Desktop entry file for Linux app launchers (resolves #295)

[asnelling]

Adds the ability to launch scrcpy using your preferred application launcher on Linux.

See: https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html

[rom1v]

Cool 👍 Comments inline.

One small drawback is that scrcpy uses the terminal to output info and error, and there is no terminal when started from the menu (but it's like on Windows then).

[rom1v]

(by default /usr/local/share/applications/scrcpy.desktop, but you can keep this comment as is, it's explicit enough)

[rom1v]

gparted icon does not really fit scrcpy. Unfortunately, I didn't find any existing icon that could fit. Maybe we should add an Android icon?

[srevinsaju]

You can use this icon , which I created for guiscrcpy. I licensed it under Creative Commons Attributions 4.0, so you can easily reuse it.

[yan12125]

The Android icon at https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy/blob/v1.18/app/src/icon.xpm may be a better choice. Here is an improved patch:

diff --git a/app/meson.build b/app/meson.build
index 0663c64..321ed38 100644
--- a/app/meson.build
+++ b/app/meson.build
@@ -148,6 +148,14 @@ executable('scrcpy', src,
 
 install_man('scrcpy.1')
 
+# Desktop entry file for application launchers
+if host_machine.system() == 'linux'
+    # -> /usr/share/applications/scrcpy.desktop
+    install_data('scrcpy.desktop', install_dir : join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'applications'))
+    install_data('src/icon.xpm', rename: 'scrcpy.xpm',
+                 install_dir : join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'icons', 'hicolor', '48x48', 'apps'))
+endif
+
 
 ### TESTS
 
diff --git a/app/scrcpy.desktop b/app/scrcpy.desktop
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5933272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/scrcpy.desktop
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Desktop Entry]
+Name=scrcpy
+GenericName=Android Remote Control
+Comment=Display and control your Android device
+Exec=scrcpy
+Icon=scrcpy
+Terminal=false
+Type=Application
+Categories=Utility;RemoteAccess;
+StartupNotify=false

[rom1v]

At first, it did not work for me.

To get the error, I changed to:

Exec=bash -c "scrcpy &> /tmp/log"

And /tmp/log contained:

exec: No such file or directory
ERROR: 'adb' command not found (make it accessible from your PATH or define its full path in the ADB environment variable)
ERROR: Could not execute "adb push"

In fact, the adb directory is added in PATH in my .bashrc, so it's not in PATH when the session is started, so starting it for the menu does not work in that case.

In practice, do you use the android-tools-adb package, or did you put your adb directory in PATH from somewhere else?

[npes87184]

I add the file in /usr/share/applications/scrcpy.desktop with content:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=scrcpy
GenericName=Android Remote Control
Comment=Display and control your Android device
Exec=scrcpy
Icon=gparted
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;RemoteAccess;
StartupNotify=false

After it, click the icon from menu. Scrcpy starts as expected.

[npes87184]

@rom1v

Maybe you can try to change Exec to echo $PATH > /tmp/path_out and execute again to get more info for debugging.

[yan12125]

I guess bash -i -c scrcpy will work for adb not in standard paths? That bash option forces the interactive mode and .bashrc is sourced. I use android-tools on Arch Linux, where adb is installed under /usr/bin, so I cannot test my idea.

[srevinsaju]

If you add this code as scrcpy.VisualElements.xml, you can get that customized Windows Start Menu Effect, as you see for OneNote Tiles etc..

This is the one I used for the Windows version of guiscrcpy
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <Application xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" > <VisualElements ShowNameOnSquare150x150Logo="off" Square150x150Logo="VisualElements\MediumIconguiscrcpy.png" Square70x70Logo="VisualElements\SmallIconguiscrcpy.png" ForegroundText="light" BackgroundColor="#00FED0" />

Hope it helps..

[unclehowell]

In my experience its better to have the .Desktop run a script which resets network adaptors and establishes connection with the android first. In the script the correct screen size and connection speed can be set and appropriate sleep times between commands

[yan12125]

In my experience its better to have the .Desktop run a script which resets network adaptors and establishes connection with the android first. In the script the correct screen size and connection speed can be set and appropriate sleep times between commands

Hmm, scrcpy runs adb, which connects to the Android device when needed. Is there a reason to reset network adaptors? Anyway, if some preparation steps are needed, they are better to be part of the scrcpy command instead of the .desktop file, so that those who run scrcpy from the terminal can benefit from it as well.

[asnelling]

Closed with #3351