By default, Ubuntu does not show Computer and Trash icon on the desktop in Ubuntu. Instead Ubuntu shows the Trash icon on the extreme right of the bottom panel.
This is a little inconvenient for me as I delete the bottom panel and hence like to have the Trash icon on the desktop. Also having the Trash icon on the desktop in Ubuntu is a good option, because it becomes easier to drag – drop files onto the Trash icon.
A Computer icon on your desktop gives you easy access to all mounted drives and your home folder at one place just like Windows does. Here is how you can show the Computer and Trash icon on your Ubuntu Desktop.
- Hit Alt + F2 and type gconf-editor in the dialog that comes up. Click Run to start the GNOME Configuration Editor.
- Go to the key apps/nautilus/desktop
- On the right hand side, there is an entry called trash_icon_visible. Check the box.
- Also check the entry called computer_icon_visible.
- You can do two more things from that place too, change the trash_icon_name and computer_icon_name.
Now see your desktop. You should see two new icons there. 
THANKS!!! For some reason when I ran the config from the terminal it didn’t function correctly, but this tutorial worked perfectly!
Glad to have helped you Kewley.
Thanks for the entry. My ubuntu is looking more like desktop.
Thanks a lot! I feel kinda dumb for not finding this considering how simple it was. Helped a lot. I like having a shortcut folder to my computer and home folders. Saves the amount of clicks needed to go up to the Places menu and THEN down to a destination commonly used.
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