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TheSpaz · Nov 14, 2003, 01:31 PM

I know people are wondering if you can put the trash in the sidebar. Well, I came up with this quick hint today (after wondering that myself).

Download TinkerTool for free.

Then, in the Finder options... "Show Hidden and System Files"
Don't quit TinkerTool just yet...
Switch back to the Finder and navigate to your Home folder (shift-cmd-H)
Look for the hidden file ".Trash". and Get Info
Paste a custom icon on it... or... Download Apple's Trash Icon
Then drag it to the Side Bar
Finally just return to TinkerTool and uncheck "Show Hidden and System Files"

You're done.

Warning: I've noticed a bug with this (not a big deal) if you empty the trash, the resource for the custom icon (stored inside the trash folder) will get deleted, so if you move the icon in the Side Bar... your custom icon will be deleted (just a plain folder)

I don't think there is a way around this. (locking the file doesn't help)

So, once you have your custom icon set... don't move it around in the Side Bar. That's all I can see wrong with this trick.

Preview:

Anyone have any ideas?

clarkgoble · Nov 14, 2003, 02:17 PM

Cool hint. BTW - you can change the trash can icon directly. I think several of the theming packages will do this.

Post this to OSX Hints, if you could. (I'm forever trying to find a cool hint here, but there are so many posts that even with search it is hard to find them)

keston · Nov 14, 2003, 03:16 PM

But the .Trashes folder has a regular folder icon, NOT the standard trash icon, so a theming app would have no effect on this (other than giving it the same icon as any other folder).

Originally posted by clarkgoble:
Cool hint. BTW - you can change the trash can icon directly. I think several of the theming packages will do this.

snerdini · Nov 14, 2003, 03:36 PM

Nice trick! Thanks. I was hoping there would be an easy way to do this...

chabig · Nov 14, 2003, 04:27 PM

I think it would be easier to make an alias of the .Trash folder and name it Trash. Then give it any icon you want and drag that into the sidebar instead.

Chris

TheSpaz · Nov 15, 2003, 05:01 AM

It doesn't work...

I've tried

CharlesS · Nov 15, 2003, 05:26 AM

You can edit the Finder's preference file, and add an item to "FXToolbarItems" with an item-id of TCAN, and this puts a trash can in the Finder toolbar in Panther. Not the same as having it in the sidebar, but still something.

The odd thing about it is that unlike in Jaguar, the icon for it isn't right in Panther. In fact, on my system, I'm getting the System folder icon! Weird...

chabig · Nov 15, 2003, 08:40 AM

It doesn't work...

I've tried

You're right. I hadn't tried it when I suggested that. Now I have. Apparently you cannot put aliases into the sidebar at all. When you drag an alias to the sidebar, the Finder resolves the alias and puts the original item into the sidebar. It makes sense, really.

Chris

nickm · Nov 16, 2003, 06:35 AM

Just so you know, .Trash isn't the same as the trash. That is, dragging an item to .trash will sometimes have a different effect than dragging it to the trash. For example, if you drag an item from a removable volume to .trash, it will be copied onto the same volume as your home folder. Dragging it to the trash will put it in it's own volume's trash folder.

Link · Nov 16, 2003, 06:53 AM

Why not open a finder window, click home, and then hit command shift g

type in .trash and hit enter, drag the trash icon frmo the toolbar to the sidebar.

Peter · Nov 16, 2003, 07:43 AM

Make a shortcut, change the icon, rename it drag to sidebar

chabig · Nov 17, 2003, 12:56 PM

Make a shortcut, change the icon, rename it drag to sidebar.

Good idea--doesn't work. You get the icon for the original object.

clarkgoble · Nov 17, 2003, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by chabig:
Good idea--doesn't work. You get the icon for the original object.

I've not tested this (I'm at work), but if true this should be filed as a bug. Send it to apple's feedback.

darrick · Nov 17, 2003, 05:07 PM

i would have thought it would work; it did in jaguar: i have an alias to my .trash in my toolbar. a symlink sometimes works when an alias won't.

(going to go panther next weekend).

Person Man · Nov 17, 2003, 05:25 PM

Originally posted by clarkgoble:
I've not tested this (I'm at work), but if true this should be filed as a bug. Send it to apple's feedback.

It's not a bug. It's due to the way Apple stores custom icons for folders. The icon is put in a file stored in the folder itself. Pasting an icon over the folder for the trash puts the icon file inside the folder (i.e. in the trash itself). Thus, when you empty the trash, it deletes everything, including the icon file.