When you install some GUI software, a shortcut will appear in your Applications Menu. But if it is a portable program (like an AppImage or a simple script) you can add it manually by creating a .desktop file.

These custom .desktop files are located inside $HOME/.local/share/applications/ (those added directly by the program are usually inside /usr/share/applications/).

A .desktop file can be very simple:

# $HOME/.local/share/applications/myprogram.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=MyProgram
Comment=This is my awesome program
Categories=Utility
Exec=/path/to/myprogram
  • This is the most basic structure, you can also add an icon (Icon=/path/to/icon.png). Icon path can be an absolute path or simply a filename if the icon is inside $XDG_DATA_DIRS/icons or /usr/share/pixmaps.
  • You can specify several languages with [language-code], for example: Comment[es]=Mi maravilloso programa.
  • Categories is a list of strings (separated by semicolon). Here you can find a list of well-known categories.
  • You can run command line programs by adding Terminal=true.
  • If the app requires to type root password to use it, you can add a Polkit rule or use ‘sudo’ (it will display a terminal prompt to type user password): 
    Terminal=true
Exec=sudo /path/to/program

If you have any suggestion, feel free to contact me via social media or email.