Why are my application.desktop files not showing up in Linux application menu?

Question

I've written quite a few open source programs over the years, but not very recently, and I've never had this problem before. The menu items for my new project simply refuse to show up in menus on either gnome or kde.

I originally just installed the .desktop files to /usr/share/applications but later modified it to use desktop-file-utils - all to no avail. I've add update-desktop-database to my postinst script... nothing

I've validated the entries, and in the file manager they are correct, I've tried giving them execute permissions... I can't find anything wrong but they just won't show up. Is there something new one has to do to get your app's menu items to show these days ?

The .desktop files are:

silentcoder@ravenriley ~/SOURCE/ezdm $ cat ezdm.desktop 
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=EZDM
GenericName=Easy Dungeon Master
Comment=A tookit for AD&D Dungeon Master
TryExec=/usr/games/ezdm
Exec=/usr/games/ezdm
Categories=Game;RolePlaying;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm.png
Terminal=false

cat ezdmconsole.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=EZDM-Console
GenericName=Easy Dungeon Master (Console version)
Comment=A tookit for AD&D Dungeon Master
TryExec=/usr/games/ezdm --console
Exec=/usr/games/ezdm --console
Categories=Game;RolePlaying;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm-console.png
Terminal=1
X-Desktop-File-Install-Version=0.20

And if any of the other code might be useful, it's all browseable on github: https://github.com/ajventer/ezdm

UPDATE: The mystery deepens, if I copy the files to /usr/share/applications/kde4 (which I obviously don't want to do in my package - after all, it should work in gnome too) then suddenly ezdm.desktop does show up in the menu, but ezdm-console.desktop still refuses to.

UPDATE: since it may be relevant: From Makefile:

install:
                $(PYTHON) setup.py install --prefix=/${PREFIX} --root $(DESTDIR) --install-scripts=/${PREFIX}/games/ --no-compile --force --record .install.record --install-layout=deb
                mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/applications
                mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/
                desktop-file-install --dir=${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/applications/ ezdm.desktop 
                desktop-file-install --dir=${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/applications/ ezdm-console.desktop 
                install -g root -o root -m 0666 ezdm.png ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm.png
                install -g root -o root -m 0666 ezdm-console.png ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm-console.png 
                update-desktop-database ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/share/applications

And debian/postinst:

cat debian/postinst 
#!/bin/bash -x
ln -sf /usr/games/ezdm* /usr/bin
for I in /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ezdm_libs/*.py; do
        python -m compileall $I
done
update-desktop-database
#DEBHELPER#

I am not sure where the problem is - it could very well be the install code, since the possibilities are scattered over numerous places - I gave one set of examples and linked to where all the other code is. But by all means, I'll add the makefile and setup.py as well. — silentcoder, Feb 28, 2013 at 23:42
Did you have a look at stackoverflow.com/questions/13632385/… — mikebabcock, Feb 28, 2013 at 23:59
Yep, found it while googling around - I even mention in the question that I tested with giving +x permissions (the solution from that question) — silentcoder, Mar 1, 2013 at 0:02
I haven't checked that - I was just trying to various things. But installing to a KDE4 specific directory would be insane either way - since this should work on any desktop that understands the XDG specification - they can't all demand a different menu directory. — silentcoder, Mar 1, 2013 at 0:04

Anthony · Accepted Answer · 2019-10-08 09:55:13Z

9

There is very insidious desktop file key - TryExec. According to docs:

TryExec

Path to an executable file on disk used to determine if the program is actually installed. If the path is not an absolute path, the file is looked up in the $PATH environment variable. If the file is not present or if it is not executable, the entry may be ignored (not be used in menus, for example).

So, it may result in missing menu entry if it is not filled properly. And by "properly" I mean that it always must point to actual executable.

Surprisingly, if you trying to launch your program in modified environment using env, it stops working. Here is example of invalid desktop file from my distro's package:

TryExec=env FONTCONFIG_FILE=/usr/share/fonts/fonts.conf telegram -noupdate
Exec=env FONTCONFIG_FILE=/usr/share/fonts/fonts.conf telegram -noupdate -- %u

It doesn't work because DE looks for env FONTCONFIG_FILE=/usr/share/fonts/fonts.conf telegram -noupdate executable, treating whole string (including spaces) as file path, which is missing, of course.

