David King
davidk@gnome.org 2014
Fran Diéguez
frandieguez@gnome.org 2009-2020.
Leandro Regueiro
leandro.regueiro@gmail.com 2011.

# Install a desktop file

# Launch your application

Write and install a desktop file so that users can discover and launch your application.

GNOME uses the freedesktop.org Desktop Entry and Desktop Menu specifications to describe application launchers. Installing a desktop file is the standard way to register your application with GNOME and other desktops.

A desktop file lists your application binary, name and type, and can also list an icon, description and several other pieces of information about launching an application.

For a hypothetical application My Application, a desktop file would look as follows:

# myapplication.desktop

[Desktop Entry] Name=My Application Exec=myapplication Type=Application Icon=myapplication Comment=Do the thing that the application does Categories=GTK;GNOME;Utility;

The `[Desktop Entry]` line indicates that this is a desktop file. It is followed by keys, which describe the application launcher. The `Name` key is the human-readable name of the application, to be shown in the UI. The application binary is listed in the `Exec` key, either the complete path or a binary that is looked up in the `PATH`. The last required key is the `Type`, which for applications is always `Application`. Alternative types are listed in the desktop entry specification.

Other fields in the desktop file are optional, but recommended. Applications should install an icon, and list the name of the icon (excluding the extension) in the `Icon` key. The `Comment` is a brief description of the application. To help users when browsing applications, the `Categories` key should be populated with a list of categories, separated by a semicolon, from the Desktop Menu Specification.

There are several other keys that can be added to desktop files, which are listed and described in the Desktop Entry Specification.