Windows type shortcuts to files and folders

[Michael Spencer]

I believe Ubuntu has something similar to a Windows symbolic link in that
it jumps to the destination folder as if you had gone directly to that
folder, unlike a symbolic link, which is treated as its own path.

You can do this using a .desktop file. An example of this is the Examples
shortcut that comes with a default install of Ubuntu. Removing the
translations, it looks like this:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Link
Name=Examples
Comment=Example content for Ubuntu
URL=file:///usr/share/example-content/
Icon=folder

When I click on this desktop file in the Files app, it jumps right to
/usr/share/example-content, instead of displaying the original path to the
file.

This may or may not work with individual applications, but at least the
concept should be similar.

Hope this helps,
Michael

On Tue, Jul 14, 2015 at 8:29 AM Johan Kriel <jek at hotmail.co.za> wrote:

> No you are wrong!!! The way shortcuts work in Windows is totally
> different from Ubuntu's symbolic links. Windows also have what they call
> a "Junction" which do exactly what Ubuntu's symlinks do. But Windows
> shortcuts DOES NOT create a symbolic path to the destination. It is a
> simple jump to the destination as if you have typed "cd /destination" in
> a terminal. Both shortcuts and junctions are useful, but they have
> different purposes and you can not replace the one with the other. The
> problem I have with Banshee is because I have to use symlinks where I
> really need shortcuts.
>
> Regards
> Johan Kriel
>
>
> On 14/07/2015 15:06, Sam Bull wrote:
> > On Sun, 2015-07-12 at 15:51 +0200, Johan Kriel wrote:
> >> Please guys, seriously consider the implementation of shortcuts as used
> >> by Windows in Ubuntu. Those shortcuts are of real good use and they
> >> don't create unnecessary extra symbolic paths to any folder. They are a
> >> simple direct jump to another folder somewhere on your disc.
> > Shortcuts are the equivalent of symbolic links. There is no functional
> > difference.
> >
> > It sounds like the issue is that you have Banshee searching areas that
> > you don't want it to. If the symlinks are outside the Music folder, then
> > you just need to make Banshee only searches the Music folder.
> >       If the symlinks are inside the Music folder, then it'll create an
> > endless loop when searching through the folder. I can't imagine any
> > reason for doing this, so if they are in the Music folder, then perhaps
> > explain what you're trying to achieve with them (or maybe there's an
> > advanced setting in Banshee to stop it following symlinks).
>
>
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-- 
Michael Spencer

Android, iOS, and QtQuick Developer

Papyros founder and lead developer | http://papyros.io
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