No wonder nobody who got the tar file got mc to work with gnome :-)

gnome/Makefile.in

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
 
 GNOMESRCS = gkey.c gmain.c gscreen.c gwidget.c \
-	gmenu.c ginfo.c ghelp.c glayout.c gtools.c
+	gmenu.c ginfo.c ghelp.c glayout.c gtools.c gdesktop.c
 
 GNOMEHDRS = gmain.h gscreen.h  gwidget.h gconf.h
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ OBJS = $(LOBJS) $(OOBJS) \
 
 PIXMAPS = directory.xpm
 
-DISTGNOME = Makefile.in gnome.TODO $(PIXMAPS) $(GNOMESRCS) $(GNOMEHDRS) 
+DISTGNOME = Makefile.in gnome.TODO layout $(PIXMAPS) $(GNOMESRCS) $(GNOMEHDRS) 
 
 .c.o:
 	$(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CFLAGS) $<

gnome/gdesktop.c

@@ -0,0 +1,350 @@
+/*
+ * Controls the desktop contents
+ * (C) 1998 the Free Software Foundation
+ *
+ * Author: Miguel de Icaza (miguel@gnu.org)
+ */
+#include <config.h>
+#include "fs.h"
+#include <gnome.h>
+#include "util.h"
+#include "gdesktop.h"
+#include "../vfs/vfs.h"
+#include <string.h>
+#include "main.h"
+#include "file.h"
+#include "global.h"
+
+/* Types of desktop icons:
+ *
+ * o Application: Double click: start up application;
+ *                Dropping:     start up program with arguments.
+ *
+ * o Directory:   Double click: opens the directory in a panel.
+ *                Double click: copies/moves files.
+ *
+ * o File:        Opens the application according to regex_command
+ */ 
+		  
+typedef enum {
+	application,
+	directory,
+	file
+} icon_t;
+
+/* A structure that describes each icon on the desktop */
+typedef struct {
+	GnomeDesktopEntry *dentry;
+	GtkWidget         *widget;
+	icon_t            type;
+	int               x, y;
+	char              *title;
+} desktop_icon_t;
+
+/* The list of icons on the desktop */
+static GList *desktop_icons;
+
+/*
+ * Creates a shaped window, toplevel, non-wm managed window from a given file
+ * uses the all-mighty Imlib to do all the difficult work for us
+ */
+GtkWidget *
+shaped_icon_new_from_file (char *file, int extra_events)
+{
+	GtkWidget *window;
+	GdkImlibImage *im;
+	GdkWindowPrivate *private;
+
+	gtk_widget_push_visual (gdk_imlib_get_visual ());
+	gtk_widget_push_colormap (gdk_imlib_get_colormap ());
+
+	window = gtk_window_new (GTK_WINDOW_POPUP);
+
+	gtk_widget_set_events (window, gtk_widget_get_events (window) | extra_events);
+	
+	gtk_widget_pop_colormap ();
+	gtk_widget_pop_visual ();
+
+	im = gdk_imlib_load_image (file);
+
+	gtk_widget_set_usize (window, im->rgb_width, im->rgb_height);
+	gtk_widget_realize (window);
+	gdk_window_resize (window->window, im->rgb_width, im->rgb_height);
+	private = (GdkWindowPrivate *) window->window;
+	private->width = im->rgb_width;
+	private->height = im->rgb_height;
+	gdk_imlib_apply_image (im, window->window);
+
+	gdk_imlib_destroy_image (im);
+
+	return window;
+}
+
+/*
+ * If the dentry is zero, then no information from the on-disk .desktop file is used
+ * In this case, we probably will have to store the geometry for a file somewhere
+ * else.
+ */
+static void
+desktop_icon_set_position (desktop_icon_t *di, GtkWidget *widget)
+{
+	static int x, y = 10;
+	static int current_x, current_y;
+	
+	x = -1;
+	if (di->dentry && di->dentry->geometry){
+		char *comma = strchr (di->dentry->geometry, ',');
+
+		if (comma){
+			x = atoi (di->dentry->geometry);
+			comma++;
+			y = atoi (comma);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* This find-spot routine can obviously be improved, left as an excercise
+	 * to the hacker
+	 */
+	if (x == -1){
+		x = current_x;
+		y = current_y;
+
+		current_y += 64;
+		if (current_y > gdk_screen_height ()){
+			current_x += 64;
+			current_y = 0;
+		}
+	}
+	di->x = x;
+	di->y = y;
+	gtk_widget_set_uposition (widget, x, y);
+}
+
+static void
+drop_cb (GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventDropDataAvailable *event, desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+
+}
+
+static void
+connect_drop_signals (GtkWidget *widget, desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+	GtkObject *o = GTK_OBJECT (widget);
+	
+	gtk_signal_connect (o, "drop_enter_event", GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (gtk_true), di);
+	gtk_signal_connect (o, "drop_leave_event", GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (gtk_true), di);
+	gtk_signal_connect (o, "drop_data_available_event", GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (drop_cb), di);
+}
+
+static void
+dentry_execute (desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+	GnomeDesktopEntry *dentry = di->dentry;
+
+	/* Ultra lame-o execute.  This should be replaced by the fixed regexp_command
+	 * invocation 
+	 */
+
+	if (strcmp (di->dentry->type, "Directory") == 0)
+		do_cd (di->dentry->exec, cd_exact);
+	else 
+		gnome_desktop_entry_launch (dentry);
+}
+
+static void
+dentry_properties (desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+	printf ("Edit this widget properties\n");
+}
+
+static void
