Dragging a URL to the desktop saves web page instead of creating a link

[Marc Deslauriers]

Binary package hint: firefox-3.5

In Jaunty, dragging a URL from the address bar icon to the desktop would create a launcher on the desktop.

When I do it in karmic, it saves a copy of the webpage to the desktop, instead of a link.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Nov 5 11:53:41 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: firefox 3.5.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.10.1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: firefox-3.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64

[lumbricus (lumbricus)]

I can confirm this behaviour. I found out how I can still create launchers on the desktop:
  - drag the address bar icon to the desktop (and don't drop it)
  - when you left the firefox window with your mouse and you are ready to drop it on the desktop press and hold ALT
  - drop it to the desktop
  - release ALT

[lumbricus (lumbricus)]

I think in Firefox 3.6.8 the problem is solved. It asked me if I wanted a link or a copy.

[Sean Fenton (bobodod)]

Works on some sites & not others. I'm running Firefox 3.6.16 on Ubuntu 10.10.

Try this site, for example: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/FullBashGuide

[lumbricus (lumbricus)]

I can confirm the bug also with Firefox 4.0. It seems to me as if with Firefox 4.0 the bug doesn't occur so often anymore, but it does for the page mentioned by Sean in #4.

[Sean Fenton (bobodod)]

I created a template named "~/Templates/hyperlink.desktop". The contents are just a blank launcher:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Link to something
Type=Link
URL=
Icon=gnome-fs-bookmark

I take the long route & create the launcher from scratch like this when a site won't cooperate. If I want to edit the filename, I have to do it in GNOME Terminal, because Nautilus shows & allows editing only of what's on the "Name=" line.

[caixamagica (caixa-magica)]

Still not solved in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot. Creating url shortcuts in desktop by drag and drop from browser should be a basic feature! I'm sorry but I really find hard to believe that after all these years this issue isn't solved yet and nobody cares about it...