how to set desktop icons as list view

[spacepirates]

OK, i am fairly sure that this must be possible to do, as nautilus manages the desktop and nautilus can set the default view to list view.

my question is how to make the desktop icons look like a list, as in, smaller icons, closer together, and with text to the right of the icon.

another thing i am looking to do is set a max character limit on the file names of desktop icons so that a file named "really_long_file_name.extension" might appear as "really_long..."

[cosine352]

I am also interested in this.:D

[ghosthere]

Me too! The list on the right with the text on the left would look nice as well.

[UbuntuNerd]

Ok try this, in a terminal type:

gconf-editor
next click on Apps > nautilus > icon view.
see if any of the settings in this section are what you looking for.

[syn4k]

In your terminal:
# Default view type
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/default_folder_view "list_view"
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/default_folder_viewer "list_view"

# Default icon view size
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/icon_view/default_zoom_level "smaller"

Done.
Full source: http://nettekk.com/downloads/tools/ubuntu/setup

[Dreamsellerlb]

I tried this, it didn't work the way I was hoping. Has anyone else had any luck?

[syn4k]

My post, right before yours works flawlessly.):P

[noice742]

Thanks syn4k. That worked out just great for me. Thank you so much! :D

[jurialmunkey]

In your terminal:
# Default view type
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/default_folder_view "list_view"
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/default_folder_viewer "list_view"

# Default icon view size
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/nautilus/icon_view/default_zoom_level "smaller"



Nope this doesn't work (not on Jaunty anyway)... makes the icons smaller and that's it. There are easier ways to make the icons smaller. The big question is how to get the text to be on the right or left of the icons like a list rather than underneath.


------------------------------// EDIT **
I'm currently using global-menu in gnome. When on the desktop, you can see the nautilus menus. It appears that for the desktop nautilus is locked into "Desktop" display mode and changing to icon, list or compact does nothing - even with a restart. Even with the text beside icons option checked, nautilus still displays desktop icons with text underneath and not beside.

This was one of the main reasons I use to use Tclock2 in windows. It had a function to set all icon sizes to 16x16 with text besides. With all the ability to customise in Ubuntu/Gnome, it seems ridiculous that there is so little control over nautilus' display of the desktop even though it has the ability to do so. Is this a paper cut that will never be healed?

[MrLeap]

I've been cracking at this for hours, I really want this to work. :(

[Donalb]

On Windows (sorry about that) there is a great freeware prog called Pitaschio (note slightly weird spelling) that allows you to change the desktop icons to List view (amongst a whole host of options).
I entered the lack of this option on 'Buntu desktop as a launchpad bug about a year ago, but there's no action on it.
I would LOVE to be able to use this option, I hate Icon view, List View is much tidier and quicker (for me).
Any chance anyone who got this potential fix working could post a Screenshot of the working change, so we could see if it's what's we are looking for?

Cheers

[Donalb]

The best I can do is stop displaying Mounted Volumes as visible, set Zoom Level to Smaller, Text Ellipsis Level to [0] from [3]. Labels beside icons seems to have no effect. If I set Zoom level to Smallest then the bloody text goes all over the place.

Screenshot attached:


Cheers

[syn4k]

Please make sure I do not cover this previously...

[Donalb]

Hey Syn4k,

As Jurielmunkey said earlier in the thread:
"Nope this doesn't work (not on Jaunty anyway)... makes the icons smaller and that's it. There are easier ways to make the icons smaller. The big question is how to get the text to be on the right or left of the icons like a list rather than underneath."

See the snapshot of my desktop in my previous post. Can you post a snapshot of your desktop if you've managed to set it up differently, as an actual list?

Thanks

[syn4k]

My apologies,
I spent a few minutes poking around and found a fix for this which was created by somebody else. The fix requires modifying a c language source file for Nautilus....Check it out here: http://oi3prnnx.deviantart.com/art/The-New-Nautilus-Desktop-138405468

I did not use the patch because it complained so I instead manually modified the code myself and then cd to src to compile it.

