Desktop Entry Specification: Add new ExecArg key

--000000000000c67222061d49fb7d
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Afaik there is no way to identify a desktop entry as a terminal emulator. I
propose the addition of a new key, ExecArg, to the specification. This key
would identify an application as a terminal emulator and provide the
necessary "execute arguments" to be appended to the commandline specified
in the Exec key to run the remainder of the command line in the terminal.

Example:

[Desktop Entry]
Exec=3Dxterm
ExecArg=3D-e
[=E2=80=A6]

The rationale should be obvious.

This would be beneficial for all kinds of applications (IDEs, file
managers, launchers, =E2=80=A6) that want to provide user configured termin=
al
execution and therefore need a way to find and run installed terminals
without the need implement heuristics and hardcode execute arguments (which
is doomed to fail anyway given the breaking evolution of commandline
interfaces and the fact that distributions have different names for
terminal executables).

A related proposal can be found here
<https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/terminal-wg/specifications/-/merge_requests=
/3>.
It is about standardizing the way users can configure a systemwide default
terminal. However this proposal is not that broad and debatable and the
required changes are minimal.

Regards,

Manuel Schneider

--000000000000c67222061d49fb7d
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:courier =
new,monospace"><div class=3D"gmail_default">Afaik there is no way to identi=
fy a desktop entry as a terminal emulator. I propose the addition of a new =
key, ExecArg, to the specification. This key would identify an application =
as a terminal emulator and provide the necessary &quot;execute arguments&qu=
ot; to be appended to the commandline specified in the Exec key to run the =
remainder of the command line in the terminal.<br></div><div class=3D"gmail=
_default"><br>Example:<br><br>[Desktop Entry]<br>Exec=3Dxterm<br>ExecArg=3D=
-e<br>[=E2=80=A6]</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br>The rationale shoul=
d be obvious.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=3D"gma=
il_default">This would be beneficial for all kinds of applications (IDEs, f=
ile managers, launchers, =E2=80=A6) that want to provide user configured te=
rminal execution and therefore need a way to find and run installed termina=
ls without the need implement heuristics and hardcode execute arguments (wh=
ich is doomed to fail anyway given the breaking evolution of commandline in=
terfaces and the fact that distributions have different names for terminal =
executables).</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=3D"gma=
il_default">A related proposal can be found=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://gitlab.=
freedesktop.org/terminal-wg/specifications/-/merge_requests/3" target=3D"_b=
lank">here</a>. It is about standardizing the way users can configure a sys=
temwide default terminal. However this proposal=C2=A0is not that broad and =
debatable and the required changes are minimal.=C2=A0<br></div><div class=
=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default">Regards,<br><br>M=
anuel Schneider</div></div></div>

--000000000000c67222061d49fb7d--