How do I add applets to the top panel in Ubuntu 14.04?

Question

I recently installed the following applet / indicators

my weather indicator by:

sudo apt-get install my-weather-indicator

and calendar indicator

sudo apt-get install calendar-indicator

These didn't automatically install an applet to the panel. How do I add applets to ubuntu 14.04 unity? How do you make these start up on boot up?

I don't seem to remember it being especially hard in 12.04?

Thanks

Solution

Each indicator/applet (should) have a user setting letting the user specify autorun on startup. Installing the indicator does not run it as you discovered and a well-behaved indicator will not autorun unless set to do so by the user.

However, in the unity dash, search for "start" and you'll find Startup Applications which will allow you to specify specific programs, including indicators, to run on startup and that will "add the applet to the top panel".

Comments

[mchid]

For the weather indicator, you will have to go to right click and go to preferences. Then, general options and place a tic in the box for "Autostart"

[mchid]

To manually add the applet (my-weather-indicator for example) press ctrl + F2 and run the command my-weather-indicator. There is no way to edit the panel the way would have in gnome2.