+dentry_button_click (GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventButton *event, desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+	if (event->type == GDK_2BUTTON_PRESS && event->button == 1)
+		dentry_execute (di);
+
+	if (event->type == GDK_BUTTON_PRESS && event->button == 3)
+		dentry_properties (di);
+}
+		
+static void
+desktop_load_dentry (char *filename)
+{
+	GnomeDesktopEntry  *dentry;
+	desktop_icon_t *di;
+	GtkWidget *window;
+
+	char *drop_types [] = {
+		"url:ALL",
+		"text/plain"
+	};
+	
+	dentry = gnome_desktop_entry_load (filename);
+
+	if (!dentry)
+		return;
+	
+	window = shaped_icon_new_from_file (dentry->icon, GDK_BUTTON_PRESS_MASK);
+
+	di = xmalloc (sizeof (desktop_icon_t), "desktop_load_entry");
+	di->dentry = dentry;
+	di->widget = window;
+	
+	desktop_icon_set_position (di, window);
+	
+	desktop_icons = g_list_prepend (desktop_icons, (gpointer) di);
+	
+	/* Setup the widget to make it useful: */
+
+	/* 1. Drag and drop functionality */
+	connect_drop_signals (window, di);
+	gtk_widget_dnd_drop_set (window, TRUE, drop_types, 1, FALSE);
+	
+	/* 2. Double clicking executes the command */
+	gtk_signal_connect (GTK_OBJECT (window), "button_press_event", GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (dentry_button_click), di);
+	
+	gtk_widget_show (window);
+}
+
+static void
+desktop_create_directory_entry (char *dentry_path, char *pathname, char *short_name)
+{
+	GnomeDesktopEntry *dentry;
+
+	dentry = xmalloc (sizeof (GnomeDesktopEntry), "dcde");
+	dentry->name    = g_strdup (short_name);
+	dentry->comment = NULL;
+	dentry->exec    = g_strdup (pathname);
+	dentry->icon    = gnome_unconditional_pixmap_file ("folder.xpm");
+	dentry->docpath = NULL;
+	dentry->type    = g_strdup ("Directory");
+	dentry->location = g_strdup (dentry_path);
+
+	gnome_desktop_entry_save (dentry);
+
+	gnome_desktop_entry_load (dentry_path);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Returns the icon associated with the given file name, or app.xpm
+ * if no icon is defined for this application
+ */
+static char *
+get_desktop_icon (char *pathname)
+{
+	char *fname, *full_fname;
+
+	fname = regex_command (pathname, "Icon", 0, 0);
+
+	/* Try the system icon */
+	full_fname = gnome_unconditional_pixmap_file (fname);
+	if (full_fname)
+		return full_fname;
+	
+	return gnome_unconditional_pixmap_file ("app.xpm");
+}
+
+static void
+desktop_file_exec (GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventButton *event, desktop_icon_t *di)
+{
+	printf ("YOu just discovered that regex_command ('open') is not being invoked yet\n");
+}
+
+static void
+desktop_create_launch_entry (char *pathname, char *short_name)
+{
+	GtkWidget *window;
+	desktop_icon_t *di;
+	char *icon;
+
+	icon = get_desktop_icon (pathname);
+	window = shaped_icon_new_from_file (icon, GDK_BUTTON_PRESS_MASK);
+	g_free (icon);
+	di = xmalloc (sizeof (desktop_icon_t), "dcle");
+	di->dentry = NULL;
+	di->widget = window;
+	desktop_icon_set_position (di, window);
+
+	desktop_icons = g_list_prepend (desktop_icons, (gpointer) di);
+
+	/* Double clicking executes the command */
+	gtk_signal_connect (GTK_OBJECT (window), "button_press_event", GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (desktop_file_exec), di);
+	gtk_widget_show (window);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Desktop initialization code
+ */
+static void
+desktop_load (char *desktop_dir)
+{
+	struct dirent *dent;
+	DIR *dir;
+	GnomeDesktopEntry *entry;
+	
+	dir = mc_opendir (desktop_dir);
+	if (dir == NULL){
+		message (1, " Warning ", " Could not open %s directory", desktop_dir, NULL);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	while ((dent = mc_readdir (dir)) != NULL){
+		struct stat s;
+		char *full;
+
+		/* ignore '.' */
+		if (dent->d_name [0] == '.' && dent->d_name [1] == 0)
+			continue;
+
+		/* ignore `..' */
+		if (dent->d_name [0] == '.' && dent->d_name [1] == '.' && dent->d_name [2] == 0)
+			continue;
+
+		full = concat_dir_and_file (desktop_dir, dent->d_name);
+		mc_stat (full, &s);
+
+		if (S_ISDIR (s.st_mode)){
+			char *dir_full = concat_dir_and_file (full, ".directory");
+
+			if (exist_file (dir_full))
+				desktop_load_dentry (dir_full);
+			else
+				desktop_create_directory_entry (dir_full, full, dent->d_name);
+			
+			free (dir_full);
+		} else if (!strstr (dent->d_name, ".desktop"))
+			desktop_load_dentry (full);
+		else
+			desktop_create_launch_entry (full, dent->d_name);
+		
+		free (full);
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+desktop_setup_default (char *desktop_dir)
+{
+	char *mc_desktop_dir;
+
+	mc_desktop_dir = concat_dir_and_file (mc_home, MC_LIB_DESKTOP);
+	
+	create_op_win (OP_COPY, 0);
+	file_mask_defaults ();
+	copy_dir_dir (mc_desktop_dir, desktop_dir);
+	destroy_op_win ();
+	free (mc_desktop_dir);
+
+}
+
+void
+start_desktop (void)
+{
+	char *f = concat_dir_and_file (home_dir, "desktop");
+
+	if (!exist_file (f))
+		desktop_setup_default (f);
+	
+	desktop_load (f);
+	free (f);
+}
+