KDE .desktop Exec key does not work with command line options

dannybpng · 01-27-2017, 12:07 AM

I have spend a day or so trying to get .desktop files to let me pass command line parameters (i.e. -x) to bash scripts that I'm executing via the Exec key.

I wanted to set up a drag-and-drop type system to let non-command-line users run my tools from Dolphin by dragging and dropping files or directories onto .desktop files created to run the scripts.

This string works. A terminal window comes up and shows the progress.

Quote:

Exec=slgsync /home/distributions/SaveLongGod %f

This does not. No terminal window comes up. A button shows on the panel for several seconds and then goes away. The -x is a valid parameter for my script.

Quote:

Exec=slgsync -x /home/distributions/SaveLongGod %f

No matter what Linux command line program I specify, it runs without a command line parameter and if I add a valid parameter it fails.

I think it's a bug in my configuration as other examples on the web show commands with parameters, but they don't work with my setup.

Fedora 23
KDE Plasma: 5.7.5
KDE Frameworks: 5.27.0
Dolphin: 15.12.3

I know Fedora 23 is EOL, but having a very expensive internet service has not let me upgrade yet. I'm working on it.

John VV · 01-27-2017, 12:43 AM

most of the time i place a tiny shell script to launch the program in the folder with that program
then in the .desktop file i point to the script

an example for the HP 11c rom calculator i use
http://nonpareil.brouhaha.com/
the *.desktop file

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Utility;Calculator;
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=/DATA/nonpareil/bin/HP11c.sh
GenericName[en_US]=HP-Calculator
GenericName=HP-Calculator
Icon=/DATA/nonpareil/bin/11c.png
MimeType=
Name[en_US]=HP-11c
Name=HP-11c
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

this points to "/DATA/nonpareil/bin/HP11c.sh"

Code:

#!/bin/sh
/DATA/nonpareil/bin/nonpareil 11c.kml

as to what you want ?
i do not think a "*.desktop" file will act a a linked FOLDER

Brains · 01-27-2017, 01:36 AM

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Application;Multimedia;
Comment[en_CA]=Link to VLC
Comment=Link to VLC
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=/usr/bin/vlc
Icon=
GenericName[en_CA]=Music player
GenericName=Music player
MimeType=
Name[en_CA]=Music player
Name=Music player
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
Version=1.0
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

I've never tried this before, but when I dropped an mp3 on the .desktop above, VLC popped up and played it.
Maybe I'm off here, but the slgsync -x part should be in the script the .desktop runs. The EXEC= should only point to the script, not pass arguments.

Also, users generally cannot run scrips with root commands on my Debian, I originally did like John and had the .desktop launch a script that would launch another script as sudo with both scripts added to /etc/sudoers file. But then I managed to get rid of one of the scripts by adding sudo to the EXEC= section of the .desktop file. Below are the examples:

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Application;Network;
Comment[en_CA]=Connect to Internet
Comment=Connect to Internet
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=sudo /home/jo/Desktop/net.sh
Icon=
GenericName[en_CA]=Wifi UP
GenericName=Wifi UP
MimeType=
Name[en_CA]=Wifi UP
Name=Wifi UP
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=true
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
Version=1.0
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

/etc/sudoers entry:

Code:

# User privilege specification
root	ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
jo	ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

# Allow members of group sudo to execute any command
%sudo	ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

# See sudoers(5) for more information on "#include" directives:

#includedir /etc/sudoers.d
jo  ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD:/home/jo/Desktop/net.sh

I had the net.sh script that would bring up the wifi connection in my /home/jo/Desktop folder with the .desktop file.

Brains · 01-27-2017, 01:48 AM

Maybe try adding slgsync -x to the TerminalOptions= value of the .desktop

dannybpng · 01-27-2017, 01:50 AM

I don't fully understand what you are presenting and how that would help with my situation. I was hoping for a simple menu system. Have a bunch of .desktop files each representing the available actions. Each .desktop file would provide different command line arguments passed to a program depending on the desired action to perform. I'd like all the files in one folder so that the user can see the list of possible actions as a list of files in one pane via Dolphin and drag files from another pane onto the desired action.

Quote:

Synchronize to Drive.desktop
Synchronize to FTP.desktop
Update web pages.desktop

It seemed like a very simple way of creating a system where they could drop folders or files or run them directly by clicking on them and default values could be used.

Brains · 01-27-2017, 02:09 AM

In the .desktop examples John and I posted, there is a value called: TerminalOptions=
Try putting the -x there.

EDIT: And pardon me for including extra information that may come in handy for others stumbling upon this thread in the future trying to get their .desktop working.

dannybpng · 01-27-2017, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brains

In the .desktop examples John and I posted, there is a value called: TerminalOptions=
Try putting the -x there.

EDIT: And pardon me for including extra information that may come in handy for others stumbling upon this thread in the future trying to get their .desktop working.

----
Thanks. I'll try this when I get back to the office.

dannybpng · 01-29-2017, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

most of the time i place a tiny shell script to launch the program in the folder with that program
then in the .desktop file i point to the script
...

It looks like I will have to try something like this. My frustration about the Exec command line arguments is that I have seen them in other examples on Ubuntu systems with "-s" options in them, but that doesn't work on my Fedora KDE system.

dannybpng · 01-29-2017, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brains

In the .desktop examples John and I posted, there is a value called: TerminalOptions=
Try putting the -x there.

EDIT: And pardon me for including extra information that may come in handy for others stumbling upon this thread in the future trying to get their .desktop working.

This only send arguments to the terminal emulation program not my program and in the latest specs is deprecated.

dannybpng · 02-06-2017, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybpng

It looks like I will have to try something like this. My frustration about the Exec command line arguments is that I have seen them in other examples on Ubuntu systems with "-s" options in them, but that doesn't work on my Fedora KDE system.

I have implemented a version of my system using an intermediary script (as suggested) that passes the needed command line arguments to the main scripts, but it is adding more unnecessary levels of complication. I would mark this as solved, but I'm still wondering why Dolphin (or whatever level is interpreting the .desktop files) is not following the specs. Does someone know where I could post to see if this has been changed in newer Fedoras (after 23) or find out other options to get an updated version of Dolphin?