Re: Absolute paths to applications in .desktop files

["Alexander Jones" <alex weej com>]

Hi

2008/7/23 Vincent Untz <vuntz gnome org>:
> This is more complex than that. If I copy a launcher from the
> applications menu to my panel or desktop and then run my session in
> jhbuild, I might want to use the jhbuilt application instead of the
> system application.
>
> If the user changes $PATH, then it has to be expected that some things
> might break. Also, if the user has gcalctool in $HOME/bin, he'll run
> into weird things when typing gcalctool in the run dialog, eg.

This highlights an issue I've been meaning to bring up... The way we
deal with creating panel/desktop launchers is by COPYING the Desktop
Entry file. Desktop Entry files should, IMO, only be used to define
applications. Launchers, etc., should be pointing to them instead.

Another example where this breaks is if you uninstall an application,
or if its binary name changes, or icon name, or translation of name or
description...