All about DESKTOP Files

The DESKTOP file type is primarily associated with GNOME.

DESKTOP	File extension: DESKTOP
	File type:	application shortcut

What is a DESKTOP file?

DESKTOP files mostly belong to GNOME by The GNOME Project. A DESKTOP file is an application shortcut (desktop entry) used in GNOME and Plasma desktop environments on Linux platforms like (Ubuntu and Fedora). This file contains text defining the shortcut type, name, icon file path, action(s), application version, and a path to the actual executable etc. A text editor or integrated development environment such as KDevelop or GEdit can be used to create or edit a DESKTOP shortcut. This file runs an application when a user double-clicks it. Another type of DESKTOP file is a ZIP archive containing a theme created by DesktopX desktop creation/customization program.

How to open a DESKTOP file

You need a suitable software like GNOME to open a DESKTOP file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your DESKTOP file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a DESKTOP file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online DESKTOP Text Viewer

Choose your .desktop file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to extract texts from DESKTOP files or capture a screenshot to PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...

1. Just click the "Choose your .desktop file to view" button on this page.
2. Your DESKTOP file will then be displayed in the browser.
3. Now click on "Save as..." at the top of the page.
4. Then choose the file format (e.g. JPG, PDF, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
5. Your file will be converted and downloaded.

DESKTOP file format:

The file format determines how the data is stored in the file. Each file format has a unique extension and almost always a unique signature. For example, Microsoft Word documents have the extension .docx and the signature (usually the first 3 characters in this file) PK. However, different programs can use the same file extension. Furthermore, a file extension can be renamed incorrectly and double-clicking on it will then display an error when it is opened. Knowledge is power - this also applies when dealing with unknown or faulty files. Our evaluation of the DESKTOP files is as follows:

The DESKTOP file type is mainly used by one program with a specific format. However, the following two file formats are common:

• 70% of all DESKTOP files are KDE/GNOME desktop entry files, which are based on the config file format. A configuration file is used by computer software to store settings. It consists of a text-based content with a structure and syntax comprising key–value pairs for properties, and sections that organize the properties. These files are plain text, which means they can be viewed with any text editor such as Windows Editor, Nano for Linux, and TextEdit for macOS. Most of these files are 140 bytes to 1 KB in size. This file type is based on cutting-edge technology. The keywords [Desktop Entry], Name, Exec, Icon, Type=Application and Comment are typical for these files. Files like these are about ubiquity, examples, arduino, browser, sublime, text, discord, extract, firefox and studio.
• 20% of all DESKTOP files save the data in shell script file format. A shell script is a text file that contains shell commands for a UNIX-based operating system. The first line of such a text file is often #!/usr/bin/env or #!/bin/sh. These files are text files and can therefore be read using a text editor. The files are often between 240 bytes and 2 KB in size. Certain words are almost always found in the files, such as #!/usr/bin/env xdg-open, [Desktop Entry], # It preserves arguments and environment for the start-tor-browser script, # This file is a self-modifying .desktop file that can be run from the shell, #!/usr/bin/env ./Browser/execdesktop, # Run and Name. A common filename is start-tor-browser.desktop or desktop.. These files can be linked to start, bomgar and installer.

All other DESKTOP files (10%) have no consistent format, frequently e.g. DesktopX Theme. Sometimes used for terminal or home. If you want to find out what your DESKTOP file contains, drag and drop it onto this page.