{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "xdg-desktop-icon",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xdg-desktop-icon/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-13T23:24:29Z",
    "synopsis": "xdg-desktop-icon install [--novendor] FILE\nxdg-desktop-icon uninstall FILE\nxdg-desktop-icon {--help | --manual | --version}",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "xdg-desktop-icon - command line tool for (un)installing icons to the desktop\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "xdg-desktop-icon install [--novendor] FILE\n\nxdg-desktop-icon uninstall FILE\n\nxdg-desktop-icon {--help | --manual | --version}\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "The xdg-desktop-icon program can be used to install an application launcher or other file on\nthe desktop of the current user.\n\nAn application launcher is represented by a *.desktop file. Desktop files are defined by the\nfreedesktop.org Desktop Entry Specification. The most important aspects of *.desktop files\nare summarized below.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "COMMANDS": {
            "content": "install\nInstalls FILE to the desktop of the current user.  FILE can be a *.desktop file or any\nother type of file.\n\nuninstall\nRemoves FILE from the desktop of the current user.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "--novendor",
                    "content": "Normally, xdg-desktop-icon checks to ensure that a *.desktop file to be installed has a\nvendor prefix. This option can be used to disable that check.\n\nA vendor prefix consists of alpha characters ([a-zA-Z]) and is terminated with a dash\n(\"-\"). Companies and organizations are encouraged to use a word or phrase, preferably the\norganizations name, for which they hold a trademark as their vendor prefix. The purpose\nof the vendor prefix is to prevent name conflicts.\n",
                    "long": "--novendor"
                },
                {
                    "name": "--help",
                    "content": "Show command synopsis.\n",
                    "long": "--help"
                },
                {
                    "name": "--manual",
                    "content": "Show this manual page.\n",
                    "long": "--manual"
                },
                {
                    "name": "--version",
                    "content": "Show the xdg-utils version information.\n",
                    "long": "--version"
                }
            ]
        },
        "DESKTOP FILES": {
            "content": "An application launcher can be added to the desktop by installing a *.desktop file. A\n*.desktop file consists of a [Desktop Entry] header followed by several Key=Value lines.\n\nA *.desktop file can provide a name and description for an application in several different\nlanguages. This is done by adding a language code as used by LCMESSAGES in square brackets\nbehind the Key. This way one can specify different values for the same Key depending on the\ncurrently selected language.\n\nThe following keys are often used:\n\nType=Application\nThis is a mandatory field that indicates that the *.desktop file describes an application\nlauncher.\n\nName=Application Name\nThe name of the application. For example Mozilla\n\nGenericName=Generic Name\nA generic description of the application. For example Web Browser\n\nComment=Comment\nOptional field to specify a tooltip for the application. For example Visit websites on\nthe Internet\n\nIcon=Icon File\nThe icon to use for the application. This can either be an absolute path to an image file\nor an icon-name. If an icon-name is provided an image lookup by name is done in the\nuser's current icon theme. The xdg-icon-resource command can be used to install image\nfiles into icon themes. The advantage of using an icon-name instead of an absolute path\nis that with an icon-name the application icon can be provided in several different sizes\nas well as in several differently themed styles.\n\nExec=Command Line\nThe command line to start the application. If the application can open files the %f\nplaceholder should be specified. When a file is dropped on the application launcher the\n%f is replaced with the file path of the dropped file. If multiple files can be specified\non the command line the %F placeholder should be used instead of %f. If the application\nis able to open URLs in addition to local files then %u or %U can be used instead of %f\nor %F.\n\nFor a complete overview of the *.desktop file format please visit",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/desktop-entry-spec",
                    "content": ""
                }
            ]
        },
        "ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES": {
            "content": "xdg-desktop-icon honours the following environment variables:\n\nXDGUTILSDEBUGLEVEL\nSetting this environment variable to a non-zero numerical value makes xdg-desktop-icon do\nmore verbose reporting on stderr. Setting a higher value increases the verbosity.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "EXIT CODES": {
            "content": "An exit code of 0 indicates success while a non-zero exit code indicates failure. The\nfollowing failure codes can be returned:\n\n1\nError in command line syntax.\n\n2\nOne of the files passed on the command line did not exist.\n\n3\nA required tool could not be found.\n\n4\nThe action failed.\n\n5\nNo permission to read one of the files passed on the command line.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "xdg-icon-resource(1)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "EXAMPLES": {
            "content": "The company ShinyThings Inc. has developed an application named \"WebMirror\" and would like to\nadd a launcher for for on the desktop. The company will use \"shinythings\" as its vendor id.\nIn order to add the application to the desktop there needs to be a .desktop file for the\napplication:\n\nshinythings-webmirror.desktop:\n\n[Desktop Entry]\nEncoding=UTF-8\nType=Application\n\nExec=webmirror\nIcon=shinythings-webmirror\n\nName=WebMirror\nName[nl]=WebSpiegel\n\nNow the xdg-desktop-icon tool can be used to add the webmirror.desktop file to the desktop:\n\nxdg-desktop-icon install ./shinythings-webmirror.desktop\n\nTo add a README file to the desktop as well, the following command can be used:\n\nxdg-desktop-icon install ./shinythings-README\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHORS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "Kevin Krammer",
                    "content": "Author.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "Jeremy White",
                    "content": "Author.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "COPYRIGHT": {
            "content": "Copyright © 2006\n\n\n\nxdg-utils 1.0                                08/22/2022                          XDG-DESKTOP-ICON(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "xdg-desktop-icon - command line tool for (un)installing icons to the desktop",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": "--novendor",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Normally, xdg-desktop-icon checks to ensure that a *.desktop file to be installed has a vendor prefix. This option can be used to disable that check. A vendor prefix consists of alpha characters ([a-zA-Z]) and is terminated with a dash (\"-\"). Companies and organizations are encouraged to use a word or phrase, preferably the organizations name, for which they hold a trademark as their vendor prefix. The purpose of the vendor prefix is to prevent name conflicts."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": "--help",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Show command synopsis."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": "--manual",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Show this manual page."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": "--version",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Show the xdg-utils version information."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [
        "The company ShinyThings Inc. has developed an application named \"WebMirror\" and would like to",
        "add a launcher for for on the desktop. The company will use \"shinythings\" as its vendor id.",
        "In order to add the application to the desktop there needs to be a .desktop file for the",
        "application:",
        "shinythings-webmirror.desktop:",
        "[Desktop Entry]",
        "Encoding=UTF-8",
        "Type=Application",
        "Exec=webmirror",
        "Icon=shinythings-webmirror",
        "Name=WebMirror",
        "Name[nl]=WebSpiegel",
        "Now the xdg-desktop-icon tool can be used to add the webmirror.desktop file to the desktop:",
        "xdg-desktop-icon install ./shinythings-webmirror.desktop",
        "To add a README file to the desktop as well, the following command can be used:",
        "xdg-desktop-icon install ./shinythings-README"
    ],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "xdg-icon-resource",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xdg-icon-resource/1/json"
        }
    ]
}