How to modify applications.menu file as root?

Question

I´m trying to install Backtrack on Ubuntu (with Unity).

I´m stuck trying to modify applications.menu file, because it´s readme only. And I can´t change that using the GUI because it´s greyed out.

How may I make that file read/write from the command line, or access it with gedit as root?

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 27 '13 at 18:32

1

You can use nano

sudo nano path/to/file

You can also use gedit

gksudo gedit path/to/file

edited Oct 27 '13 at 18:32

guntbert

answered Oct 27 '13 at 18:08

Aatish Sai

Thanks for your reply! How may I use gedit in that way? typing first sudo nano gedit? I´ve tried but it won´t open the gedit application... – Rosamunda Oct 27 '13 at 18:11

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 27 '13 at 18:16

The best way wold be:

Use the following command in terminal:
```
sudo -i
```
to get a shell where you have root privileges.
Then use the following command:
```
 xdg-open /usr/share/app-install/desktop/applications.menu
```
to open applications.menu file in your favorite text editor.

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 27 '13 at 19:01

I haven't got enough reputation to answer Rosamunda Rosamunda's comment so I'll just answer here.

Instead of using sudo nano gedit use sudo gedit [path].

sudo gives you root priviliges

gedit means you want to start the program gedit.

and then the path. Example:

sudo gedit /usr/share/app-install/desktop/applications.menu

Just a general Linux tip: you are starting a program every time you type a word in the terminal.

[program name] [arguments for the program]

so the next line means start the program gedit and the /usr/share/....... argument tells gedit that it have to open that file.

gedit /usr/share/app-install/desktop/applications.menu

when putting sudo infront of the command tells linux that the command should be run with root priviliges.

sudo gedit /usr/share/app-install/desktop/applications.menu

3 Answers3