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

72

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

CheekyBeeswaxer

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

65

edited May 05 '22 at 17:54

answered May 19 '19 at 18:04

Xtigyro

score 11 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 31 '17 at 08:32

11

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

3

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

3 Answers3