The solution is also simple: just specify path to actual executable (even relative):

TryExec=telegram

edited Oct 8, 2019 at 9:55

answered Aug 17, 2019 at 9:56

Anthony

3653 silver badges8 bronze badges

1

To add to this answer: my ".desktop" file had an Icon entry that pointed to a file that did not exist. This prevented the entry from showing up at all in my menus.
– csd
Jul 3, 2020 at 17:42
1

A couple of other useful points which may help others. There are two utilities in [freedesktop.org/software/… which are useful. From the description: This package contains desktop-file-validate which checks whether a .desktop file complies with the specification at freedesktop.org/standards, and desktop-file-install which installs a desktop file to the standard directory, optionally fixing it up in the process.
– Brian Redbeard
Nov 4, 2020 at 20:04
I've tried desktop-file-validate on my "broken" file. Unfortunately, it vilidates file without any issues. These utilities are very useful, though.
– Anthony
Nov 4, 2020 at 20:26
@csd: I can understand how you might perceive your comment here as an extension of tosh’s answer.   But I believe that your comment really is a response to the question, and that it would be acceptable as a separate answer.   At the very least, it would be more visible if you posted it as a comment on the question.
– G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica'
Jan 9 at 19:49

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toto · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-09 06:48:46Z

8

try this:

xdg-desktop-menu forceupdate [--mode mode]

out of

man xdg-desktop-menu

answered Jul 9, 2014 at 6:48

toto

811 silver badge2 bronze badges

2

Referencing a man page is a good start, but you may want to consider quoting the most relevant bits inline for succinctness's and completeness's sake.
– HalosGhost
Jul 9, 2014 at 7:11

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silentcoder · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-02 10:11:13Z

There were formatting errors in the files. Based on commenters, I can only assume that some versions of gnome are more forgiving. Either way I found a nifty way to get them to work: Open the directory in dolphin, and edit them until they can be launched from dolphin - only once that works, add the categories field and then they show up in menus. In KDE you may have to run: kbuildsycoca4 --noincremental first if you don't relog.

The final versions of the files are:

cat ezdm.desktop 
[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Game;RolePlaying;
Comment[en_US]=A tookit for ADnD Dungeon Master
Comment=A tookit for ADnD Dungeon Master
Exec=/usr/games/ezdm
GenericName[en_US]=Easy Dungeon Master
GenericName=Easy Dungeon Master
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm.png
MimeType=
Name[en_US]=EZDM
Name=EZDM
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
TryExec=/usr/games/ezdm
Type=Application
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

silentcoder@ravenriley ~/SOURCE/ezdm0/ezdm $ cat ezdm-console.desktop 
[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Game;RolePlaying;
Comment[en_US]=EZDM Console Version
Comment=EZDM Console Version
Exec=/usr/games/ezdm --console
GenericName[en_US]=EZDM Console Version
GenericName=EZDM Console Version
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/128x128/ezdm-console.png
MimeType=
Name[en_US]=EZDM-Console
Name=EZDM-Console
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=true
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=none
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

In case that helps anybody else. I've just pushed out a new PPA build request, so updated ubuntu packages will be available soon.

Has QUIT--Anony-Mousse · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-28 23:09:12Z

1

Most likely because your incorrect TryExec line indicates that it is no longer valid.

TryExec=/usr/games/games/ezdm

I guess this file does not exist, and in particular is not executable?

answered Feb 28, 2013 at 23:09

Has QUIT--Anony-Mousse

6975 silver badges11 bronze badges

Thanks for that catch, I've fixed it in the code, but the menu items still don't show up (I even logged out and back in to make sure).
– silentcoder
Feb 28, 2013 at 23:16
Do you by chance have another ezdm.desktop somewhere, for example in $HOME/.local/share/applications/ezdm.desktop?
– Has QUIT--Anony-Mousse
Mar 1, 2013 at 0:03
None that I can find, the only entries in the .local version are the ones wine creates. And I tested on another machine (with gnome) which does not contain a code checkout (I use it to clean-install test the packages).
– silentcoder
Mar 1, 2013 at 0:06

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Mark Amery · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-10 12:37:12Z

0

At least on Ubuntu 19.10, one possible cause is that the binary referenced by Exec doesn't exist on the $PATH. This is true regardless of your TryExec line; you need both lines to refer to executables that exist on $PATH, or your application won't show in the application menu.

So: double-check you haven't typoed the executable at the start of your Exec= line and that it really exists.

answered Jan 10, 2020 at 12:37

Mark Amery

2,6105 gold badges20 silver badges29 bronze badges

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bu5hman · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-01 17:57:47Z

0

Except the syntax mistakes in .desktop files, I have to say, not every .desktop file in /usr/share/applications must show up in launcher menu all along.

There are a set of complicated rules to determine which .desktop files should be listed in launcher menu which are published in xdg docs:

https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/menu-spec/

edited May 1, 2020 at 17:57

bu5hman

4,3532 gold badges13 silver badges25 bronze badges

answered May 1, 2020 at 11:53

Zim

1011 bronze badge

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skrytebane · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-09 07:25:18Z

0

As Anony Mousse mentioned in a comment here, you could have a broken .desktop file in $HOME/.local/share/applications. (This was my problem.)

(I'm mentioning it here because I didn't notice his comment at first.)

answered Jan 9 at 7:25

skrytebane

1

1

Thank you for giving credit to the original author of the observation, but you could make this a better answer by describing how to determine whether this is the problem and what to do about it.
– G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica'
Jan 9 at 19:00
Sorry, I couldn't really think of a good way to determine this. I guess search for .desktop files with similar names or .desktop files containing a similar GenericName, etc.
– skrytebane
Jan 10 at 20:53

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