How to add manually installed application to 'Show Applications' grid in Ubuntu
I am a full-stack Ruby on Rails developer with experience in PostgreSQL, Docker, Heroku, and performance optimization. I love exploring new technology stacks and have recently developed an interest in mobile app development using Flutter. My skills in test-driven development and fixing security vulnerabilities have helped me deliver high-quality, reliable code. I am also currently learning about machine learning and its applications in real-world problem-solving. I bring a unique combination of technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and a passion for learning to any team. I am committed to delivering elegant and efficient software solutions and excited to contribute to an innovative and dynamic team that shares this vision.
In this article we will cover how to add your manually installed application in the list of application list that Ubuntu shows natively. Often time we open such apps with terminal by running sh /path/to/application.sh or by running ./path/to/application.sh.
So lets start with the template that is needed to add your application to the Ubuntu's desktop apps entry. All you need is:
Create a launcher for your application with
.desktopfile extensionPlace your
.desktopfile inside~/.local/share/applicationsdirectory or if you want it to be visible to all users then place it under/usr/share/applications.Your
.desktopfile should have following contents:
# <application_name>.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Application Name
Comment=A short description of the application
Exec=/full/path/to/application/executable
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=/full/path/to/icon-file
In this example we are going to use RubyMine as an example
download the
rubymine-xx.tar.gzExtract it and place it under your preferred place, I am placing it under
~/.local/.sharedirectory.And now create a
rubymine.desktopfile inside~/.local/share/applications
touch ~/.local/share/applications/rubymine.desktop
- Now we edit this file with following content
[Desktop Entry]
Name=RubyMine
Comment=RubyMine IDE
Exec=~/.local/share/rubymine/bin/rubymine.sh
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=~/.local/share/rubymine/RMlogo.svg
That's it, you should now be able to see your RubyMine application listed in your "Show Applications" list. If it is not, try restarting your PC and it should be there.