disable --class=remoteserver -x ssh -t minibox.local
TargetEnvironment=Unity
Comment=You can create more of these. Just add to X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts a "Server2", "Server3" etc, then change the domain name (in this case, "minibox.local") to the name of your server. You'll also notice that the default action (When you just click the icon in the launcher) is to SSH into minibox.local - you'll need to change that to your most used server.

Drag and Drop onto the launcher by navigating to ~/.local/share/applications/ in Nautilus.

Source 1, Source 2

Ubuntu Software Center Quicklist

Quickly add PPAs through the software-properties UI and update sources as well.

Software manager quicklist

Copy the original .desktop file to your home folder using Terminal:
cp /usr/share/applications/ubuntu-software-center.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
Open the file for editing with gedit:
gedit ~/.local/share/applications/ubuntu-software-center.desktop
Add the following at the bottom of the file. This should be entered after the line X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=software-center

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=SoftwareUpdates;SoftwareProperties;Synaptic;
[SoftwareUpdates Shortcut Group]
Name=Update Manager
Exec=update-manager -c
OnlyShowIn=Unity
[SoftwareProperties Shortcut Group]
Name=Add/Edit PPAs
Exec=gksu software-properties-gtk %u
OnlyShowIn=Unity
[Synaptic Shortcut Group]
Name=Synaptic Software Manager
Exec=gksu synaptic %u
OnlyShowIn=Unity

Home Icon Quicklist (auto-update from bookmarks)

Here is a small shell script that updates your Home-Quicklist with all your bookmarks. No manual manipulation. It reads your bookmark file and creates the menu items from it. It also adds the "Root Filemanager" menu entry.

Screenshot of the quicklist in action

Copy the script listed below into an empty file and put it in your scripts-folder (we will assume that is ~/bin/ and the script name you choose is unityhome.bash).
Run the script once to add the entries:
```
bash ~/bin/unityhome.bash
```
Optionally you may have cron run the script for you every once in a while. To add it to cron, type the follwing command into a shell:
```
crontab -e
```
An editor will open. There add a line like:
```
@reboot /bin/bash/ $HOME/bin/unityhome.bash > /dev/null 2>&1
```
If you don't do this step, you'll have to run the script by hand every time you change your nautilus bookmarks if you want the quicklist updated.
Changes only take effect on your next login or after you Alt+F2
```
unity --replace
```
So do that. Note: Don't run unity --replace in a terminal. If you close that terminal, it will kill unity with it.
Enjoy and have a look at the similar script for gnome-terminal that parses your ssh bookmarks (in ~/.ssh/config).

Script:

Here is the script:

#!/bin/bash
# tabsize: 4, encoding: utf8
#
# © 2011 . Use permitted under MIT license:
#
#
# CONTRIBUTORS: Chris Druif <>
# Scott Severance <
# jacopoL <>
#
# This script updates the unity quicklist menu for nautilus to contain the user
# bookmarks. The updates will have efect after unity is restarted (either on
# the next login or by invoking 'unity --replace').
# location of template and unity bar launchers
nautempl="/usr/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop"
target="$HOME/.local/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop"
bookmarks="$HOME/.gtk-bookmarks"
# backup if file already exists
if [ -e "$target" ]; then echo "Creating backup of: $target." mv -n "$target" "$target.bak"
fi
# copy template
cp "$nautempl" "$target"
if ! grep -q 'OnlyShowIn=.*Unity' "$target"; then # add only if not already present sed -i "s/\(OnlyShowIn=.*\)/\1Unity;/" "$target"
fi
# due to a bug in Unity (Ubuntu 11.10+) we will have to completely remove the OnlyShowIn line:
#
sed -i '/^OnlyShowIn=/d' "$target"
if ! grep -q 'X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=' "$target"; then # add only if not already present echo -e "\nX-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=\n" >> "$target"
else echo >> "$target"
fi
bmcount=0
while read bmline; do bmcount=$(($bmcount+1)) # number of current bookmark bmname=${bmline#*\ } # name of the bookmark bmpath=${bmline%%\ *} # path the bookmark leads to # deal with bookmarks that have no name if [ "$bmname" = "$bmpath" ]; then bmname=${bmpath##*/} fi # fix spaces in names and paths bmname="$(echo "$bmname" | sed 's/%20/ /g')" bmpath="$(echo "$bmpath" | sed 's/%20/ /g')" # fix accents in names and paths (for french users) bmname="$(echo "$bmname" | python -c 'import sys,urllib;sys.stdout.write(urllib.unquote(sys.stdin.read()))')" bmpath="$(echo "$bmpath" | python -c 'import sys,urllib;sys.stdout.write(urllib.unquote(sys.stdin.read()))')" # extend shortcut list with current bookmark, prepending a ; if needed sed -i "s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=\(.*;$\|$\)\)/\1Scg${bmcount};/ t s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=.*\)/\1;Scg${bmcount};/" "$target" # write bookmark information cat - >> "$target" <<EOF
[Scg$bmcount Shortcut Group]
Name=$bmname
Exec=nautilus "$bmpath"
TargetEnvironment=Unity
EOF
done < "$bookmarks"
# Add a root file manager entry
sed -i "s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=.*\)/\1RootFM;/" "$target"
cat - >> "$target" <<EOF
[RootFM Shortcut Group]
Name=Root
Exec=gksudo nautilus
TargetEnvironment=Unity
EOF
exit 0

