Problem Integrating Appimage

[retiredbiker]

I finally decided to integrate the appimage with the desktop, rather than just doing "run" all the time. (Using Pop_os 22.04.) I put a .desktop file in .local/share/applications, and an icon in .local/share/icons. The built-from-source version is still in place. So far what this has done is:

1-removed the Sigil icon from the dock (was the icon link to the built-from-source version)
2-removed Sigil from the main list of installed applications (PageEdit is still there, I have not touched any of that)
3-added a new Sigil to the searchable list of apps, and it uses the new .desktop file and sees the icon. But only this entry, not the original one.

But if I try and run the appimage from the entry 3- above, nothing happens.

The appimage runs fine just doing "run" from the file manager, and the source-built version runs fine from the command line. Running either one, I can't pin it to the dock. If I do an "open with" from the file manager, it selects the built version and works normally.

Do I have to delete the built-from-source version? If so, so I do this just by deleting the files in /usr/local/bin/sigil/?

Or maybe I have some silly error. Any help is welcome! Here is the setup:

Desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Sigil
Comment=ePUB a file editor
TryExec=~/appimages/Sigil-2.7.5-beta-x86_64.AppImage
Exec=~/appimages/Sigil-2.7.5-beta-x86_64.AppImage %F
Icon=sigil
Categories=Office;
MimeType=application/epub+zip;

[DiapDealer]

There's a few of things I can suggest.

1) In your custom .desktop file, make the Name entry something like Sigil AppImage. That way it will stand out from any other installed versions something like:

Name=Sigil AppImage

2) try the full path to your home directory rather than using the ~

/home/(username)/

3) See if your distro has the desktop-file-validate tool available. If it does, install it if necessary and run:

desktop-file-validate ~/.local/share/applications/sigil.desktop (or whatever your desktop file is named) and make sure is doesn't show any errors in your .desktop file.

4) make sure the executable bit is set on your .desktop file.

[retiredbiker]

Thank you! It looks like the full path names in the .desktop file did the trick...works fine now.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by retiredbiker

Thank you! It looks like the full path names in the .desktop file did the trick...works fine now.

Great! I think I gave an example a long time ago using the ~ shortcut. Either I didn't test it, or the specs changed for .desktop files.

[retiredbiker]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Great! I think I gave an example a long time ago using the ~ shortcut. Either I didn't test it, or the specs changed for .desktop files.

It was your example I started with...took me a while to find it , too!

Then I searched for help on .desktop files and got really confused.

[DiapDealer]

I knew it looked familiar!