Command line commands to launch applications are nowhere to be found (?) at least for a newbie

[olli]

This is a feature request to increase the usability of Ubuntu.

It is easy even for a newbie to install applications by using Synaptic, apt-get, aptitude, etc. However, there is no (easy) way for the (newbie) user to know what is the command line (or Alt F2) command to launch the application in question.

Now one might ask, why would a newbie use command line to launch apps. Well, there are still lots of apps that are run _only_ from the command line. One really needs to know the commands to launch those apps. Sometimes the command is not the actual name of the package that is installed via Synaptic etc. For a basic example, how could a newbie know that openoffice is launched with a command "soffice" and not for example "office" or "openoffice" (well, for OOo there are graphical icons, so this example is not the best but it was the first that got into my mind)?

I am suggesting, that the application description shown in Synaptic could include information on the command that is used to launch the application.

(I have been using Ubuntu 7.04 and 7.10 for the last one year and I still consider me as a newbie. Therefore I would not be surprised at all to hear that all those launch commands can be found somewhere from one place. At least I have not found them even though I have been searching for them...)

[David Futcher (bobbo)]

Thanks for taking the time to write this detailed bug report. Unfortunately in this current state it cannot be acted upon by developers. Ideally a bug should be filed for each package that you are having difficulty with (from the report i am guessing they lack easy documentation or if a graphical app, lack a .desktop (menu) file). Could you write a list of packages you are having problems with so that specific bugs can be filed and fixed.

Thanks.

[encompass (encompass)]

Perhaps we could gather a list of applications that need not only icons but further infomation aout how to run the application in the command line.

[olli (olli-hanninen)]

Thank you David and encompass. Encompass clarified my point. I'll gather a list of the programs with what I have experienced these difficulties and will attach it here later.

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

olli - Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and help make Ubuntu better. However, I'm going to close this report, as you should open bug reports against the particular packages that you have problems with. Ordinary users shouldn't need to launch applications from the command line. If they do, then that is a bug against that particular package. If you find packages with missing launcher icons, then please open a bug report against that package with the 'desktop-file' tag.

Thanks in advance.