Improvement: Do not duplicate "Home folder" and "username"

If you don't want to have two items targeting your Home folder ("Home Folder" at the bottom of the quicklist and the clickable username), you can replace the following code:

 # write bookmark information cat - >> "$target" <<EOF
[Scg$bmcount Shortcut Group]
Name=$bmname
Exec=nautilus "$bmpath"
TargetEnvironment=Unity
EOF
done < "$bookmarks"

by the following code:

 # write bookmark information if [ "file://$HOME" != "$bmpath" ]; then cat - >> "$target" <<EOF
[Scg$bmcount Shortcut Group]
Name=$bmname
Exec=nautilus "$bmpath"
TargetEnvironment=Unity
EOF fi
done < "$bookmarks"

LibreOffice Quicklist

This creates a quicklist for the LibreOffice Start Center launcher.

LibreOffice Quicklist

Copy your original .desktop file into your home directory for editing:

cp /usr/share/applications/libreoffice-startcenter.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open in gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/libreoffice-startcenter.desktop

Edit the MimeType line:

Find the following line:

MimeType=application/vnd.openofficeorg.extension;

Replace with:

MimeType=application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text-template;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text-web;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text-master;application/vnd.sun.xml.writer;application/vnd.sun.xml.writer.template;application/vnd.sun.xml.writer.global;application/vnd.stardivision.writer;application/msword;application/vnd.ms-word;application/x-doc;application/rtf;text/rtf;application/vnd.wordperfect;application/wordperfect;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document;application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template;application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet-template;application/vnd.sun.xml.calc;application/vnd.sun.xml.calc.template;application/vnd.stardivision.calc;application/vnd.stardivision.chart;application/msexcel;application/vnd.ms-excel;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet;application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template;application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroenabled.12;text/csv;application/x-dbf;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.graphics-template;application/vnd.sun.xml.draw;application/vnd.sun.xml.draw.template;application/vnd.stardivision.draw;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.presentation;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.presentation-template;application/vnd.sun.xml.impress;application/vnd.sun.xml.impress.template;application/vnd.stardivision.impress;application/mspowerpoint;application/vnd.ms-powerpoint;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation;application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template;application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroenabled.12;application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.formula;application/vnd.sun.xml.math;application/vnd.stardivision.math;

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the .desktop file:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Writer;Impress;Calc;Math;Draw
[Writer Shortcut Group]
Name=Writer
Exec=libreoffice -writer %U
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Impress Shortcut Group]
Name=Impress
Exec=libreoffice -impress %U
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Calc Shortcut Group]
Name=Calc
Exec=libreoffice -calc %U
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Math Shortcut Group]
Name=Math
Exec=libreoffice -math %U
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Draw Shortcut Group]
Name=Draw
Exec=libreoffice -draw %U
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Note: For LibreOffice 3.4 and 3.4.1: in Exec; libreoffice must be replaced with `libreoffice3.4', but it seems in Oneiric we don't need to add the version number. I'm testing it from Oneiric and leaving default just run well, adding the verison number make the quicklist unusable

Navigate to ~/.local/share/applications and drag'n'drop the LibreOffice Start Center desktop file onto the launcher.

A similar modification can be made to the LibreOffice Writer launcher.

Source

Firefox Quicklist

Add handy Firefox options to the launcher.

enter image description here

Copy your original .desktop file into your home directory for editing:

cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open in gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/firefox.desktop

Find and edit the following line:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;

to match this line:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;SafeMode;ProfileManager;

Add this text to the bottom of the .desktop, then save the file:

[SafeMode Shortcut Group]
Name=Open Firefox in safe mode
Exec=firefox -safe-mode
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[ProfileManager Shortcut Group]
Name=Firefox Profile Manager
Exec=firefox -ProfileManager
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Terminal Quicklist

terminal img (updated)

Copy original Terminal launcher into your home directory using Terminal:

cp /usr/share/applications/gnome-terminal.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file with gedit still using Terminal:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/gnome-terminal.desktop

