Removing apps/running new apps/shortcuts?

Very new to Debian/Raspbian but have managed to install some apps (VLC, XBMC, etc).

A couple of Qs:

My Wheezy install of Raspbian apparently came bundled with some apps I probably don't need, like Scratch (a games maker??). How do I go about removing apps like this? Where are they located in my filesystem? Can I just delete the folder or is there a removal process via terminal etc??

Secondly, I've installed these apps (via command prompt via SSH) and now would like to run them under Raspbian - where would I find them? Can I create 'shortcuts' to the apps on my desktop like I would under Windows/Mac?

Sorry if these are really simple questions!

Regarding Scratch, enter the following into the Linux terminal:

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sudo apt-get autoremove scratch

Amazing, thanks! I guess that'll work with any apps I want to remove??

Yes , google "debian package mangment"
apt is a quite useful tool.

ghans

Cool, will check it out, thanks!

Secondly, I've installed these apps (via command prompt via SSH) and now would like to run them under Raspbian - where would I find them? Can I create 'shortcuts' to the apps on my desktop like I would under Windows/Mac?

I'm not an expert at this so am fumbling too, but I'll tell you what I know!

I too use a command line via SSH from my PC. One useful app is Midnight Commander, known as mc, which is a file manager.

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sudo apt-get install mc

To run it from a command line just type

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sudo mc

It will come up in your /home/pi directory. This is where *some* of your apps will be installed, but others in seemingly secret places.... But typing the name of the app on the command line will usually run it.

To put an app on your desktop with an icon and its name below it, you have to create a file in the /home/pi/Desktop directory. I made one recently for Chromium. This is what I did. From the command line I went into the /Desktop directory using

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cd Desktop

Note that upper and lower case matters!
I then used the nano text editor to create a file called chromium.desktop

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sudo nano chromium.desktop

In this file I then entered the following (from googling, I didn't make it up off the top of my head!)

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[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Exec=chromium -disable-ipv6 %f
Icon=/home/pi/google.png
Terminal=false
Name=Chromium

I presume the Exec line for other apps need just have the name, and the system will find it, somewhere! Now you know all I do about this! Save this file by doing a CTRL-X in nano. Then reboot. Then fingers crossed.

sudo apt-get is useful for a few things, try

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

every few days.

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df -k

is useful too.

Hope this helps!

Unh.

That's absolutely fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to explain all that. Will give it a go!

@peanutismint - you might also want to look at "synaptic" a very nice GUI frontend to apt.

to install it:
1) sudo apt-get update
2) sudo apt-get install synaptic

to run it from system menu:
system-->Synaptic Package Manager

to run it from terminal prompt:
sudo synaptic

If you do decide to use it: remember to get in the habit of clicking the <Reload> button (top left) to bring your package lists up-to-date before installing anything

Fantastic! I like GUIs...... much more intuitive for a noob like me!

Thanks!