Where is the location of application shortcuts in Gnome?

Question

For shortcuts in the Applications drop-down Menu and on the title bar of the Gnome Desktop, where is the path to their directories?

For the benefit of a comprehensive understanding and an organic yet simple description on how desktop files work and where they should be placed, see the Gnome Developers website at: https://developer.gnome.org/integration-guide/stable/desktop-files.html.en Hope this helps! — user3567566, Oct 18 '20 at 06:17
That is a helpful resource, but seems to have been moved to: https://developer-old.gnome.org/integration-guide/stable/desktop-files.html.en — JonathanDavidArndt, Apr 16 '23 at 01:21

score 62 · Accepted Answer · edited May 26 '20 at 11:51

62

You are looking for the .desktop files, which are located in /usr/share/applications (or sometimes /usr/local/share/applications).

Some applications may place these files in ~/.local/share/applications instead.

edited May 26 '20 at 11:51

Slim

answered Mar 17 '16 at 14:29

Charles Green

I saw some duplications in that folder. I guess they are the shortcuts in the `Applications` menu? How about the shortcuts on the titlebar? I didn't see them in `/usr/share/applications` – wsdzbm Mar 17 '16 at 14:31
What titlebar we're talking about ? The top black bar ? Can you give example of application you're referring to ? – Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy Mar 17 '16 at 14:33
@Lee Are you referring to the tray icons, such as the bluetooth icon or the speaker volume icon? – Charles Green Mar 17 '16 at 14:47
@CharlesGreen yes, they are included on the title bar. I'm using `gnome-session-flashback`, not `unity`. – wsdzbm Mar 17 '16 at 14:50
@Serg On the top of the Desktop, where there is `Applications` menu, custommed application shortcuts and applet indicators such as the icons of dropbox, input method, time clock and system menu. – wsdzbm Mar 17 '16 at 14:52
1

Those may vary. If that's an external application like dropbox - it has .desktop file as well in `/usr/share/applicaitons/` folder. If that's something built in like clock or input method - that's built into the gnome, likely won't have a shortcut. – Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy Mar 17 '16 at 15:04

Xtigyro · Answer 2 · 2022-05-05T17:54:12.373

48

edited May 05 '22 at 17:54

answered May 19 '19 at 18:04

Xtigyro

score 9 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 31 '17 at 08:32

9

Your own shortcuts can also be placed in ~/.local/share/applications.

edited Aug 31 '17 at 08:32

pa4080

answered Aug 31 '17 at 07:49

rloth

2

This would be better off as an edit to the existing answer. (you also get additional reputation for editing existing answers here) – Fabby Aug 31 '17 at 08:55
2

@DavidCulbreth: Posting questions, posting answers and editing answers are rep 1 privileges. Posting comments needs higher rep. – Fabby Aug 11 '18 at 22:53
You're doing great @rloth! Keep the good stuff coming. – Bruno Bronosky Nov 04 '21 at 14:35

3 Answers3