how to use "Desktop Entry" files?

[EC]

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 14:57:02 +0100
Roland Plüss <roland at rptd.dnsalias.net> wrote:

> i noticed that xfce uses in his system generated list ( the one with
> 'include --system--' ) .desktop files ( or Desktop Entry files ) from
> KDE from the /usr/share/applications directoy to populate this menu. i
> tried now to create such files myself for apps which are not yet in that
> listing but that i would like to have there ( including existing ones
> and my own ). now i did a simply copy-modify to create an entry for
> NEdit for example. although the entry is fine and KDE finds it XFCE does
> not ( even after restarting X and restarting the entire machine ).
> 
> can somebody give me a hint why i can not create my own .desktop files
> in /usr/share/applications with XFCE using them? do i need to update a
> database? or is there a special config file hidden somewhere that i have
> to mess around with?
> 

I have noticed these same problems - a fix that has worked for me is to
go into the xfce window manager settings menu and change the icon
theme.  Just switch to another one, then back to your usual.  It seems
to make xfce rescan the .desktop files.

Hope that helps, although this is a minor bug that should be fixed in
the xfce code 

-- 
Wed:Feb:08:06
Eli C.