Find the following line from the file:
```
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
```
Replace the above line with:
```
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;Unity;
```

Add this text to the bottom of the file then Save & Close it:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;NewTab;Top;Root;
[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=New Window
Exec=gnome-terminal --window
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[NewTab Shortcut Group]
Name=New Tab
Exec=xdotool windowfocus gnome-terminal key ctrl+shift+t
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Root Shortcut Group]
Name=Root Terminal
Exec=gksudo gnome-terminal
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Top Shortcut Group]
Name=Top
Exec=gnome-terminal --command top
TargetEnvironment=Unity

To enable the 'New Tab' option you need to install xdotool from Ubuntu Software Centre
Close all Terminal windows, right-click on its launcher icon and untick 'Keep In Launcher'
Open Dash, run Terminal and the new launcher with quicklist will appear.

Google Services Launcher

A custom launcher for common services like gmail, calendar, composing a new message.

enter image description here

Create a new file by opening Text Editor and paste the following text into it:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Google Services
Exec=xdg-open
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=chrome-https___docs.google.com_
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=docs.google.com
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Plus;Inbox;Compose;Voice;Contacts;Calendar;Documents;Photos;Maps;Sites;Reader;Bookmarks
Name[en_US]=Google Services (Gmail)
[Plus Shortcut Group]
Name=Plus
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Inbox Shortcut Group]
Name=InBox
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Compose Shortcut Group]
Name=Compose
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Voice Shortcut Group]
Name=Voice
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Contacts Shortcut Group]
Name=Contacts
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Calendar Shortcut Group]
Name=Calendar
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Documents Shortcut Group]
Name=Documents
Exec=xdg-open
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Photos Shortcut Group]
Name=Photos
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Maps Shortcut Group]
Name=Maps
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Sites Shortcut Group]
Name=Sites
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Reader Shortcut Group]
Name=Reader
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Bookmarks Shortcut Group]
Name=Bookmarks
Exec=xdg-open '
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Save the file with this folder location and name:

 ~/.local/share/applications/google-services-launcher.desktop

Drag and Drop this file onto the launcher by navigating to~/.local/share/applications/ in File Manager.

You can download the icon here.

Source

Banshee Quicklist

banshee quicklist

Copy the Banshee launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/banshee.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this new file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/banshee.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste this at the bottom of the file.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Play;Pause;Stop;Previous;Next;Preferences
[Play Shortcut Group]
Name=Play
Exec=banshee --play
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Pause Shortcut Group]
Name=Pause
Exec=banshee --pause
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Stop Shortcut Group]
Name=Stop
Exec=banshee --stop
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Previous Shortcut Group]
Name=Previous
Exec=banshee --previous
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Next Shortcut Group]
Name=Next
Exec=banshee --next
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Preferences Shortcut Group]
Name=Preferences
Exec=banshee --show-preferences
TargetEnviroment=Unity

Sources: 1, 2

Google Docs Quicklist

enter image description here

Create a new file with this command:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/gdocs.desktop

Paste in the text below:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Google Docs
Exec=xdg-open
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=chrome-https___docs.google.com_
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=docs.google.com
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Doc;Spreadsheet;Presentation;Drawing
[Doc Shortcut Group]
Name=New Document
Exec=xdg-open
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Spreadsheet Shortcut Group]
Name=New Spreadsheet
Exec=xdg-open
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Presentation Shortcut Group]
Name=New Presentation
Exec=xdg-open
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Drawing Shortcut Group]
Name=New Drawing
Exec=xdg-open
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Note that this opens in your default browser. For chrome/ium fullscreen apps, find and replace xdg-open with chromium-browser and https: with --app=https:.

Drag the gdocs.desktop into the launcher from ~/.local/share/applications/

Quicklist to Add/Remove workspaces rows/columns

Preview

Easily add or remove virtual desktops or workspaces with a Unity icon/quicklist, an option sourly missed in Ubuntu currently. Only option seems to be going into gconf-editor and changing them manually.
Ideally this would make it's way into the Workspace Switcher.

It relies on a script to pull in the current number of rows and columns and add or subtracts one before setting it again. It also checks that it doesn't go below one row or column.

Create a new .desktop file with gedit, in the Terminal type:
```
gedit ~/.local/share/applications/workspaces.desktop
```

Copy & Paste this text into the newly created file:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Workspaces
Comment=Change Workspace Numbers
GenericName=Workspace Editor
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=desktop
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=AddRow;RmRow;AddColumn;RmColumn;
[AddRow Shortcut Group]
Name=Add Row
Exec=workspaces-shortcuts rows +
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[AddColumn Shortcut Group]
Name=Add Column
Exec=workspaces-shortcuts cols +
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[RmRow Shortcut Group]
Name=Remove Row
Exec=workspaces-shortcuts rows -
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[RmColumn Shortcut Group]
Name=Remove Column
Exec=workspaces-shortcuts cols -
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Create a new script with gedit, in the Terminal type:
```
gksudo gedit /usr/bin/workspaces-shortcuts
```
NOTE: gksudo is used because of the location we'll be saving it and because it's a graphical application.

