What are possible directories for .desktop files and their icons, and when to use what directory?
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Here are some of the directories where .desktop files describing applications can be found:
~/local/.share/applications
/usr/share/applications
/usr/share/app-install/desktop
Perhaps there are even more of them. What is the actual purpose of every particular one to exist and into which should I put my application .desktop file in what a case?
And where are application icons put to be found as referenced in the .desktop files?
launcher icons .desktop
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Here are some of the directories where .desktop files describing applications can be found:
~/local/.share/applications
/usr/share/applications
/usr/share/app-install/desktop
Perhaps there are even more of them. What is the actual purpose of every particular one to exist and into which should I put my application .desktop file in what a case?
And where are application icons put to be found as referenced in the .desktop files?
launcher icons .desktop
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Probably a typo. Try~/.local/share/applications.
– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Here are some of the directories where .desktop files describing applications can be found:
~/local/.share/applications
/usr/share/applications
/usr/share/app-install/desktop
Perhaps there are even more of them. What is the actual purpose of every particular one to exist and into which should I put my application .desktop file in what a case?
And where are application icons put to be found as referenced in the .desktop files?
launcher icons .desktop
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
Here are some of the directories where .desktop files describing applications can be found:
~/local/.share/applications
/usr/share/applications
/usr/share/app-install/desktop
Perhaps there are even more of them. What is the actual purpose of every particular one to exist and into which should I put my application .desktop file in what a case?
And where are application icons put to be found as referenced in the .desktop files?
launcher icons .desktop
launcher icons .desktop
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
edited Nov 25 '15 at 8:45
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
63.2k9122216
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
asked Nov 25 '15 at 5:11
Ivan
20.9k59127197
20.9k59127197
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Probably a typo. Try~/.local/share/applications.
– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35
add a comment |
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Probably a typo. Try~/.local/share/applications.
– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Probably a typo. Try
~/.local/share/applications.– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35
Probably a typo. Try
~/.local/share/applications.– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
.desktop files
Globally installed applications have their .desktop file in /usr/share/applications. If a similarly named .desktop file exists in ~/.local/share/applications, it will "overrule" the global one (after log out/in after they were created). Local .desktop files are used for user-specific alterations of the functionality of the launcher, to add items to the quicklist (in Unity) e.g., or for locally installed applications.
The third directory you mention, /usr/share/app-install/desktop is used by Software Center, as explained here. Many applications don't use this one at all.
Icons
can technically be stored anywhere. Small applications can have their files (including icon) e.g. stored in one self-containing directory in /opt/<application_name>, but most of them will be found in /usr/share/icons/.
An excellent Question/Answer(s) combination on icons can be found here.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "89"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2faskubuntu.com%2fquestions%2f702223%2fwhat-are-possible-directories-for-desktop-files-and-their-icons-and-when-to-us%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
.desktop files
Globally installed applications have their .desktop file in /usr/share/applications. If a similarly named .desktop file exists in ~/.local/share/applications, it will "overrule" the global one (after log out/in after they were created). Local .desktop files are used for user-specific alterations of the functionality of the launcher, to add items to the quicklist (in Unity) e.g., or for locally installed applications.
The third directory you mention, /usr/share/app-install/desktop is used by Software Center, as explained here. Many applications don't use this one at all.
Icons
can technically be stored anywhere. Small applications can have their files (including icon) e.g. stored in one self-containing directory in /opt/<application_name>, but most of them will be found in /usr/share/icons/.
An excellent Question/Answer(s) combination on icons can be found here.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
.desktop files
Globally installed applications have their .desktop file in /usr/share/applications. If a similarly named .desktop file exists in ~/.local/share/applications, it will "overrule" the global one (after log out/in after they were created). Local .desktop files are used for user-specific alterations of the functionality of the launcher, to add items to the quicklist (in Unity) e.g., or for locally installed applications.
The third directory you mention, /usr/share/app-install/desktop is used by Software Center, as explained here. Many applications don't use this one at all.
Icons
can technically be stored anywhere. Small applications can have their files (including icon) e.g. stored in one self-containing directory in /opt/<application_name>, but most of them will be found in /usr/share/icons/.
An excellent Question/Answer(s) combination on icons can be found here.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
.desktop files
Globally installed applications have their .desktop file in /usr/share/applications. If a similarly named .desktop file exists in ~/.local/share/applications, it will "overrule" the global one (after log out/in after they were created). Local .desktop files are used for user-specific alterations of the functionality of the launcher, to add items to the quicklist (in Unity) e.g., or for locally installed applications.
The third directory you mention, /usr/share/app-install/desktop is used by Software Center, as explained here. Many applications don't use this one at all.
Icons
can technically be stored anywhere. Small applications can have their files (including icon) e.g. stored in one self-containing directory in /opt/<application_name>, but most of them will be found in /usr/share/icons/.
An excellent Question/Answer(s) combination on icons can be found here.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
.desktop files
Globally installed applications have their .desktop file in /usr/share/applications. If a similarly named .desktop file exists in ~/.local/share/applications, it will "overrule" the global one (after log out/in after they were created). Local .desktop files are used for user-specific alterations of the functionality of the launcher, to add items to the quicklist (in Unity) e.g., or for locally installed applications.
The third directory you mention, /usr/share/app-install/desktop is used by Software Center, as explained here. Many applications don't use this one at all.
Icons
can technically be stored anywhere. Small applications can have their files (including icon) e.g. stored in one self-containing directory in /opt/<application_name>, but most of them will be found in /usr/share/icons/.
An excellent Question/Answer(s) combination on icons can be found here.
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:24
Community♦
1
1
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
answered Nov 25 '15 at 7:51
Jacob Vlijm
63.2k9122216
63.2k9122216
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Ask Ubuntu!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2faskubuntu.com%2fquestions%2f702223%2fwhat-are-possible-directories-for-desktop-files-and-their-icons-and-when-to-us%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Thank you for your answer, @JacobVlijm. AI have had no time to check it thoroughly (if there are no other places) so far but it seems legit.
– Ivan
Nov 26 '15 at 12:42
Probably a typo. Try
~/.local/share/applications.– H2ONaCl
Dec 7 '16 at 18:35