this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Offtopic, but I had no use for desktop files in general, as I launch stuff from the command line, but I finally discovered a wonderful use for them. Steam creates a desktop file for Steam games it installs. Steam itself is...not all that amazing as a launcher. Gives you the last five games launched in a contextual menu from a tray icon, and a list of games you can search through in the client interface after you bring up the window and move to the Library tab. However, you can set up
rofi
to use desktop files as completions (one sets it up to complete on "drun"), and thenrofi
can act as your Steam game launcher, which is great. I can just whack a keystroke to invokerofi
, and then type a few characters of the game I want and whack enter, androfi
will prioritize by last-invoked. Really nice not having to slog through the Steam interface.That's basically how I use desktop files generally, the kde launch menu (similar to the old Windows "start"... I don't know what it's called) comes up when I tap
super
, and then I can start typing and find what I want to launch.You can set that up to run custom scripts, but all desktop files are there by default.
In the Steam interface you should be able to sort by recently used, and hide anything that's not installed. Might make it easier to find your games :)
Yeah, I've used that, and the "lite" interface, but what I want is a fast, searchable list, no mouse involvement, just with a single key combination to bring up the search, and recent game stuff, and
rofi
with drun does all of that, which was pleasant.