Adding Flatpak-applications to the desktop creates a broken link

Issue on LM 21.x XFCE: If one tries to create a desktop-entry for a flatpak-application, then this is results in a broken link (No desktop-icon is being created, although the icon is visible in the menu-entry. This issue applies to all flatpak-application

Thanks for reporting!

Works fine here, more info required.

If one tries to create a desktop-entry for a flatpak-application

How is that done ? Do you create the desktop-entry on the desktop (package xfdesktop) ? Via right-click --> add launcher ? Or in some folder via thunar ? Or via drag and drop ?

It would help alot if you could tell the steps you took to install a flatpak application (just add an example using some tiny flatpack-package).

Which Versions of thunar and xfdesktop do you use ? (thunar --version && xfdesktop --version)

For me the following works fine using thunar master + xfdesktop 4.18.1:

• Installed flatpak, gnome-software-plugin-flatpak and gnome-software (debian here)
• Download some flatpakref file from flathub. E.g: Eyedropper
• Double click via thunar, write password and check "agree" to install it
• Now it is available in the applicationmenu
• Right click on the desktop --> create Launcher --> type "eye", autocomplete --> create launcher

Thank you Alexander for your fast response.

thunar --version thunar 4.18.4 (Xfce 4.18) xfdesktop --version Dit is xfdesktop versie 4.18.1, draaiend op Xfce 4.18. Gemaakt met GTK+ 3.24.33, gekoppeld aan GTK+ 3.24.33.

I installed gnome-software-plugin-flatpak via the Synaptic package-manager

I created the desktop-entry via the menu, right-click (add on desktop). This creates only a symbolic link. io.gitlab.Goodvibes.desktop -> ../../../app/io.gitlab.Goodvibes/current/active/export/share/applications/io.gitlab.Goodvibes.desktop

I created a new one by right-clicking on the desktop itself (create starter). This starter is created well, but isn't visible on the desktop until you log out and log in again.

So 1. Creating a desktop-entry by right-click on the entry in the menu only creates a symbolic link. 2. Creating a desktop-entry by right-click on the desktop itself creates a proper desktop-entry, but you have to refresh the desktop before it becomes visible.

Thanks for the details!

I created the desktop-entry via the menu, right-click (add on desktop).

You are lacking detailed information again. Which menu? The thunar right-click menu ? Some Synaptic menu ? The xfce-panel application-menu ? If you don't know, add a screenshot.

On what exactly did you right-click inside there?

but you have to refresh the desktop before it becomes visible.

Works fine here without refresh ... might be related to your xfdesktop configuration. Best open an issue against xfdesktop for that one, if you can reproduce the problem.

Creating a desktop-entry by right-clicking into the whisker-menu results only in a symbolic link.

Creating a desktop-entry by right-clicking on the desktop itself results in a proper desktop-entry that is only visible after refreshing the desktop

Thank you for the details!

I tried to reproduce with the whiskermenu-plugin (I have installed v2.8.1 and now v2.8.2), though for me a launcher is created instead of a symlink (tested with Eyedropper)

Which version of the whiskermenu do you use? Moving to the correct package.

Version xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin = 2.7.2-1~bpo22.04

moved from xfce/thunar#1261 (moved)

mentioned in commit fb803a30

mentioned in commit 22151c5d

This was caused by the fact that Whisker Menu adds launchers to the desktop through Thunar and D-Bus. This improperly copies the symlink, instead of what the symlink was pointing to. I tried changing it to use the folder for the launcher when copying, but that didn't fix it, so instead I always look up the real path and tell Thunar to copy that.

closed

mentioned in issue #127 (closed)