Copy & Paste this text into the newly created file:

#!/bin/bash
case $1 in
rows)t=v;;
cols)t=h;;
esac;
check=`gconftool-2 --get /apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/${t}size`
if [[ ! ($2 = - && $check < 2 ) ]]
then [[ $2 = [-+] ]] && gconftool-2 --set /apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/${t}size --type int $(( $check $2 1 ))
fi

Too make the script executable, in the Terminal type:
sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/workspaces-shortcuts
Drag and Drop onto the launcher by navigating to ~/.local/share/applications/ in Nautilus.
Sorting can be easily done by changing in the .desktop-file the line from:
```
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=AddRow;RmRow;AddColumn;RmColumn;
```
to
```
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=AddRow;AddColumn;RmRow;RmColumn;
```
for example.

Chromium Quicklist

Chromium

Copy the Chromium launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/chromium-browser.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/chromium-browser.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the file.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;Incognito;
[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=New Window
Exec=chromium-browser
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Incognito Shortcut Group]
Name=New incognito window
Exec=chromium-browser --incognito
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Source

Gedit Quicklist

gedit

Copy 'Gedit' launcher file to your home directory using Terminal

cp /usr/share/applications/gedit.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file for editing in gedit :

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/gedit.desktop

Add this text to the bottom of the file and replace the <username> text to match your home folder username then save & close:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=OpenDoc;OpenDocRoot;
[OpenDoc Shortcut Group]
Name=Open file...
Exec=/home/<username>/.local/share/applications/scripts/gedit-shortcuts normal-mode
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[OpenDocRoot Shortcut Group]
Name=Open file as root...
Exec=/home/<username>/.local/share/applications/scripts/gedit-shortcuts root-mode
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Create a 'scripts' folder in ~/.local/share/applications folder:
```
mkdir ~/.local/share/applications/scripts
```

Create the script file 'gedit-shortcuts' with gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/scripts/gedit-shortcuts

Add this text to the file then save and close:

#!/bin/bash
case $1 in
normal-mode) gedit $(zenity --title='Open file...' --file-selection);;
root-mode) gksudo -u root -m "Running Gedit as user root allow you to modify some essential files of your system" "bash -c 'gedit \$(zenity --title=\'Open file as user root...\' --file-selection)'";;
esac

Make the file executable:

chmod +x ~/.local/share/applications/scripts/gedit-shortcuts

Drag & Drop the gedit.desktop file from ~/.local/share/applications in nautilus to the Unity Launcher Bar

Filezilla FTP Quicklist

Quickly access your favourite FTP servers with from the Filezilla launcher.

filezilla quicklist

There is two options of making a FileZille quicklist. You can link to sites in the Site Manager (the safe option); or you can enter connection info directly in the .desktop file (the option without the Site Manager).

Link to Site Manager (the safe option)

Copy the Filezilla launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/filezilla.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/filezilla.desktop

Append the text below at the bottom of the .desktop file, adding a "Shortcut Group" for each site you want to link. In the Exec parameter you should put the path of your FTP site in Site Manager. The 2° shortcut directly open the Filezilla Site Manager.
```
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Server1;sitemanager
[Server1 Shortcut Group]
Name=Site Name
Exec=filezilla -c "0/Folder Name/Site Name"
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[sitemanager Shortcut Group]
Name=Site Manager
Exec=filezilla -s
TargetEnvironment=Unity
```

For details, you should look at the Command-line arguments page on Filezilla wiki.

Source

Directly enter connection details (the quick but unsafe option)

Note: There is a security problem with this option in that you will be storing your password in plain text. Do this only if you know the risk, this is a very "hackish" way of doing things. If you use the Site Manager in FileZilla, do use the option above which uses the info already stored in Filezilla Site Manager configuration.

Copy the Filezilla launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/filezilla.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/filezilla.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the .desktop file. Edit the FTP server details to match your own, then save the file.
```
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Server1;
[Server1 Shortcut Group]
Name=FTP into test server
Exec=filezilla ftp://test::21
TargetEnvironment=Unity
```
You'll want to change the "test:test" with your username/password respectively, and the "ftp.secureftp-test.com" with the domain of your ftp server.

