

The steps are exactly the same for desktop files stored in any other directory on the system. This guide will demonstrate setting up app shortcuts stored in the /usr/local/share/applications directory. If an app has been installed for only a single user, the desktop entry for the said app can be found inside the ~/.local/share/applications folder inside the user's home directory. The /usr/local/share/applications directory stores desktop files for programs installed on your system. Note that, however, these are not limited to only applications, you can also create such files for directories, URLs, and scripts. You can think of them as app shortcuts on Ubuntu. These are simple configuration files that hold information about an application, including its path, icon, and other metadata. Usually, you get the choice to create a shortcut for the app during its installation. Other mainstream OSes like Windows also employ app shortcuts to enrich the user experience and make it easy for users to launch applications straight from the desktop.
#Ubuntu gnome how to create a shortcut on desktop full
Having a desktop full of shortcuts ensures you don't have to open the applications menu and search for an app every time to launch it.Īnd also, you can steer clear of the sophisticated terminal-based approach to launching apps, which is nerve-wracking for some beginners.

The most prominent amongst all is convenience. There are a plethora of reasons why one would want app shortcuts on their desktop. In this guide, you'll learn how to create and add application shortcuts to the Ubuntu desktop. After all, who wouldn't want the convenience of launching their apps directly from the desktop-that's what a desktop is for!

While this might not cause problems for experienced Linux users, those who come from Windows can find this behavior strange, provoking them to switch back to their old OS. Unlike Windows, Ubuntu doesn't automatically add desktop shortcuts for the apps you install.
