HideApps

Automatically hide KDE and GNOME applications from other desktop environments

HideApps is a lightweight Python script that adds OnlyShowIn directives to KDE and GNOME desktop files, preventing them from cluttering your application menu when using different desktop environments.

🎯 What it does

• KDE apps: Only visible in KDE (adds OnlyShowIn=KDE)
• GNOME apps: Only visible in GNOME (adds OnlyShowIn=GNOME)
• Preserves customizations: Won't overwrite existing OnlyShowIn directives
• Automatic monitoring: Optional systemd integration for hands-off operation

🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd hideapps

2. Run the installer:

   ./install.sh

3. Done! The script will run once and optionally set up automatic monitoring.

📋 Manual Installation

If you prefer to install manually:

# Copy the script
cp hideapps.py ~/.local/bin/
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/hideapps.py

# Run it once
~/.local/bin/hideapps.py

# Optional: Set up automatic monitoring
cp hideapps.service hideapps.path ~/.config/systemd/user/
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable hideapps.path
systemctl --user start hideapps.path

🔧 How it works

1. Scans /usr/share/applications/ for org.kde.* and org.gnome.* desktop files
2. Copies them to ~/.local/share/applications/ (if not already present)
3. Adds the appropriate OnlyShowIn directive using Python's configparser
4. Monitors for new installations (optional systemd integration)

🛠️ Configuration

The script works out of the box with no configuration needed. It:

• Uses configparser for proper INI file handling
• Preserves case sensitivity with optionxform = str
• Only processes files that don't already have OnlyShowIn directives
• Formats files cleanly, removing any duplicates

📊 Monitoring

The optional systemd integration provides automatic monitoring:

# Check monitoring status
systemctl --user status hideapps.path

# View logs
journalctl --user -u hideapps.service -f

# Disable monitoring
systemctl --user disable hideapps.path

🔍 Troubleshooting

Script not found:

# Make sure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Service not triggering:

# Check service status
systemctl --user status hideapps.path hideapps.service

# Manual trigger for testing
systemctl --user start hideapps.service

Permission issues:

# Ensure proper permissions
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/hideapps.py

📁 Files

• hideapps.py - Main Python script
• hideapps.service - Systemd service unit
• hideapps.path - Systemd path monitoring unit
• install.sh - Automated installation script
• README.md - This file

🤝 Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and pull requests. The script is designed to be simple and reliable.

📜 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🔗 Background

This tool is useful for users who:

• Switch between desktop environments
• Want cleaner application menus
• Don't want KDE apps showing in GNOME (or vice versa)
• Prefer automated solutions over manual desktop file editing

The script respects existing customizations and uses proper desktop entry standards.