How to Create a Shortcut for an Application in Ubuntu
Tags: ubuntu, productivity, beginners, tutorial
Published: 2024-06-16 00:14:05

Sometimes, when you are new to Ubuntu and need to manually download applications and run them from an executable file, you may wonder how to create a shortcut similar to those in Windows. Here, I will explain how to do it step by step.

## 1. Copy the application folder

First, copy the folder containing your application to the `/opt/` directory with the following command:

`sudo cp -r /path/to/app /opt/`


## 2. Create the `.desktop` file

Check if there is a file with the `.desktop` extension in the copied folder. If not, you will need to create one with the following format:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Name=dbeaver-ce
GenericName=Universal Database Manager
Comment=Universal Database Manager and SQL Client.
Path=/opt/dbeaver/
Exec=/opt/dbeaver/dbeaver
Icon=/opt/dbeaver/dbeaver.png
Categories=IDE;Development
StartupWMClass=DBeaver
StartupNotify=true
Keywords=Database;SQL;IDE;JDBC;ODBC;MySQL;PostgreSQL;Oracle;DB2;MariaDB
MimeType=application/sql


## 3. Explanation of the `.desktop` file

Here is an explanation of each part of this file:

- `[Desktop Entry]`: Indicates that the file follows the desktop entry (`.desktop`) standard, which is used to define shortcuts in graphical desktop environments.
- `Version=1.0`: Specifies the version of the desktop entry file. Not always mandatory, but can be useful.
- `Type=Application`: Defines the type of the entry. In this case, it's an application. Other types can be `Link` or `Directory`.
- `Terminal=false`: Indicates whether the application should run in a terminal. `false` means it's not needed; `true` would open a terminal to run the program.
- `Name=dbeaver-ce`: The name of the application as it will appear in the applications menu.
- `GenericName=Universal Database Manager`: A generic name that describes the type of application. Useful for users unfamiliar with the specific name.
- `Comment=Universal Database Manager and SQL Client.`: A comment that provides a brief description of the application, shown as a tooltip in some desktop environments.
- `Path=/opt/dbeaver/`: The working directory where the application will run. This can be useful if the application needs to run from a specific directory.
- `Exec=/opt/dbeaver/dbeaver`: The command to run the application. Specifies the full path to the DBeaver executable.
- `Icon=/opt/dbeaver/dbeaver.png`: The path to the icon file used to represent the application in the menu and dock.
- `Categories=IDE;Development`: The categories to which the application belongs. Helps to classify it correctly in the applications menu.
- `StartupWMClass=DBeaver`: The name of the main window class of the application. Useful for the desktop environment to correctly associate the window with the shortcut.
- `StartupNotify=true`: Indicates whether to show a startup notification when launching the application.
- `Keywords=Database;SQL;IDE;JDBC;ODBC;MySQL;PostgreSQL;Oracle;DB2;MariaDB`: Keywords that help users search for the application in the menu.
- `MimeType=application/sql`: The MIME types that the application can handle. Useful for associating the application with certain file types.

## 4. Copy the `.desktop` file to the correct location

Copy the `.desktop` file to the `/home/username/.local/share/applications` directory with the following command:

`sudo cp /opt/application/application.desktop /home/username/.local/share/applications`


## 5. Assign execution permissions

Finally, give the necessary permissions to the newly copied `.desktop` file with the command:

`chmod +x ~/.local/share/applications/application.desktop`


## Conclusion

By following these steps, you will have created a shortcut in Ubuntu to easily locate and open your applications. This will allow you to work more efficiently and have your favorite tools always at hand.