Get Rid Of Desktop Icons Using Configuration Editor (gconf-editor)

I like a relatively blank desktop. In Fedora linux, You can add or remove items on the desktop like Computer or mounted drives using the Configuration Editor, but the Gconf editor is not installed by default.

So before you can change or remove items from your Desktop in Fedora, you need to install the Configuration Editor. From a terminal. login as root and:

yum install gconf-editor

There! That's it. Now:

Applications -> System Tools -> Configuration Editor. In this screen, click apps, then Nautilus, then Desktop. Check boxes for things you want, uncheck them for things you don't.

You should not remove system-installed desktop icons by dragging them to the trash.

You can create icons for any other program either on the panels or the desktop without using the editor. To add a launcher to the desktop, right click and select "Create Launcher." To add on to a panel, right click the panel you want to add to and select "add to panel."

Desktop launchers created this way can be trashed with no ill effect. Panel launchers can be removed by right clicking the launcher and selecting "Remove from panel."