manual/getting_started/installing/index.rst

@@ -77,5 +77,5 @@ Follow the steps for your platform.
 .. toctree::
    :hidden:
 
-   linux_freedesktop.rst
+   linux_example_install.rst
    linux_windowing_environment.rst

manual/getting_started/installing/linux.rst

@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ Install from blender.org
 ========================
 
 Download the Linux version for your architecture and decompress the file to the desired location
-(e.g. ``/opt`` or ``~/software``).
+(e.g. ``/opt`` or ``~/software`` or ``/usr/local``).
 
 Blender can now be launched by running the ``blender`` executable in the installed directory.
 
 Getting icons to work is somewhat tedious, but does not have to be redone when updating
-blender versions. See :doc:`Installing freedesktop.org icons <linux_freedesktop>`.
+blender versions. See :doc:`Linux Example Install <linux_example_install>`.
 
 When using this method of installation, it is possible to have multiple versions of Blender installed
 as they each have a different directory name.

manual/getting_started/installing/linux_example_install.rst

@@ -1,33 +1,36 @@
 
 *******************
-Installing freedesktop.org icons
+Linux example install of downloaded Blender
 *******************
 
-Exactly where to place icons varies depending on the Linux distribution and the
+The following commands sucessfully installed the downloaded 4.0.2 version of Blender
-desktop environment theme. These instructions worked for Pop!_OS, an Ubuntu
+on POP!_OS (a spinoff of Ubuntu). This includes making the ``.blend`` files show
-spinoff. In general you should search for similar files in order to figure out what
+thumbnails and icons and making double-clicking of them launch Blender.
-directory to place the icons in. Text you may have to change is in red.
 
-These instructions assume you want to install system-wide in ``/opt``.  You can avoid
+This should work for other Linux distributions, however the directories files must be
-the need for ``sudo`` by instead installing somewhere in your home directory, using
+placed into, especially icons, can change depending on the distribution and the
-that directory instead of ``/opt`` and using ``~/.local`` instead of ``/usr``.
+desktop theme. Search around for similar directory names and files to locate where
+they should go.  `Freedesktop.org <https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/>`__
+is the official specification for how these files work.
+
+Use of ``sudo`` can be avoided by unpacking the download into your home directory, using
+that instead of ``/opt``, and making all the links to ``~/.local`` instead of ``/usr/local``.
 
 **Extract the downloaded ``.tar.xz`` file into a directory in ``/opt``**
 
    .. code-block:: sh
 
-      sudo mkdir /opt
+      sudo mkdir -p /opt
       cd /opt
-      sudo tar -xf ~/Downloads/blender-'4.0.2-linux-x64'.tar.xz
+      sudo tar -xf ~/Downloads/blender-4.0.2-linux-x64.tar.xz
 
 **Add a symbolic link to skip the version number**
 
    .. code-block:: sh
 
-      sudo rm /opt/blender
+      sudo ln -sTf blender-4.0.2-linux-x64 /opt/blender
-      sudo ln -s blender-'4.0.2-linux-x64' /opt/blender
 
-**Make running blender from the command line work**
+**Make Blender commands work from the command line**
 
    .. code-block:: sh
 
@@ -48,24 +51,24 @@ that directory instead of ``/opt`` and using ``~/.local`` instead of ``/usr``.
 
    .. code-block:: sh
 
-      sudo ln -s /opt/blender/blender.svg /usr/share/icons/'hicolor/'scalable/
+      sudo ln -s /opt/blender/blender.svg /usr/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/blender.svg
+
+   Here you need to locate the correct directory for your Linux distribution.
 
 **Check if the "mime type" exists**
 
-   This may be true of any modern Linux install.
+   This should work on any modern Linux installation.
 
-   .. code-block:: sh
+   .. code-block:: console
-      :emphasize-lines: 2
 
-      mimetype foo.blend
+      $ mimetype foo.blend
       foo.blend: application/x-blender
 
    Alternative:
 
-   .. code-block:: sh
+   .. code-block:: console
-      :emphasize-lines: 2
 
-      grep blender /etc/mime.types
+      $ grep blender /etc/mime.types
       application/x-blender				blend
 
 **Add the mimetype if missing**
@@ -94,11 +97,17 @@ that directory instead of ``/opt`` and using ``~/.local`` instead of ``/usr``.
    .. code-block:: sh
 
       sudo ln -s /opt/blender/blender-symbolic.svg \
-          /usr/share/icons/'Pop/'scalable/mimetypes/application-x-blender.svg
+          /usr/share/icons/Pop/scalable/mimetypes/application-x-blender.svg
-      sudo update-icon-caches /usr/share/icons/'Pop/'
+      sudo update-icon-caches /usr/share/icons/Pop/
+
+   At least for this system, an entirely different subdirectory had to be used than
+   the one for the execuatble icon.
 
 **Make thumbnails work for .blend files**
 
+   Thumbnails may already be working, try saving a ``.blend`` file and then looking
+   at it in the files application. If not this should make them work:
+
    Put the following into ``/usr/share/thumbnailers/x-blender.thumbnailer``:
 
    .. code-block:: ini