Desktop apps and AppImage files

Intro

Self-contained AppImage files don't always show up in the application menu of your distro of preference.

Here is however a pretty simple way to make them.

Assumptions

Your AppImage file is saved in one of the preferrable places mentioned below.

Guide

Appimaged, from the appimagekit, monitors and registers a few choice folders for new AppImages, as specified below:

~/Downloads
~/.local/bin
~/bin
/Applications
/isodevice/Applications
/isofrom/Applications
/run/archiso/img_dev/Applications
/opt
/usr/local/bin

1. Get and install appimaged, as outlined below.
   $ mkdir -p ~/bin
   $ cd ~/bin
   

   $ wget "https://github.com/AppImage/appimaged/releases/download/continuous/appimaged-x86_64.AppImage"
   $ chmod +x appimaged-x86_64.AppImage
   $ ./appimaged-x86_64.AppImage --install
   
   

2. Log out and then login again to activate the change.
   
   
3. Now, not all AppImage-packages have a desktop file included. If that is the case, you need to create one in ~/.local/share/applications.
   Below is an example.
   
   
4. Here is a sample desktop file for Trello.
   

   /home/sorin/.local/share/applications/trello.desktop
   
   [Desktop Entry]
   Name=Trello
   Exec=/home/sorin/git/Trello-linux-0.2.0/Trello
   Terminal=false
   Type=Application
   Icon=/home/sorin/git/Trello-linux-0.2.0/resources/app/static/Icon.png

5. Done.

Sources

https://askubuntu.com/questions/902672/registering-appimage-files-as-a-desktop-app

https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/7eb02f/how_to_add_a_appimage_file_to_the_plasma/

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2018/04/easily-run-and-integrate-appimage-files.html