How do I add a custom option to an xfce4 menu item?

Question

I have noticed that XFCE4 has an option to launch firefox in incognito mode:

This firefox was installed from the Arch Linux repository.

Can I do the same for a custom launcher for Firefox Nightly that is located in the /opt/firefox-nightly/ directory?

Answer 1

Items can be added to XFCE4 menu very quickly. But before answering I want to mention that I will be using images to clarify things.

You first need to cd into $HOME/.local/share/applications/ from your terminal and then follow the steps:

1. Run exo-desktop-item-edit ./Firefox.desktop - this will launch a new window which can be used to create the desktop icon very easily. Save when you are done...

2. Now in your favourite editor, you can paste in the following lines:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Firefox
Comment=Browse the Web
Exec=firefox-beta
Icon=/opt/firefox-beta/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
Path=
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=false
Actions=new-window;new-private-window
Categories=Network;WebBrowser

[Desktop Action new-window]
Name=New Window
Exec=/opt/firefox-beta/firefox --new-window %u

[Desktop Action new-private-window]
Name=New Private Window
Exec=/opt/firefox-beta/firefox --private-window %u

The first lines (before Actions) were created by exo-desktop-item-edit. You will need to copy the lines from Actions, and in the Exec options you can change the path of your binary. In my case, firefox-beta command is just a link to /opt/firefox-beta/firefox. That's what the code should be.

If the step 1 isn't working, don't panic, copy-paste step 2 with a modification of Exec and Icon to the Firefox installation path. Of course, you can add these menus for any other application you want...

3. To confirm, open you menu (I am using xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin), and check if it's working or not:

Voila! It works! Hope this helps!