mjhjmtu

I have created a .menu file in /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged/, created .directory file in /usr/share/desktop-directories/ and the various .desktop files i want to be in my custom menu under /usr/share/applications with a custom Categories extension Categories=X-nameofcategory yet still no menu appearing in my applications menu.

I am wondering if there is a step i am missing, i am not using alacarte because there are multiple applications that i need to create and alacarte is very manual, having to add directory paths for each icon, executable and there is no drag/drop method either. I had assumed there was a standard way to do this and have followed the steps that freedesktop describes but i am still at a loss. Any help or insight would be appreciated!

No one seems to know or wasn't able to answer so i'll throw up the solution I found!

There are 3 locations you should be concerned with:

• /usr/share/desktop-directories


• /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged


• /usr/share/applications

Bear in mind the last location is system-wide specific, if you want it just for your user, use: ~/.local/share/applications

Firstly we:

1. Create a file called APPNAME.menu (substitute APPNAME for whatever you want to call it) in the folder location /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged
   


2. 
   

   Input these contents:

   
   
   

   <!DOCTYPE Menu PUBLIC "-//freedesktop//DTD Menu 1.0//EN"
"http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/menu-spec/menu-1.0.dtd">
<Menu>
<Name>Applications</Name> <!-- This is necessary for your directory to appear in the applications drop down -->
<Menu> <!--app -->
<Name>app</Name>
<Directory>APPNAME.directory</Directory>
<Include>
<Category>APPNAME</Category>
</Include>
</Menu> <!-- End app -->
</Menu> <!-- End Applications -->

   
   


3. 
   

   Save the file and create another file called APPNAME.directory in the folder location ( it should be the same name specified in the .menu file)
   /usr/share/desktop-directories with these contents:

   
   
   

   [Desktop Entry]
Type=Directory
Name=AppName
Icon=/path/to/icon

   
   

Note the .directory filename should be exactly the same as the .directory name you entered in the .menu file above.

4. 
   

   Create a standard .desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications or /usr/share/applications with these contents (substituting for your own program of course and the Categories=line MUST BE the same as the name you gave the .directory file eariler)

   
   
   

   #!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=/path/to/executable.sh
Name=ApplicationToRun
Icon=/path/to/icon
Categories=APPNAME
Comment=Comment for users