Sfdwhf

Looking for a utility that allows me insert an item into the list of applications that GNOME knows about.

For example:

I have downloaded Eclipse EE (I have some very special plugins that I need to work with, and those plugins don't "like" the version available in the default repository). I'm using GNOME 3, on Ubuntu 11.10. So I want to execute Eclipse w/o opening a terminal and running it.

It must be something very simple.

You can use Main Menu for this. If not, install it first:

sudo apt-get install alacarte

1. Open Main Menu

2. See the example

After that you can call your applications with name: "command_of_application".

Edit: I missed that you had asked for applications in your home directory. If so, command must be the full path of that application.

The applications launchers Gnome knows about are .desktop files in /usr/share/applications, and ~/.local/share/applications. You can create custom launchers for whatever is in your home folder, by either manually creating and editing a custom .desktop file, or by using Alacarte, the old Gnome menu editor.

The Gnome desktop file documentation can be of help: https://developer.gnome.org/integration-guide/stable/desktop-files.html.en

The custom launcher is just a text file, named, for example, EclipseEE.desktop, with the following content:

[Desktop Entry]

Name=Eclipse EE

Exec=/home/mrPeterson/path_to_executable

StartupNotify=true

Terminal=false

Type=Application

Icon=/optional/path/to/icon.png

(Repost from the original OP)

This is neat trick pointed out elsewhere:

gnome-desktop-item-edit ~/Desktop/ --create-new

Now, I have an Icon. That was a nice feature to have bound to the context menu, but alas, I do not see it.

I like Jorge's simple gnome-desktop-item-edit solution. However, if I place the .desktop file on ~/Desktop/ it does not show up as an application but only as a file in the gnome menu. So I do:

sudo gnome-desktop-item-edit /usr/share/applications/ --create-new

I know this thread is kinda old, but I wanted to share with you guys this bash function I just made because... because I can.
If you find it useful, feel free to use it!

Warning: I just made it. It might not be perfect.

new-gnome-launcher-app(){

    # This functions adds some executable file to the gnome launcher.

    # It does the following:

    #   - Add symlink to /usr/bin

    #   - Add entry for gnome launcher



    # TODO: Check image file extension



    # Check if root

    # if [ "$(id -u)" != "0" ]; then 

    #   echo "Must run as root"

    #   return 1

    # fi



    # If parameter is entered, assume it's the executable's directory.

    # Else, ask for it

    if [ "$?" -gt "1" ]; then

        exec_path="$1"

    else

        echo -n "Enter executable file name: "

        read exec_path

    fi

    # Check if file exists

    if [ ! -f "$exec_path" ] || [ ! -f "$(pwd)/$exec_path" ]; then

        echo "File doesn't exist"

        unset exec_path

        return 1

    fi

    # Get absolute path to file

    if [ "${exec_path:0:1}" != "/" ]; then

        echo "'$exec_path' was not an absolute path"

        exec_path="$(pwd)/$exec_path"

        echo "Assuming path '$exec_path'"

    fi

    exec_basename="$(basename "$exec_path")"

    # Check if symlink already exists

    if [ -f "/usr/bin/$exec_basename" ]; then

        echo "File '/usr/bin/$exec_basename' already exists. We wont be able to create the symlink."

        unset exec_basename

        unset exec_path

        return 1

    fi

    # Add entry for gnome panel

    gnome_panel_entry_path="/usr/share/applications/$exec_basename.desktop"

    if [ -f "$gnome_panel_entry_path" ]; then

        echo "Entry '$(basename "$gnome_panel_entry_path")' already exists!"

        unset exec_basename

        unset gnome_panel_entry_path

        unset exec_path

        return 2

    fi

    # ask for display name

    while [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "y" ] && [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "Y" ]; do

        echo -n "Enter the program's name: "

        read APP_NAME

        while [ "$APP_NAME" == "" ]; do

            echo -n "Please enter something: "

            read APP_NAME

        done

        # ask for a description

        echo -n "Enter a short description: "

        read APP_DESCRIPTION

        # ask for an icon file

        echo -n "Enter absolute path to an icon image (empty for none): "

        read APP_ICON

        while [ "$APP_ICON" != "" ] && [ ! -f "$APP_ICON" ]; do

            echo -n "File doesn't exist. Retry: "

            read APP_ICON

        done 

        # ask if it needs a terminal

        echo -n "Will this program need a terminal? [y/n]: "

        read APP_TERMINAL

        while [ "$APP_TERMINAL" != "y" ] && [ "$APP_TERMINAL" != "n" ]; do

            echo -n "Please enter something: "

            read APP_TERMINAL

        done

        if [ "$APP_TERMINAL" == "y" ]; then

            APP_TERMINAL="true"

        else

            APP_TERMINAL="false"

        fi

        # ask for tags

        echo -n "Enter some categories that fit your program (';' separated): "

        read APP_CATEGORIES

        # Check if user is satisfied

        while [ "$USER_RESPONSE" == "" ] || [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "y" ] && [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "Y" ] && [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "n" ] && [ "$USER_RESPONSE" != "N" ]; do

            echo -e "Is this information correct?n"

            echo -e "tName: tt$APP_NAME"

            echo -e "tExecutable: t$exec_path"

            echo -e "tDescription: t$APP_DESCRIPTION"

            echo -e "tIcon File: t$APP_ICON"

            echo -e "tTerminal: t$APP_TERMINAL"

            echo -e "tCategories: t$APP_CATEGORIES"

            echo -n "(y/n): "

            read USER_RESPONSE

        done

        if [ "$USER_RESPONSE" == "n" ] || [ "$USER_RESPONSE" == "N" ]; then

            echo "Then please enter everything again, kind sir"

            unset USER_RESPONSE

        fi

    done

    # User is happy

    # Add link to /usr/bin

    echo "Adding link to /usr/bin"

    sudo ln -s "$exec_path" "/usr/bin/$exec_basename"

    # Add gnome panel entry

    echo "Creating gnome-panel entry"

    echo "[Desktop Entry]" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Type=Application" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Encoding=UTF-8" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Name=$APP_NAME" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Comment=$APP_DESCRIPTION" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Icon=$APP_ICON" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Exec=$exec_path" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Terminal=$APP_TERMINAL" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Categories=$APP_CATEGORIES" | sudo tee -a "$gnome_panel_entry_path" > /dev/null

    echo "Entry added in '$gnome_panel_entry_path'"

    unset USER_RESPONSE

    unset APP_NAME

    unset APP_CATEGORIES

    unset APP_TERMINAL

    unset APP_DESCRIPTION

    unset APP_ICON

    unset exec_path

    unset exec_basename

    unset gnome_panel_entry_path

    return 0

}