I created a desktop file in /usr/share/applications, but it doesn't show up in Dash

Question

I've created a .desktop file.

[Desktop Entry]
Exec=cd /opt/sqldeveloper/sqldeveloper/bin && bash sqldeveloper $*
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
Categories=GNOME;Oracle;Utility;Development;
Type=Application
Icon=/opt/sqldeveloper/icon.png
Name=Oracle SQL Developer
Comment=what to say
Version=s.0.m.t.h.i.n.g
GenericName=ORACLE SQL DEVELOPER

It is present in /usr/share/applications .It is even showing the icon if viewed in Nautilus, but when I press alt (the dash or windows key) and search for it, it is not visible.

Also I tried:

sudo update-desktop-database

Answer 1

What is the critical issue in your .desktop file

I tried your .desktop file replacing the Exec= command with another (simple and working) one and the file appears to be functional, and is not refused by Dash.

It is a common misunderstanding that you can use the Exec= line of a .desktop file as if it were a terminal window. That is not the case; expanding like ~/ or $HOME doesn't work for example. It is good (meaning: easy) practice to place more complicated commands in a separate script file, to be executed from the launcher file (your .desktop file)

Running complicated commands from a .desktop file

If you specifically want to keep your command inside your .desktop file, you should make it as follows:

Exec=sh -c "your_complicated_command_here && the_rest_of_it"
(command inside quotes)

Running a script from the .desktop file to do the job

Assuming that your command

cd /opt/sqldeveloper/sqldeveloper/bin && bash sqldeveloper $*

works from a terminal window, I would however simply create a small script:

#!/bin/bash
cd /opt/sqldeveloper/sqldeveloper/bin && bash sqldeveloper $*

Save it as scriptname.sh, and change the Exec= line of your .desktop file into:

Exec=sh /path/to/scriptname.sh

Then your .desktop file will show up in Dash

Note

That there are more issues with your .desktop file, as mentioned by @Braiam and @MrVaykadji. A few examples:

• You should not use just use made up values in the Categories= line, as you can read here
• The version field is not required, but if you use it, use 1.0

More can be found here. Good tools you can find here (also thanks to @Braiam and @MrVaykadji).

The critical one that makes your .desktop file not appear in Dash however is the Exec= line.