Enlightenment Modules Cannot Read/Display .desktop Files From
Introduction
Moksha modules, such as the Everything launcher and Startup Applications list, are not detecting or displaying applications defined by .desktop
files in the standard system directory /usr/share/applications
. This means most installed applications cannot be found or launched using these built-in Moksha features. In this article, we will explore the steps to reproduce this issue, the expected behavior, and the actual behavior. We will also provide system information and screenshots to help illustrate the problem.
Steps to Reproduce
To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:
- Log into Moksha: Start by logging into your Moksha desktop environment.
- Install a standard application: If you don't have any installed applications, install one now. This will help us test the Everything launcher and Startup Applications list.
- Open the Everything launcher: Press the
Alt + Space
keys to open the Everything launcher. - Search for the installed application: Search for the installed application in the Everything launcher.
Expected Behavior
The installed application should appear in the search results and be selectable. This means that the Everything launcher should be able to detect and display the .desktop
file for the installed application.
Actual Behavior
The application does not appear in the search results. The Startup Applications list also does not show applications from /usr/share/applications
. This means that the Moksha modules are not able to read or display the .desktop
files in the standard system directory.
System Information
Here is some system information that may be relevant to this issue:
- Operating System: Artix Linux
- Moksha Version: 0.4.1-22
Screenshots
Here are some screenshots that illustrate the issue:
- /usr/share/applications: This screenshot shows the contents of the
/usr/share/applications
directory, which contains the.desktop
files for installed applications. - Everything launcher (blender) .desktop file couldn't be searched, but it is listed correctly in Graphics category: This screenshot shows the Everything launcher with the
blender
application selected. However, the.desktop
file forblender
is not displayed in the search results. - Other modules also doesnt show/find the .desktop files like Startup Applications: This screenshot shows the Startup Applications list, which does not display any applications from
/usr/share/applications
.
What I Tried to Solve This
To try to solve this issue, I tried the following:
- Created new enlightenment profile: I created a new Enlightenment profile to see if that would resolve the issue.
- Removed ~/.e: I removed the
~/.e
directory to see if that would resolve the issue. - Deleted ~/.cache/efreet: I deleted the
~/.cache/efreet
directory to see if that would resolve the issue. - Copy single .desktop files to diferent paths: I copied a single
.desktop
file to different paths to see if that would resolve the issue.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Moksha modules are not able to read or display the .desktop
files in the standard system directory /usr/share/applications
. This means that most installed applications cannot be found or launched using these built-in Moksha features. We have tried various steps to reproduce the issue, including creating a new Enlightenment profile, removing the ~/.e
directory, deleting the ~/.cache/efreet
directory, and copying a single .desktop
file to different paths. However, none of these steps resolved the issue.
Possible Solutions
Based on the information provided, here are some possible solutions to this issue:
- Update Moksha to the latest version: It is possible that the issue is due to an outdated version of Moksha. Updating to the latest version may resolve the issue.
- Reinstall the Enlightenment profile: Reinstalling the Enlightenment profile may resolve the issue.
- Recreate the ~/.cache/efreet directory: Recreating the
~/.cache/efreet
directory may resolve the issue. - Check the permissions of the .desktop files: Checking the permissions of the
.desktop
files may resolve the issue.
Future Work
In the future, we plan to investigate this issue further and provide a more detailed analysis of the problem. We will also work on providing a solution to this issue and making it available to the community.
References
- Moksha documentation: This is the official documentation for Moksha.
- Enlightenment documentation: This is the official documentation for Enlightenment.
- Artix Linux documentation: This is the official documentation for Artix Linux.
Enlightenment Modules Cannot Read/Display .desktop Files from /usr/share/applications: Q&A =====================================================================================
Introduction
In our previous article, we discussed the issue of Moksha modules not being able to read or display .desktop
files from the standard system directory /usr/share/applications
. In this article, we will provide a Q&A section to help answer some of the common questions related to this issue.
Q: What is the cause of this issue?
A: The cause of this issue is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be related to a bug in the Moksha or Enlightenment code. Further investigation is needed to determine the root cause of the problem.
Q: How can I reproduce this issue?
A: To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:
- Log into Moksha.
- Install a standard application (if you don't have any).
- Open the Everything launcher (e.g.,
Alt + Space
). - Search for the installed application.
Q: What are the expected and actual behaviors?
A: The expected behavior is that the installed application should appear in the search results and be selectable. The actual behavior is that the application does not appear in the search results, and the Startup Applications list also does not show applications from /usr/share/applications
.
Q: What system information is relevant to this issue?
A: The following system information is relevant to this issue:
- Operating System: Artix Linux
- Moksha Version: 0.4.1-22
Q: What screenshots are available to illustrate this issue?
A: The following screenshots are available to illustrate this issue:
- /usr/share/applications: This screenshot shows the contents of the
/usr/share/applications
directory, which contains the.desktop
files for installed applications. - Everything launcher (blender) .desktop file couldn't be searched, but it is listed correctly in Graphics category: This screenshot shows the Everything launcher with the
blender
application selected. However, the.desktop
file forblender
is not displayed in the search results. - Other modules also doesnt show/find the .desktop files like Startup Applications: This screenshot shows the Startup Applications list, which does not display any applications from
/usr/share/applications
.
Q: What have you tried to solve this issue?
A: To try to solve this issue, I tried the following:
- Created new enlightenment profile: I created a new Enlightenment profile to see if that would resolve the issue.
- Removed ~/.e: I removed the
~/.e
directory to see if that would resolve the issue. - Deleted ~/.cache/efreet: I deleted the
~/.cache/efreet
directory to see if that would resolve the issue. - Copy single .desktop files to diferent paths: I copied a single
.desktop
file to different paths to see if that would resolve the issue.
Q: What are some possible solutions to this issue?
A: Based on the information provided, here are some possible solutions to this issue:
1.Update Moksha to the latest version**: It is possible that the issue is due to an outdated version of Moksha. Updating to the latest version may resolve the issue.
2. Reinstall the Enlightenment profile: Reinstalling the Enlightenment profile may resolve the issue.
3. Recreate the ~/.cache/efreet directory: Recreating the ~/.cache/efreet
directory may resolve the issue.
4. Check the permissions of the .desktop files: Checking the permissions of the .desktop
files may resolve the issue.
Q: What is the next step in resolving this issue?
A: The next step in resolving this issue is to further investigate the root cause of the problem. This may involve reviewing the Moksha and Enlightenment code, as well as testing different scenarios to see if the issue can be reproduced.
Q: How can I get involved in resolving this issue?
A: If you are interested in helping to resolve this issue, you can start by reviewing the Moksha and Enlightenment code, as well as testing different scenarios to see if the issue can be reproduced. You can also join the Moksha and Enlightenment communities to discuss this issue and share your findings with others.