Source

LAMP Quicklist

Screenshot

Open a new file:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/lamp.desktop

Copy the text below

[Desktop Entry]
Name=LAMP
GenericName=LAMP
X-GNOME-FullName=LAMP
Comment=Open services of your LAMP server
Exec=gksu service apache2 start && gksu service mysql start
Icon=emblem-web
Terminal=false
Type=Application
StartupNotify=true
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Start;Stop;Restart
[Start Shortcut Group]
Name=Start
Exec=gksu service apache2 start && gksu service mysql start
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Stop Shortcut Group]
Name=Stop
Exec=gksu service apache2 stop && gksu service mysql stop
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Restart Shortcut Group]
Name=Restart
Exec=gksu service apache2 restart && gksu service mysql restart
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Drag and Drop onto the launcher by navigating to ~/.local/share/applications/ in Nautilus.

Rhythmbox Quicklist

Screenshot

Copy the Rhythmbox launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/rhythmbox.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/rhythmbox.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the file:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Play;Pause;Previous;Next;Stop
[Play Shortcut Group]
Name=Play
Exec=rhythmbox-client --play
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Pause Shortcut Group]
Name=Pause
Exec=rhythmbox-client --pause
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Previous Shortcut Group]
Name=Previous
Exec=rhythmbox-client --previous
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Next Shortcut Group]
Name=Next
Exec=rhythmbox-client --next
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Stop Shortcut Group]
Name=Stop
Exec=rhythmbox-client --stop
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Save the file.

Google Chrome Quicklist

chrome quicklist

Copy the Google Chrome launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the file.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;Incognito;
[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=New Window
Exec=google-chrome
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Incognito Shortcut Group]
Name=New incognito window
Exec=google-chrome --incognito
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Source

Thunderbird Quicklist

Thunderbird Lanuncher

Copy the launcher file to your home directory:
cp /usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop
Open the file with Text Editor
gedit ~/.local/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop

Add the text at the bottom of the file and save it.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Compose;AddressBook;ProfileManager;

[Compose Shortcut Group]
Name=Compose
Exec=thunderbird -compose
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[AddressBook Shortcut Group]
Name=Address Book
Exec=thunderbird -addressbook
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[ProfileManager Shortcut Group]
Name=Profile Manager
Exec=thunderbird -ProfileManager
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Mines Quicklist

Quickly launch new games of Mine from the launcher.

mines quicklist

Copy the Mines launcher to your home directory, in Terminal paste the following:
```
cp /usr/share/applications/gnomine.desktop ~/.local/share/applications
```

Open this file for editing:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/gnomine.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the .desktop file.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Small;Medium;Large;
[Small Shortcut Group]
Name=New Game (Small)
Exec=gnomine -f 0
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Medium Shortcut Group]
Name=New Game (Medium)
Exec=gnomine -f 1
TargetEnviroment=Unity
[Large Shortcut Group]
Name=New Game (Large)
Exec=gnomine -f 2
TargetEnviroment=Unity

Source

Déjà Dup Quicklist

Copy Déjà Dup launcher file to your home directory with Terminal:

cp /usr/share/applications/deja-dup.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file for editing in Text Editor:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/deja-dup.desktop

Add this text to the bottom of the file, then close and save:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=BackupNow;
[BackupNow Shortcut Group]
Name=Backup Now
Exec=deja-dup --backup
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Remove Déjà Dup Icon from Launcher (untick Keep In Launcher) then open the application from Dash, the new quicklist should appear and you can re-tick Keep In Launcher.

Opera Quicklist

enter image description here

Copy your original .desktop file into your home directory for editing:

cp /usr/share/applications/opera-browser.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open terminal and enter the following:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/opera-browser.desktop

At the bottom of the file, add the following lines, then save and close:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewTab;NewPrivateTab;NewWindow;Mail;
[NewTab Shortcut Group]
Name=New Tab
Exec=opera -newtab
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[NewPrivateTab Shortcut Group]
Name=New Private Tab
Exec=opera -newprivatetab
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=New Window
Exec=opera -newwindow
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Mail Shortcut Group]
Name=Mail
Exec=opera -mail
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Add the icon to your launcher if it is not already and your quicklists should now be working.

