How to create desktop shortcut to bash program running java

Question

I've downloaded the free and open-source image analysis software "Icy" (http://icy.bioimageanalysis.org/), and I can launch it by making the "icy.sh" file executable and double-clicking on it.

However if I create a shortcut to this file, I can't launch it, except if the shortcut is in the original folder. Here is a clue, that this is possibly due to the fact that "Java programs need to be started from within the directory in which their files exist.": https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToAddaLauncher

But I have no idea of how it actually works and how to solve that. If you have any idea that would be great :-)

Thanks guys!

Answer 1

when you open that icy.sh file, you can see

    java -jar updater.jar

So you can just modify (leafpad, gedit or any other text editor)your icy.desktop file to:

   [Desktop Entry]
   Name=ICY
   Exec=java -jar '/your/path/to/file/updater.jar' 
   Icon=your/path/to/icon
   Terminal=false
   Type=Application

With icy.sh set as executable and with shortcut created as:

   Exec=/your/path/to/file/icy.sh 

it didnt work, like in your case... this is workaround I would use

Answer 2

Create a .desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Icy
Exec=/bin/bash -c "cd /path/to/script/directory&&./icy.sh"
Type=Application
Terminal=false

• Copy it into an empty file, save it as icy.desktop
• Replace /path/to/script/directory by the actual path to the script's directory
• Make it executable

Explanation

Desktop files (with the extension .desktop) can be used to perform all kinds of applications or tasks. To make it run shell commands, the format is:

Exec=/bin/bash -c "<command>"

The <command> in this case is:

cd /path/to/script/directory&&./icy.sh

In detail:

cd /path/to/script/directory

to cd to the script's directory, and subsequently:

./icy.sh

to run icy.sh from its own directory

Give the .desktop file an(other) icon:

The example file is a very basic one:

If you'd like the file to have another icon than the generic one, add a line (e.g.):

Icon=/path/to/icon.png

More on .desktop files and their required/optional entries here.

Answer 3

You can open the "shortcut" as a plain text using any text editor. When opened, you must change the path of the file. Probably now it's a relative path, so make it absolute to look like "./home/user/pathtofile/file.sh"