Get the icons on the desktop with GNOME 3

Gnome is one of the most popular Desktop in the current panorama of GNU / Linux distributions. As many users already know, from version 3.28 released in May, its developers have determined that desktop icons would be removed [¹], and so it actually was. There is, by default, no preference or setting to put the desktop icons back in their place. Even with the appreciated gnome-tweaks tool and even with the D-conf editor you can do it.

This choice is formally dictated by the desire to clean up the Nautilus code (Gnome file manager that also managed the desktop, and therefore the icons) from the less maintained and more obsolete parts; choice that personally (as many other Gnome users) I do not agree with, and I hope one day to see again return this possibility in the user’s hand. However, all is not lost, and there is a way to restore the icons of the desktop – even if not immediately visible / accessible – for those who want it (rightly, since in the desktop metaphor this is an important and useful area ).

The most effective way to bring the icons back to the desktop is to install Nemo, the Cinnamon file manager, Nautilus fork, to let him manage only the desktop icons:

sudo pacman -S nemo

 we confirm where required. Probably will also be installed cinnamon-desktop package with some dependency, but usually are a few MB, so nothing to worry about.

At this point we configure a desktop unit. With VIM, or any other text editor, we paste:

 nano ~/.config/autostart/icon-desktop.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Desktop Icons
Exec=nemo-desktop
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
NoDisplay=true
X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=Desktop
X-GNOME-Autostart-Notify=true
X-GNOME-AutoRestart=true
X-GNOME-Provides=filemanager

Well, now simply, let’s restart the Gnome session: let’s log out, and let’s get back inside. And here’s that as if by magic we will have all our beautiful and useful icons again visible. 

In case you want to delete the icons and go back to a “clean” desktop, just delete (or rename) the unit or disable it from gnome-tweaks (aka Customizations) in Startup Applications.

To further customize the desktop icon view, you can use the D-conf editor; under /org/Nemo/desktop there are all the relative keys, for example, to the display of the icons Home, Computer, etc.

Remember to disable the desktop icons extension from gnome-tweaks.