Tips:

You can also make Mail open a new tab at a specific address if you want by replacing its Exec command to be (for example):

Exec=opera -newtab ""

Sources, 1, 2, 3

Ubuntu One Quicklist

Connect to the server, disconnect from the server and stop the Ubuntu One syncdaemon quickly.

enter image description here

Copy the original Ubuntu One Control Panel icon to your home directory for editing:

cp /usr/share/applications/ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/

Open the file for editing with gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/ubuntuone-control-panel-gtk.desktop

Highlight and copy the text below, then paste it at the bottom of the .desktop file:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Connect;Disconnect;Quit
[Connect Shortcut Group]
Name=Connect
Exec=u1sdtool --connect
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Disconnect Shortcut Group]
Name=Disconnect
Exec=u1sdtool --disconnect
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Quit Shortcut Group]
Name=Stop Ubuntu One
Exec=u1sdtool --quit
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Transmission Quicklist

enter image description here

Copy the global transmission-gtk.desktop file to your home directory:

cp /usr/share/applications/transmission-gtk.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Edit the file:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/transmission-gtk.desktop

Paste the following code to the bottom of the file:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Pause All;Start All;
[Pause All Shortcut Group]
Name=Pause All
Exec=transmission-remote -tall --stop
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Start All Shortcut Group]
Name=Start All
Exec=transmission-remote -tall --start
TargetEnvironment=Unity

You may also show number of downloading torrents and total progress indicator using script from

Firefox Quicklist Alternative

Puts a list of your favourite websites in the Firefox Quicklist.

End Result

Copy firefox.desktop to home.

cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open for editing

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/firefox.desktop

Add to the bottom, edit the websites to your favorites

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=OMGUbuntu;WebUpd8;UbuntuForums;AskUbuntu;UbuntuLaunchpad;NewWindow
[OMGUbuntu Shortcut Group]
Name=OMG! Ubuntu
Exec=firefox -new-window '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[WebUpd8 Shortcut Group]
Name=WebUpd8
Exec=firefox -new-window '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[UbuntuForums Shortcut Group]
Name=Ubuntu Forums
Exec=firefox -new-window '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[AskUbuntu Shortcut Group]
Name=Ask Ubuntu
Exec=firefox -new-window '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[UbuntuLaunchpad Shortcut Group]
Name=Ubuntu Launchpad
Exec=firefox -new-window '
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=Open a New Window
Exec=firefox -new-window about:blank
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Gnome-Terminal Quicklist (auto-update from ssh config)

Here is a small shell script that updates your Gnome-Terminal-Quicklist with all your server entries in your ~/.ssh/config file. No manual manipulation is required. It reads your ~/.ssh/config file and creates the menu items from it. It also adds the "Root Terminal" menu entry.

Gnome terminal quicklist with ssh entries

Copy the script listed below into an empty file and put it in your scripts-folder (we will assume that is ~/bin/ and the script name you choose is unityterm.sh).
Run the script once to add the entries:
```
/bin/bash ~/bin/unityterm.sh
```
Optionally you may have cron run the script for you every once in a while. To add it to cron, type the follwing command into a shell:
```
crontab -e
```
An editor will open. There add a line like:
```
@reboot /bin/bash/ $HOME/bin/unityterm.sh > /dev/null 2>&1
```
If you don't do this step, you'll have to run the script by hand every time you change your ~/.ssh/config if you want the quicklist updated.
Changes only take effect on your next login or after you Alt+F2ing
```
unity --replace
```
So do that. Note: Don't run unity --replace in a terminal. If you close that terminal, it will kill unity with it.
Enjoy and have a look at the similar script for nautilus that parses your nautilus bookmarks.

Script:

Here is the script:

