Non-existing desktop items installed with every "full" upgrade

[bpr323]

I have a heavily customised MX with XFCE4 desktop. I do NOT use Conky and Imagemagic, they are not installed.
However, after each "full" upgrade I get desktop files for these installed by default - please refer to the screenshot attached.

Screenshot_2025-02-08_13-18-27.png

[dolphin_oracle]

the mx-system packages owns those desktop files. the modification hides them from the menus.

so they are present, but don't do anything.

if you are deleting them, they would only return on an update to mx-system.

[fehlix]

the mx-system packages owns those desktop files. the modification hides them from the menus.

MenuLibre complains rightly about those missing executable b/c of the missing TryExec= line within the desktop-entry file.
Suggest adding TryExec= to those in order to prevent FreeDesktop Specification compliant applications (like MenuLibre) from complaining about non-existent applications.

[bpr323]

Hi Dolphin, my question was how to prevent the installation of these desktop files if the executables are not present?
But I guess these 2 apps are "must-have" parts of the MX SOE, so they are forced on the users regardless, bummer :)

Thank you Fehlix, I will try this TryExec hack the next time

[fehlix]

Hi Dolphin, my question was how to prevent the installation of these desktop files if the executables are not present?
But I guess these 2 apps are "must-have" parts of the MX SOE, so they are forced on the users regardless, bummer :)

Thank you Fehlix, I will try this TryExec hack the next time

The purpose of the TryExec= is exactly this:
Within the desktop entry/file you have something like

Code: Select all

Exec=prog
TryExec=prog

Now the menu system will only consider those desktop-entry/files where a valid "prog" is found,
in case the "prog" was uninstalled it may well happen that the desktop-file was not removed,
or stays with users ~/.local/share/applications/ (when you edit the desktop entry
a copy with you changes will be saved as user)
Buttom line: TryExec= is a way to let menu-system know, which "dead" entries to ignore.
And menulibre, is consistent and complains, even if Xfce-menu system doesn't care much about invalid entries.

[bpr323]

Thanks Fehlix!
Do I need to edit the "menulibre.desktop" in ~/.local/share/applications/ and insert "Exec=prog | TryExec=prog"
It currently reads:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.1
Type=Application
Name=Menu Editor
Comment=Add or remove applications from the menu
Icon=menulibre
OnlyShowIn=Budgie;Cinnamon;GNOME;KDE;LXDE;LXQt;MATE;Pantheon;Unity;XFCE;
Exec=/usr/bin/menulibre
Actions=
Categories=DesktopSettings;GNOME;GTK;Utility;
Keywords=Configuration;Menu;User;
StartupNotify=true

OR

Do I need to edit the Conky and Imagemagic desktop files that are in /usr/share/applications/ folder?
b/c they are NOT in the /.local/share/applications/ folder

[dolphin_oracle]

latest version of mx-system should make the change. was pushed yesterday.

[fehlix]

Thanks Fehlix!
Do I need to edit the "menulibre.desktop" in ~/.local/share/applications/ and insert "Exec=prog | TryExec=prog"

Do I need to edit the Conky and Imagemagic desktop files that are in /usr/share/applications/ folder?
b/c they are NOT in the /.local/share/applications/ folder

You posted a picture without much context. So I guess it was menulibre editor pictue.
The missing TryExec is mssing within the files you have shown in the picture.
And as you seem to have removed the conky package the files was left over.
The other is similare, but needed in other place.
So I guess, either wait untill the new package mentioned above, would add the missing TryExec.
Or manually copy the files into your .locale/share/applications, and manually add TryExe=...
which would do the same I think .. or remove the files maybe this would also avoid the warning shown.
(Ahh I missed the topc title with every "full upgrade", not sure what package would have been invovled, so remove might not help
after the next recreation, so let's the new mx-system package fix the missing magic bit's.)

[bpr323]

Great! Thanks Dolphin and Fehlix - will wait for the new mx-system upgrade to fix the issue.
BTW, I used to delete the Conky and Imagemagic desktop files when they were pushed in the past, but they would reappear regardless - hence the question.
Hope these will be fixed next time.
Thanks again, MX is the top notch distro. Love it for super strong maintainability