https://jimenezgomez.org/tags/gtk/Recent content in Gtk on Francisco Javier Jiménez GómezHugo -- gohugo.ioenFrancisco Javier Jiménez GómezMon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/<img src="https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/og-image-1200x630.png" alt="Featured image of post Desktop Launcher Creator: giving a launcher to the apps that ship without one" /><h1 id="desktop-launcher-creator">Desktop Launcher Creator </h1><p>Modern Linux desktops receive applications from at least three different worlds: <strong>Debian packages</strong>, <strong>Snap</strong> and <strong>Flatpak</strong>. Each has its own idea of where the application lives and, sometimes, whether it deserves an entry in the applications menu. The result is a familiar annoyance: a program you have installed is there, but you cannot find it — and there is no obvious way to create a launcher for it.</p> <p><strong>Desktop Launcher Creator</strong> is a small GTK application that fixes exactly that. It scans the applications installed through Debian, Snap and Flatpak, shows them in a simple list, and creates a <code>.desktop</code> launcher for whatever you select.</p> <p><img src="https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/screenshot.png" width="616" height="666" srcset="https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/screenshot_hu_927b29f6ab836a90.png 480w, https://jimenezgomez.org/posts/2026-10-12-desktop-launcher-creator/screenshot_hu_98442e2d9478453a.png 1024w" loading="lazy" alt="Desktop Launcher Creator" class="gallery-image" data-flex-grow="92" data-flex-basis="221px" ></p> <h2 id="what-it-does">What it does </h2><ul> <li><strong>Reads installed applications</strong> from the Debian, Snap and Flatpak sources.</li> <li><strong>Shows them in a single list</strong>, so you can see what is actually installed.</li> <li><strong>Creates a <code>.desktop</code> launcher</strong> for the one you pick, ready to appear in your applications menu.</li> </ul> <p>The interface is intentionally minimal: a source selector (<code>Debian | Snap | Flatpak</code>), the list of applications, a destination and a single action button. No configuration files to hand-edit, no guessing at <code>Exec=</code> lines.</p> <h2 id="how-it-is-built">How it is built </h2><p>The application is written in <strong>Python 3.12</strong> with <strong>GTK 3</strong> (PyGObject and pycairo). It follows the same philosophy I keep coming back to: keep the core logic independent from the interface, and let the interface be an adapter. In this case the <em>core</em> is &ldquo;enumerate installed applications and produce a launcher file&rdquo;; the GTK window is just one way to drive it.</p> <p>It is licensed under the <strong>GPL-3.0-or-later</strong>.</p> <h2 id="getting-it">Getting it </h2><p>Pre-built packages are attached to every release:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Debian/Ubuntu</strong>: <code>.deb</code></li> <li><strong>Flatpak</strong>: <code>.flatpak</code> bundle</li> <li><strong>Snap</strong>: <code>.snap</code></li> <li><strong>AppImage</strong>: portable <code>.AppImage</code></li> <li><strong>Python</strong>: wheel and source distribution (<code>.whl</code>, <code>.tar.gz</code>)</li> </ul> <p>You can find them under the <em>Releases</em> section of the project:</p> <ul> <li>GitHub: <a class="link" href="https://github.com/javi-jimenez/desktop-launcher-creator/releases" target="_blank" rel="noopener" >https://github.com/javi-jimenez/desktop-launcher-creator/releases</a></li> <li>Gitea (self-hosted): <a class="link" href="https://gitea.app.brisecom.net/gitea/desktop-launcher-creator/releases" target="_blank" rel="noopener" >https://gitea.app.brisecom.net/gitea/desktop-launcher-creator/releases</a></li> </ul> <p>Every release is built automatically from a tagged commit, so the artifacts and the source always match.</p>