Is it safe to delete 4 icons from my desktop folder without losing the programs?
 

I prefer my desktop free of icon clutter I have 4 icons for various items like browser. If I delete them by going to Desktop folder will that remove the icons from desktop whilst still keeping the programs on the task bar lower left of KDE desktop? What becomes of these two of the icons (which I don't care for):

The other two are:
shortcut to my vpn and browser both of which I have in taskbar lower left of my desktop screen. I need to keep these programs but want them removed as icons from desktop but not from taskbar. I still need to use these programs.

Thanks in advance

Normally yes, you may find a way to do it in your 'settings' program, I certainly have that option on XFCE.

P.S. They are only links to the programs, not the programs themselves.

So with over 800 posts, a member for nearly 8 years and you thought it better to start a new thread with such an elementry question, rather than do a quick search of the web yourself? Unbeleivable!

Could be that the OP just installs a desktop distro & uses it as is, Linux (installation) has become quite easy these days for the desktop user. :)

What's that got to do with it?

The OP may never have altered anything on the basic desktop setup & only used the programs installed, not everyone tinkers with things... ;)

I post to make sure its correct as I want to avoid mishaps based on what I have read during research.

In MacOS (OS/X), "throwing away an application (file, from its folder)," does remove the application itself. But, simply discarding an icon (from the toolbar or the desktop) does not. However, it pays to be careful. As far as I know, simply removing an icon will not un-install the application.

Remember that not only do you have to find and read solutions, you must verify that the source is valid and the solution is accurate.

However, with that kind of question, and over 800 posts and 8 years on this forum I would expect that by this time you would have done more than point and click to operate a linux machine. Knowing what a desktop icon is was one of the very first things I learned when I began with windows and the early versions of linux in the 90s.

Unless you manage to drag and drop an actual command file onto the desktop it has always been a link that could be moved, removed, recreated, all to the users hearts content.