Linux .desktop equivalents to Windows Start menu shortcuts

[Axel E. Retif]

>>> As I found, if the .desktop files are just copied to the
>>> directories, they do not work, it is necessary to restart X. If
>>> xdg-install-menu and xdg-install-icon are used, they work
>>> immediatelly.
>> 
>> On Debian it works. This is distribution specific. Even if I put a 
>> .desktop file into /usr/local/share/applications/ I automatically
>> get it working. Same under $HOME.
>> 
> I have only tried KDE in Fedora. It is possible that even Gnome in 
> Fedora behaves differently.

I think this is rather a desktop environment than a distribution policy;
it's a freedesktop.org specification:

https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/index.html

> Both the KDE and GNOME desktop environments have adopted a similar
> format for "desktop entries", or configuration files describing how a
> particular program is to be launched, how it appears in menus, etc.

In my experience, Mate (on Ubuntu Mate at least, but I'm sure in 
general) and Cinnamon work the same.


Best

Axel