You'll need a c compiler before you do anything...
sudo apt-get -y install libc6-dev g++ gcc

I can confirm that this works as I tested it on my computer as well.
Here is a screenshot of my computer desktop: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4872/screenshotax.png

I found the original information at: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1230822&page=3
:popcorn:

[Donalb]

Hey Syn4k,

Thanks very much.
On the good, this shows it's possible.
(I never thought of searching "text beside icons", I was searching "list view on desktop" or somesuch).
When it comes to modding code, that's outside my scope, but I'll try the suggested link and see how it goes...I can cut & paste with the best of 'em.

Thanks again, pity the "Thanks" button is gone!

Donal

[syn4k]

I created this script to do it all for you...
http://nettekk.com/index.php?action=content_view&id=218
:popcorn:

[Donalb]

Thanks very, very, very much for your effort here Syn4k!

I waiting to swap & clone my (failing) HDD (if the courier arrives) and then install Karmic today so I hope to try this within the next 2 days.

Appreciate it very much. Will revert to you when I have it done...


d

[ww2]

I created this script to do it all for you...
http://nettekk.com/index.php?action=content_view&id=218
:popcorn:

Your script works wonderfully. Thanks!

[Donalb]

Finally got back to this myself last week and yes the script works great. thanks for the effort.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful, which I'm not, I'd like to tweak it further.
Currently the icons are various sizes, depending on the application.
Text and OOo docs have the text the approx same size as the text. However PDFs & html files have a much larger icon.(See attached).
If I shrink the icon size (from currently smaller, to smallest) the text also shrinks and actually becomes invisible.

So, is there any way to shrink the default size for PDF's & html?

[debili]

anybody who still has the script ? the appears to be dead already...

thanks a lot

[syn4k]

Ask Donalb,
I gave him a copy. I hosted it on a file sharing website but they removed the file...

[Donalb]

Here it is. Rapidshare.


http://rapidshare.com/files/413530833/nautilus_desktop_icon_list_view_mod_script.zip.htm l

[reuf]

Solved here:
http://askubuntu.com/a/203871/77361

Text besides icons on Ubuntu Desktop

1-$ mkdir /home/nautilus-source & cd /home/nautilus-source

2-$ apt-get source nautilus #in my case it downloaded source for nautilus-3.4.2

3-$ sudo apt-get install fakeroot build-essential dpkg-dev

4-$ sudo apt-get build-dep nautilus

5-$ cd /home/nautilus-source/nautilus-3.4.2/

6-$ vim src/nautilus-desktop-icon-view.c

7-$ /NAUTILUS_TYPE_DESKTOP_ICON_VIEW

Change from:

g_object_new (NAUTILUS_TYPE_DESKTOP_ICON_VIEW, "window-slot", slot, "supports-zooming", FALSE, "supports-auto-layout", FALSE, "supports-scaling", TRUE,"supports-keep-aligned", TRUE, "supports-labels-beside-icons", FALSE, NULL);

to:

g_object_new (NAUTILUS_TYPE_DESKTOP_ICON_VIEW, "window-slot", slot, "supports-zooming", TRUE, "supports-auto-layout", FALSE, "supports-scaling", TRUE,"supports-keep-aligned", TRUE, "supports-labels-beside-icons", TRUE, NULL);

Line numbers in in src/nautilus-desktop-icon-view.c > 785-792

8-$ dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -us -uc -nc -b

9-$ sudo dpkg -i ../nautilus_3.4.2-0ubuntu4_i386.deb

10-$ killall nautilus

11- Open your home folder from launcher -

12- Edit > Preferences > Views > Check Text Besides Icons

ps. also now Ctrl+Scroll - will zoom in zoom out desktop icons

ps2. you can also change location of launcher # edit src/nautilus-places-sidebar.c

http://i.stack.imgur.com/bL8Ij.png