Tip: Adding arbitrary apps to DispVM Applications menu

[Grzesiek Chodzicki]

How to add custom applications to DispVM appmenu:

1. Install the required app in the TemplateVM upon which your DispVM depends (fedora-23/24 by default)
2. Shutdown the TemplateVM
3. In Dom0 run qvm-create-default-dvm <templatename>
4. At this point your app can be launched in DispVM, to confirm launch Xterm in DispVM and start your app from there. Now we are going to add an entry for it in the Applications menu
5. Go to /usr/local/share/applications
6. Create a new .desktop file for your app using following (example) syntax:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Exec=sh -c 'echo <yourapphere> | /usr/lib/qubes/qfile-daemon-dvm qubes.VMShell dom0 DEFAULT red'
Icon=dispvm-red
Terminal=false
Name=DispVM: <put your desired name here>
GenericName=DispVM: <put your desired generic name here>
StartupNotify=false
Categories=Network;X-Qubes-VM;

7. go to /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged
8. Edit the qubes-dispvm.menu using any editor
9. Under <Include> add another line containing the name of your .desktop file (so it looks like this):

<Include>
<Filename>qubes-dispvm-firefox.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>qubes-dispvm-xterm.desktop</Filename>
<Filename>yourdesktopfilehere</Filename>
</Include>

10. Your custom menu entry should appear on the Applications list now

Andrew - Frankly, this should be available within the GUI, should I add that to Documentation and/or create a ticket?

[Andrew David Wong]

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Please feel free to do so.

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
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[Grzesiek Chodzicki]

PR sent and issue created
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/2694.

[Unman]

It would be useful to extend it to kde users, since that is also
currently supported.

I'm not sure that this should be added to the GUI: for those who use
multiple DVMTemplates now, (and that's coming in 4), you will have to
customise the menu on a per DVMTemplate basis. I think there's a good
deal to be considered first.

Is this to be a tip for the docs? I think there's a danger that they are
becoming difficult to navigate as is, despite Andrew's efforts.
I meant to chip in on the other thread, but I would prefer to see them
remain in the lists - the format of this one is excellent.

Of course, one has to weigh up where puzzled users will look - do you
think they search the documentation, look through the lists (we could
link to search results with "Tip:....", search the lists or just ask
straight off.
I don't have any feeling as to which is most likely to be found. Andrew?

unman

[Ted Brenner]

When searching Google or Duck Duck Go, the docs come up on top. So I think putting things in the docs is a good idea. The list is nice as a fall back but then you have to sift through a whole chain and piece together the answer. Much better to have the final "this is how you do X" in the docs.

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Sent from my Desktop

[Grzesiek Chodzicki]

Unfortunately, I don't know how to do that in KDE, the last time I used it was around Qubes 3.0 release.

If somebody uses multipleDVM templates the easiest solution would be to add multiple entries in the Application Menu.

Personally I believe we should have a GUI for that for the same reason we should have a GUI for qvm-prefs, guid.conf and several other configuration mechanisms: so that Qubes is easier to use for non-technical users. Personally, I don't mind editing this stuff from command line, but I know a lot of people who would be turned off by that.

I planned to add this to the "DispVM Customization" article as I assume this is the first place a user would look.

[Andrew David Wong]

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Hash: SHA512

On 2017-03-11 15:15, Unman wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 01:34:19PM -0800, Andrew David Wong wrote:
>>
>> On 2017-03-11 09:31, Grzesiek Chodzicki wrote:
>>> How to add custom applications to DispVM appmenu:
>>>

>>> [...]

>>>
>>> Andrew - Frankly, this should be available within the GUI,
>>> should I add that to Documentation and/or create a ticket?
>>>
>>
>> Please feel free to do so.
>>
>

> It would be useful to extend it to kde users, since that is also
> currently supported.
>
> I'm not sure that this should be added to the GUI: for those who
> use multiple DVMTemplates now, (and that's coming in 4), you will
> have to customise the menu on a per DVMTemplate basis. I think
> there's a good deal to be considered first.
>

Agreed.

> Is this to be a tip for the docs? I think there's a danger that
> they are becoming difficult to navigate as is, despite Andrew's
> efforts. I meant to chip in on the other thread, but I would
> prefer to see them remain in the lists - the format of this one is
> excellent.
>
> Of course, one has to weigh up where puzzled users will look - do
> you think they search the documentation, look through the lists
> (we could link to search results with "Tip:....", search the lists
> or just ask straight off. I don't have any feeling as to which is
> most likely to be found. Andrew?
>

I think a reasonable compromise is having a single page dedicated to
such tips in the docs:

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/tips-and-tricks/

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)

Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
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