#!/bin/bash
# indent-mode: spaces, tabsize: 4, encoding: utf8
#
# © 2011 . Use under the MIT license:
#
#
# CONTRIBUTORS: jacopoL <>
#
# This script updates the unity quicklist menu for gnome-terminal to contain
#+the user's bookmarks. The updates will have efect after unity is restarted
#+(eigther after the next login or by invoking 'unity --replace').
# location of template, unity bar launchers and ssh config file
tertempl="/usr/share/applications/gnome-terminal.desktop"
target="$HOME/.local/share/applications/gnome-terminal.desktop"
bookmarks="$HOME/.ssh/config"
# backup if file allready exists
if [ -e "$target" ]; then echo "Creating backup of: $target." mv -n "$target" "$target.bak"
fi
# copy template
cp "$tertempl" "$target"
if ! grep -q 'OnlyShowIn=.*Unity' "$target"; then # add only if not already present sed -i "s/\(OnlyShowIn=.*\)/\1Unity;/" "$target"
fi
# add entries to template
if ! grep -q 'X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=' "$target"; then # add only if not already present echo -e "\nX-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=\n" >> "$target"
else echo >> "$target"
fi
bmcount=0 # number of current bookmark
while read bmline; do # walk lines in ssh config file # when a new host is found, write the data collected in previous loops test=$(echo "$bmline" | grep -oE 'Host[[:space:]]') if [ -n "$test" ]; then ishost=$(echo "$bmline" | sed -e 's/[ ^I]*Host[ ^I]\+\([-_\.A-Za-z0-9]\+\).*/\1/g') fi if [ -n "$ishost" ]; then if [ -n "$hostname" ]; then # write bookmark information cat - >> "$target" <<____________EOF [Scg$bmcount Shortcut Group] Name=SSH into $oldhost Exec=gnome-terminal -x ssh $sshuser$hostname TargetEnvironment=Unity
____________EOF # extend shortcut list with current bookmark, prepending a ; if needed sed -i "s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=\(.*;$\|$\)\)/\1Scg${bmcount};/ t s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=.*\)/\1;Scg${bmcount};/" "$target" bmcount=$(($bmcount+1)) fi hostname="" sshuser="" oldhost="$ishost" ishost="" fi # collect data: hostname test=$(echo "$bmline" | grep -oE 'HostName[[:space:]]') if [ -n "$test" ]; then hostname=$(echo "$bmline" | sed -e 's/[ ^I]*HostName[ ^I]\+\([-_\.A-Za-z0-9]\+\).*/\1/g') fi # collect data: ssh user test=$(echo "$bmline" | grep -oE 'User[[:space:]]') if [ -n "$test" ]; then sshuser=$(echo "$bmline" | sed -e 's/[ ^I]*User[ ^I]\+\([-_\.A-Za-z0-9]\+\).*/\1@/g') fi
done < "$bookmarks"
# write bookmark information of last bookmark
#+and add a root file manager entry
cat - >> "$target" <<EOF [Scg$bmcount Shortcut Group] Name=SSH into $oldhost Exec=gnome-terminal -x ssh $sshuser$hostname TargetEnvironment=Unity [RootTM Shortcut Group] Name=Root Terminal Exec=gksudo gnome-terminal TargetEnvironment=Unity
EOF
# extend shortcut list with last bookmark and root file manager
sed -i "s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=.*\)/\1Scg${bmcount};/" "$target"
sed -i "s/\(X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=.*\)/\1RootTM;/" "$target"
# Cleanup extra whitespaces
sed -i 's/^[[:space:]]\+//g' "$target"
exit 0

Opera Launcher & Quicklist (Part 2)

Tab counter
The total number of tabs you have open appears on the Launcher icon and is updated in real time as you open and close tabs;
Urgency
When Opera is not in focus and a new tab is opened, the Opera icon in the Launcher now enters urgency mode and wiggles once;
Quicklist
With (at the moment) limited support for Opera’s built in Mail client (M2).

Installation

Extract the script from this zip into your home folder.
Open Startup Applications and add an entry using the above script as follows:
Command: python unity-opera.py

Source

Kudos go to Kyle Baker!

DeaDBeeF Quicklist

Copy launcher file to your home directory:

cp /usr/share/applications/deadbeef.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file for editing in gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/deadbeef.desktop

Add this text to the bottom of the file, then close and save:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Play;Pause;Stop;Next;Prev
[Play Shortcut Group]
Name=Play
Exec=deadbeef --play
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Pause Shortcut Group]
Name=Pause
Exec=deadbeef --pause
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Stop Shortcut Group]
Name=Stop
Exec=deadbeef --stop
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Next Shortcut Group]
Name=Next
Exec=deadbeef --next
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Prev Shortcut Group]
Name=Prev
Exec=deadbeef --prev
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Optional: Change the drag & drop function of the launcher so it appends files to the playlist instead of clearing it:
Find Exec=deadbeef %F and Replace with Exec=deadbeef --queue %F

There are a few other commands available in deadbeef -h but these are the only ones that seem useful in a quicklist.

Custom Scripts Quicklist with GUI

Create Quicklist launcher for your scripts. Embedded GUI with automatic and manual option for adding entries. The automatic option can only add, with the manual you can modify the file directly.

1. Create custom .desktop file for launcher

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop

2. Paste the following code and edit following:(line 5 is the way to folder with your scripts, in this example, this is folder with the name Scripts, you need to change it for your location. You can change also the line 6 which is an icon. And at the end change <username> text to match your home folder username.

[Desktop Entry]
Name=My Scripts Folder
Comment=Open your scripts folder
TryExec=nautilus
Exec=xdg-open /home/<username>/Scripts
Icon=ibus-engine
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
Type=Application
Categories=GNOME;GTK;Core;
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;Unity;
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Bugzilla=GNOME
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Product=nautilus
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Component=general
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=nautilus
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=AddScript
[AddScript Shortcut Group]
Name=Add New Script
Exec=/home/<username>/.local/share/applications/scripts/addscript
TargetEnvironment=Unity

