how to get icons to appear on desktop?

Go to finder > applications

select any app you want on your desktop, right click and click "make alias". It creates the app shortcut. You can easily drag and drop to your desktop.

if this is what you mean ?

You either hold down the control key while clicking or, click with 2 fingers at the top left corner of the track pad.

Use two fingers to tap.

I don’t think the two-finger gesture for secondary click is enabled by default. You can set up that and many other gestures in the Trackpad system settings.