Creating .desktop files

This is a quick tutorial on how to create .desktop files for AppImage programs so that you can have a shortcut in the activities panel, can pin it to the sidebar, etc, on gnome -based computers.

I use Zettlr as an example, but it works with any other program.

1. Create a file like zettlr.desktop in ~/.local/share/application with the following::

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application 
Name=Zettlr
Icon=/usr/share/icons/zettlr.png
Exec=/home/aquiles/Programs/Zettlr.AppImage
Terminal=false
StartupWMClass=zettlr

1. To know the StartupWMClass, you need to run xprop WM_CLASS and click on the window. This is very important, or Ubuntu fails at knowing that it is actually a window running
2. To extract the icon from man AppImage: ./Zettlr.AppImage --appimage-extract Where to put it is not that important.

Tags: #linux #AppImage #desktop-shortcuts #ubuntu