I have Zorin Pro 18. I made the switch from Windows to Zorin as Microsoft required 8th generation processors or better to run Windows 11. In my opinion, Zorin is MUCH lighter than Windows bloatware but it does come at the price of learning a few Linux commands AND some inconveniences requiring extra steps to achieve a simple objective. ONE of those inconveniences is simply pinning a program you've installed that has an icon on the desktop BUT you also want a quick launch icon in the taskbar. In Windows, you simply right click on that icon and then you can select "pin to taskbar". That option does not exist in Zorin. After searching for a solution, I've found multiple complicated answers, none of which has worked for me. So here's my real problem.
I've installed "ThinkOrSwim", the Charles Schwab investing platform, on my laptop (Xeon E2186M 32M Ram). There is an icon on the desktop and when I click on it, the program will launch. After plugging in my username and password the program will load but then disappear. The program does have an icon in the taskbar in the form of a small gear but it is not colored. I then have to hover over the top of that icon, move my cursor to the top of the menu box, right click and press RESTORE. Then ThinkOrSwim appears on my desktop. That's ONE inconvenience and I only mention that problem on my way to the real problem with is as follows:
I simply want to pin the program to my taskbar!! In Windows you right click on any icon on the desktop and select "Pin to Taskbar" and you're done. Not in Zorin. Can anyone offer some advice?
Thinkorswim seems to be very complicated. I installed openjdk 21 beforehand in order to be able to install the program. It is saved as a folder in the home directory, but there is no normal .desktop file (or I couldn't find it). At ~/.local/share/applications it is not and not in the thinkorswim folder at ~/thinkorswim.
It only has packaged launcher.jar and launcher-first.jar and the program isn't shown in startmenu or applications overview, also not after logout.
I believe you but it doesn't work on my computer for some reason. First of all, ThinkOrSwim is somehow not listed as a program in the "Start Menu" list of programs. The only method of opening it is the ThinkOrSwim Icon on the desktop. If click start, then search for ThinkOrSwim in the search bar, it does bring up a few options (see pic) but I can't right click on them and bring up any options menu.
As for your other comment below, I too installed openjdk21 before I could install ThinkOrSwim but without addressing where or how it installed,,,,it worked for me. ThinkOrSwim did install but initially the icon on the desktop was not colored and had a small red "x" in the lower right hand corner. I think I had to right click on the desktop icon and select "Allow Launching" for it to work. Then, after I double click the icon it appears to load but the program then disappears from sight except for the icon in the tray that shows it's open & there,,,I just can't see it. So then I hover over that icon, go to the top of that dialogue box where it says "main@ThinkOrSwim [build 1988]" and right click. That's when/where I can select "Restore" and ThinkOrSwim then appears on my desktop.
At least I can open it that way,,,but that does not solve my problem of trying to put a ThinkOrSwim icon in the Zorin tray for quick launch. I guess I really don't need it,,,it's more of a convenience but it would be nice and it's a notable difference between Zorin vs. Windows. I just thought someone here might have a solution.
Now I found the solution...so easy..
Rightclick on the desktop icon of thinkorswim, select copy,
then open your file manager, press ctrl+h to show the hidden files,
go to your personal folder, then to >.local >share >applications
and paste it there.
I now have a quick launch icon for ThinkOrSwim in my tray. I don't understand why the Zorin development team wouldn't make this feature to align with how Windows allows links to be created and pasted in the tray. It seems like for a development team it would be easy to iimplement. Nonetheless, I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to resolve this. CHEERS!!!
This is really complicated and daunting for Linux newbies! Fortunately, this happens very rarely. Most programs that you install via the Software Center or download as .deb files appear in the Start menu, so you can add them to the taskbar.
Only appimages or tarballs are a bit special.