3. Create a 'scripts' folder (if not exist) in ~/.local/share/applications folder:

mkdir ~/.local/share/applications/scripts

4. Create the script file 'addscript' with gedit (this is the GUI for adding entries to your quicklist):

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/scripts/addscript

5. Add this text to the file,then save and close

#!/bin/bash
menuitem=`zenity --list --title="My Scripts Launcher Manager" \
--width=300 --height=150 \
--text="Select action" \
--column="Pick" --column="Action" \
--radiolist TRUE Add-Script-Automatically FALSE Add/Edit/Delete-Manually`
case $menuitem in
Add-Script-Automatically )
hkey=$(zenity --entry --text "Set name for your script" --entry-text "" --title "Set name")
if [ -z "$hkey" ]; then
zenity --error --title "Set name for your script " --text="The script name is empty. Exiting ..."
exit 0
fi
ay=$(sed -n '/X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts/p' /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop)
shortname2=$(echo "$hkey" | sed 's/\///g')
shortname=$(echo "$shortname2" | sed 's/ /_/g')
hkey3=$(zenity --entry --text "Set command for your script" --entry-text "" --title "Set command")
if [ -z "$hkey3" ]; then
zenity --error --title "Set command " --text="The command is empty. Exiting ..."
exit 0
fi
sed -i "s/$ay/$ay;$shortname/g" /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
echo "" >> /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
echo "[$shortname Shortcut Group]" >> /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
echo "Name=$hkey" >> /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
echo "Exec=$hkey3" >> /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
echo "TargetEnvironment=Unity" >> /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
zenity --info --title "New entry added" --text "Changes only take effect on next login"
;;
Add/Edit/Delete-Manually)
zenity --text-info --filename=/$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop > /tmp/my_scripts.desktop.edited --title "Add/Edit/Delete Script" --editable --width 850 --height 480
cp /tmp/my_scripts.desktop.edited /$HOME/.local/share/applications/my_scripts.desktop
rm /tmp/my_scripts.desktop.edited
zenity --info --title "New entry added" --text "Changes only take effect on next login"
;;
esac

6. Make the file executable:

chmod +x ~/.local/share/applications/scripts/addscript

7.Drag & Drop the my_scripts.desktop file from ~/.local/share/applications in nautilus to the Unity Launcher Bar

8. You can start adding entries to your quicklist with clicking on "Add New Script" menu item

Extended Home Icon Quicklist

Quick Lists

Copy 'Home Folder' launcher file to your home directory with Terminal:

cp /usr/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop ~/.local/share/applications

Open the file for editing in gedit:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/nautilus-home.desktop

Delete the following line from the file:
```
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
```

Add this text to the bottom of the file, then close and save:

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Amazon;Backgrounds;CD Covers;Documents;Downloads;Dropbox;DVD Projects;Google Earth;Listings;Music;Notes;Photographs;Podcasts;Public;Templates;Themes;Transmission;Videos
[Amazon Shortcut Group]
Name=Amazon
Exec=nautilus Amazon
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Backgrounds Shortcut Group]
Name=Backgrounds
Exec=nautilus Backgrounds
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[CD Covers Shortcut Group]
Name=CD Covers
Exec=nautilus CDCovers
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Documents Shortcut Group]
Name=Documents
Exec=nautilus Documents
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Dropbox Shortcut Group]
Name=Dropbox
Exec=nautilus Dropbox
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Downloads Shortcut Group]
Name=Downloads
Exec=nautilus Downloads
[DVD Projects Shortcut Group]
Name=DVD Projects
Exec=nautilus DVDProjects
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Google Earth Shortcut Group]
Name=Google Earth
Exec=nautilus GoogleEarth
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Listings Shortcut Group]
Name=Listings
Exec=nautilus Listings
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Notes Shortcut Group]
Name=Notes
Exec=nautilus Notes
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Photographs Shortcut Group]
Name=Photographs
Exec=nautilus Photographs
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Podcasts Shortcut Group]
Name=Podcasts
Exec=nautilus Podcasts
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Public Shortcut Group]
Name=Public
Exec=nautilus Public
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Templates Shortcut Group]
Name=Templates
Exec=nautilus Templates
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Themes Shortcut Group]
Name=Themes
Exec=nautilus Themes
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Transmission Shortcut Group]
Name=Transmission
Exec=nautilus Transmission
TargetEnvironment=Unity
[Videos Shortcut Group]
Name=Videos
Exec=nautilus Videos
TargetEnvironment=Unity

Log out and log in again to see the changes.

VirtualBox Quicklist

This adds a quicklist entry for your Virtualbox virtual machines. The following example uses 'Windows XP' so will require editing to match your own VM details.

Copy the file to your home directory

cp /usr/share/applications/virtualbox.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/virtualbox.desktop

Open the file with Text Editor

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/virtualbox.desktop

Add the text at the bottom of the file and save it.

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=WindowsXP
[WindowsXP Shortcut Group]
Name=Start Windows XP
Exec=/usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBox --comment "Windows XP" --startvm "Windows XP"
TargetEnvironment=Unity