maemo.org Bugzilla – Bug 95
desktop-files documented poorly
Last modified: 2010-05-17 16:39:59 UTC
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Need proper documentation on desktop files and _all_ the fields that are used and supported in maemo. For example maemopad uses extra fields as does the control panel applet, but these are not documented. A separate document on this would be nice, and no, it is not enough to refer to the f.do-document since you are using extra fields and also some fields work differently from the f.do-spec (exec is one).
reassigning...
changing target
Changing target milestone and assigning
reassigned to JP
JP to check is still valid
Re-assigned to Mika
Re-assigned: TeemuH to verify the widget code examples.
.
Out of curiosity: what is the status of this bug? Is the oldest one in the website product (#95, not bad). If we have plans to do something, please notify, If we don't, please notify and we will close this bug. Thanks!
Having widget code examples isn't enough to document the extra features in desktop-files.
Alright, are you planning to provide more examples? Otherwise please reassign accordingly or share this with JuhaT to decide what to do. I'm chasing very old bugs giving them higher priority so we can either fix or wontfix them.
/me feels very proud of still having sub 100 bugs that are valid :-).
How well does our platform conform to Freedesktop.org's Desktop Entry Specification [1]? We prefix our extra fields with "X-" that is how the spec wants also [2]. So the main question is where are these X-fields documented (e.g. X-Icon-path, X-Windows-Icon, W-HildonDesk-ShowInToolbar, X-Osso-Service, X-Osso-Type)? [1] http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ [2] http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s08.html
Also, you might want to check whether exec will now accept parameters as well. This was the original issue which managed to frustrate quite a lot (i.e., command line parameters for the activated executable were just ignored by the launching process). This should work based on the fd.o spec. You might also want to document the usage of version in maemo desktop files. There seems to be some confusion to whether it refers to application version or the desktop file spec version. The fd.o spec for reference: http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ Also, please check the handling of the exec field codes (whether any of them actually work in maemo). Anyhow, a separate "maemo spec" document on the desktop file (as found and supported in maemo) would be very useful. It could then be referenced from the various howto files instead of each of them having slightly different usage/meanings for the fields.
Here are the field supported in hildon-desktop (Chinook): Type (Should be application) Icon Name Categories (not used on maemo, but used in Ubuntu mobile) Comment (now unused, was used as second line of text in the startup menu in Bora). Exec NoDisplay (set to true to hide the entry in the menu) StartupNotify (set to false to disable the startup notification banner) StartupWMClass (used to override the expected window class name, default to the binary name) and some extensions, maemo-specific: X-Text-Domain (set the L10n domain from which the application name is translated (with dgettext) X-Osso-Service (a DBus service name - if specified hildon desktop will try to call the top_application method on this service rather than execute what is listed in the Exec field).
I will let the desktop team know about this, and in the meantime I will put what Johan said into the documentation for maemo application packagers/developers. Dave.
(removing ancient 2.0 milestone.)
This has been hanging around for years, and I really don't know what to do with it. Closing WONTFIX - if it's of major interest to you, and the answer isn't in the maemo 4.1 documentation, please re-open with a note.
Changing resolution to FIXED - see http://wiki.maemo.org/Desktop_file_format
(In reply to comment #18) > This has been hanging around for years, and I really don't know what to do > with it. Closing WONTFIX - if it's of major interest to you, and the answer > isn't in the maemo 4.1 documentation, please re-open with a note. > (In reply to comment #19) > Changing resolution to FIXED - see http://wiki.maemo.org/Desktop_file_format I don't think it's enough. It's strangely formatted ("bora", "binary name"?), doesn't document all the fields (e.g. tell that it's as in upstream spec) and doesn't tell about the relation to fd.o specification at all: http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ Especially things that work on normal Linux desktop and not in maemo need to be documented, if there still are such things. I don't think wontfix is acceptable for this bug as .desktop files are so central in maemo (they specify applications, home applets, TN applets, SB applets, CP applets, mime-types etc). This documentation should be part of official documentation, not wiki.
> This documentation should be part of official documentation, not wiki. I fact, after looking at the Maemo 4.1 documentation I have found 6.7.3 The .desktop File http://maemo.org/maemo_release_documentation/maemo4.1.x/node7.html#SECTION00773000000000000000 I'm not a desktop developer but for what I can see it looks like it. If so, please delete the wiki page. Thanks!
(In reply to comment #21) > > This documentation should be part of official documentation, not wiki. > > I fact, after looking at the Maemo 4.1 documentation I have found > > 6.7.3 The .desktop File > http://maemo.org/maemo_release_documentation/maemo4.1.x/node7.html#SECTION00773000000000000000 This doesn't tell anything about what the fields are supposed to/can have.
Moving Documentation component from maemo.org to Development Platform since the bugs there refer to official developer documentation and this falls out of the responsibility of the community. Sorry for the noise, you can filter your bugmail by searching for this comment.
Removing irritating "Fremantle" Target Milestone - this has been mostly fixed by 2008-07-01.
[Rearrangement of Documentation bug reports.] Mass-moving old closed Developer Platform > Documentation tickets. You can filter bugmail by searching for this comment.