how to single-click desktop icons to run them

**markMDW** · January 12th, 2012

Hi, Is there a setting that changes the method of executing desktop icons from double-click to single click? I want to make the computing experience easier on folks.

Because of its simple, well thought out design that eliminates unnecessary waste of time to get things done, Xubuntu has been my Linux distribution of choice to install on family and friends computers in need of energy. But, one annoyance is the double-clicking of icons on the desktop to run them.

If the icon runs a large application there is no way to know if the double-click was successful. Some folks click slowly, others fast. It wastes time when they wait and wait, then click three of four times to try and get the application to run ...and then only to find out several instances of the application opening up in sequence to the dismay of the Xubuntu user.

The one stupid method that the XFCE Destop Environment (and hence Xubuntu) employs is the 'double-click' method. Why??

The majority of times if a user wants to perform an action on the desktop icon, they want to run it. It should be a simple single click. If they want to do something else with the icon, such as move it, look at the properties, or make another adjustment, then it should be a single alternate click (right-click) followed by the side-menu. How does a user make a recommendation for improvement to XFCE? Thanks

**mattia.tamellini** · January 12th, 2012

hello!

on my ubuntu 11.10, what you wish can be accomplished by opening a nautilus window (such as home), then going to edit > preferences > behaviour and then choosing "single click to open objects"...I believe you can find something similar on xubuntu

**LewisTM** · January 12th, 2012

Originally Posted by mattia.tamellini

hello!

on my ubuntu 11.10, what you wish can be accomplished by opening a nautilus window (such as home), then going to edit > preferences > behaviour and then choosing "single click to open objects"...I believe you can find something similar on xubuntu

This will not work in Xubuntu because Nautilus is not used to manage desktop items, a program called xfdesktop is.

Which brings in an interesting point. The next version of Xfce will follow the same approach and use Thunar instead of xfdesktop, which will become a thing of the past. Thunar already offers single-click functionality. So there is hope for those who upgrade but no fix at the moment.

Cheers!

**markMDW** · January 13th, 2012

I also have a system with Ubuntu 10.04. I'm now single clicking on Ubuntu's Desktop with success.

It will take a while to break the bad habit of double clicking on the desktop; at least I never got addicted to preferring some nightmare system that requires tri-clicks or quad-clicks to run icons. [Some click happy folks may have preferred such a make-believe paradigm.. but to each their own]

Thanks for the piece of advice! I will wait for Thunar to come Xubuntu's rescue.