Desktop shortcuts?

Hi,

  Am a Slack user since '94 and have one little problem with gnome.
I like to impress WinBlows users with the different X windows frontends
Gnome, KDE, windowmaker and such as it CLEARLY shows the superiority
of Linux/FreeBSD. (ie. one is not tied to one X windows frontend.)
  With KDE one right clicks and can make a short cut to the desktop
of an executable.  Like I want to stick GIMP on the desktop, just rt. click
type in the executable, name and the icon and am done.
  I have a big fat gnome book that talks about typing in the data a' la
winblow 3.1 style but there has to be an easier way.  Can someone point
me to the help file as I have looked and done an online search.

				Best regards,
				Kurt Savegnago