[COLUG] File Links

[Rob Funk]

Mark Erbaugh wrote:
> I'm trying to do something with file links and it's not working the way
> I anticipated (could be because I'm used to working with Windows
> shortcuts).

Linux/Unix links don't work like Windows shortcuts.  Windows shortcuts are 
small text files that point to the target file, with auxiliary information 
such as the working directory.  Linux/Unix links are a filesystem-level 
construct that simply direct the OS at a low level to the target file.

> I created a link on my desktop to this file (I did this by using the
> Nautilus 'Make Link' command in the pop-up context menu for the file
> icon and then copying it to the desktop). If I double click this link,
> Idle opens the file, but the file name displayed is that of the link and
> the current working directory is set to my Desktop directory.

Yes, that's the way Linux/Unix treats links -- as if the linked file were 
located where the link is.

> Is there a way to have launching this link work the same as launching
> the file it points to?

No, but you should be able to set up a launcher for Idle that does what you 
want.  Since I use neither Idle nor Gnome I can't really give much help 
beyond that though.

If you can figure out how to create a launcher (a .desktop file, actually, 
though the user interface probably won't mention that anywhere), then you 
may find it capable of something similar to what you are used to doing 
with Windows shortcuts.

-- 
==============================|   "A microscope locked in on one point
 Rob Funk <rfunk at funknet.net> |Never sees what kind of room that it's in"
 http://www.funknet.net/rfunk |    -- Chris Mars, "Stuck in Rewind"