Application Launcher missing application

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 18:48:18

Hello, for some reason, new applications that I have installed aren't being added to the Application Launcher. They do appear on Krunner however. I'm running Arch with KDE as a graphic environment on a encrypted installation (ext4 + LUKS).

twelveeighty · 2025-11-23 19:11:37

Please be more specific about: 1) exactly which package you installed that you expected to be "added" and 2) how you installed said package. Does `pacman -Ql <package_name> | grep desktop$` return any desktop files, and if so, where are they installed?

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 19:15:39

twelveeighty wrote:

Please be more specific about: 1) exactly which package you installed that you expected to be "added" and 2) how you installed said package. Does `pacman -Ql <package_name> | grep desktop$` return any desktop files, and if so, where are they installed?

Lutris and VLC

system72 · 2025-11-23 19:32:32

what application launcher is it? and are the programs that dont show in your launcher by chance installed as a flatpak?

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 19:39:38

system72 wrote:

what application launcher is it? and are the programs that dont show in your launcher by chance installed as a flatpak?

the standard one that comes with plasma, and both are the flatpak versions downloaded through Discover.

system72 · 2025-11-23 19:41:25

it might be because of this since they are installed as a flatpak

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 20:02:38

system72 wrote:

it might be because of this since they are installed as a flatpak

ok, in which line I place the directory?

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 20:11:03

can you check if it is correct?

# shellcheck shell=sh
if command -v flatpak > /dev/null; then
# set XDG_DATA_DIRS to include Flatpak installations

new_dirs=$(
(
unset G_MESSAGES_DEBUG
echo "${XDG_DATA_HOME:-"$HOME/.local/share"}/flatpak"
GIO_USE_VFS=local flatpak --installations
) | (
new_dirs=
while read -r install_path
do
share_path=$install_path/exports/share
case ":$XDG_DATA_DIRS:" in
(*":$share_path:"*) :;;
(*":$share_path/:"*) :;;
(*) new_dirs=${new_dirs:+${new_dirs}:}$share_path;;
esac
done
echo "$new_dirs"
)
)

export XDG_DATA_DIRS
XDG_DATA_DIRS="${new_dirs:+${new_dirs}:}${XDG_DATA_DIRS:~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications
/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share/applications}"

unset new_dirs
fi

seth · 2025-11-23 20:13:20

We'll assume that plasma fully supports XDG_DATA_DIRS

echo $XDG_DATA_DIRS
tr '\0' '\n' < /proc/$(pidof plasmashell)/environ # the plasmashell process name is speculative, check the process tree "ps aux | grep plasma"
tr '\0' '\n' < /proc/$(pidof krunner)/environ

Edit, sidebar:
https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/any/lutris/
https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/vlc/

Why are you putting up with some flatschpaks here?

Last edited by seth (2025-11-23 20:14:26)

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 20:19:10

I just destroyed my installation...

seth · 2025-11-23 20:22:53

wdym "destroyed"?
Restore the original /etc/profile.d/flatpak.sh …

system72 · 2025-11-23 20:33:10

gcm0rais wrote:

can you check if it is correct?
...
long script
...

did you make that?

gcm0rais · 2025-11-23 20:54:57

system72 wrote:

gcm0rais wrote:
can you check if it is correct?
...
long script
...
did you make that?

sorry, I have already nuked the installation. Thanks anyway!

Skido · 2025-12-05 00:13:08

Sorry for re-opening this topic.

I downloaded fooyin through flatpak (in pacman wasn't available, and sys gave me error) and wanted to open it through the apps launcher, but it didn't showed so I just launched through flatpak, everything was right and working (Bluetooth, music, pipeline) so I started to look how to make the flatpaks appear on the app launcher and I got to the flatpak arch wiki, and here, followed the instructions on changing the flatpak.sh and my arch got also nuked.

gcm0rais wrote:

can you check if it is correct?
# shellcheck shell=sh
if command -v flatpak > /dev/null; then
# set XDG_DATA_DIRS to include Flatpak installations
new_dirs=$(
(
unset G_MESSAGES_DEBUG
echo "${XDG_DATA_HOME:-"$HOME/.local/share"}/flatpak"
GIO_USE_VFS=local flatpak --installations
) | (
new_dirs=
while read -r install_path
do
share_path=$install_path/exports/share
case ":$XDG_DATA_DIRS:" in
(*":$share_path:"*) :;;
(*":$share_path/:"*) :;;
(*) new_dirs=${new_dirs:+${new_dirs}:}$share_path;;
esac
done
echo "$new_dirs"
)
)
export XDG_DATA_DIRS
XDG_DATA_DIRS="${new_dirs:+${new_dirs}:}${XDG_DATA_DIRS:~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications
/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share/applications}"
unset new_dirs
fi

I changed the XDG_DATA_DIRS to ~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share/applications , I added the ":" as XDG arch wiki calls to separate PATH's. Rebooted and GRUB was working, DMMD half-worked, it showed the login screen, but nothing was showed (the dots •) when writing the password but I was able to login; I'm welcomed with a black screen and my second monitor changing between HDMI signal and no signal, Firefox opens but I can not use it, Steam launches and I can go through my library and the store, downloads continue, but can't launch a game (I've only Helldivers 2 installed) .

When I do a

printenv

this is what is showed

SHELL=/usr/bin/bash
XDG_SEAT=seat0
PWD=/home/skido
LOGNAME=skido
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=tty
MOTD_SHOWN=pam
HOME=/home/skido
LANG=es_GT.UTF-8
XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user
TERM=linux
USER=skido
SHLVL=1
LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8
XDG_VTNR=3
XDG_SESSION_ID=4
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000
DEBUGINFOD_URLS=https://debuginfod.archlinux.org
XDG_DATA_DIRS=/home/skido/ .local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications
/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share/applications
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/bin:/usr/bin/site_perl:/usr/bin/vendor_perl:/usr/bin/core_perl
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/skido
_=/usr/bin/printenu

As far as I know (XDG arch wiki), the XDG_DATA_DIRS PATH's should be differentiate with a " : " not with an space like /home/skido/ .local/... And .../share/applications
/var/lib/flatpak/.... , is that the issue? The space and tab?

Also when I do a journalctl I get a lot of errors talking about Portal service, Accessibility services bus, Process (xdg-destkop-por) of user 1000 dumped core, No GSettings schemas are installed on the system, at-spi-dbus-bus.service: Main process exited, code=dumped, status=5/TRAP, kernel: traps: xdg-destkop-por trap int3 ip:7fb4d3ad3bcc sp:7ffe0182e620 error:0 in libglib-2.0.so.0.8600.2[64bcc,7fb4d3a8d000+a7000], AT-SPI: Error retrieving accessibility bus address: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwners: Could not retrieve remote peer 'org.a11y.Bus': Startup job failed.

Changing the path on the flatpak.sh and rebooting nuked my Arch, I had a problem also with steamwebhelper and xwayland taking 15%-30% of my GPU (4070 super with Nvidia priopertary drivers) with Firefox, steam, and fooyin (launched through flatpak command) and nothing else. I'm new to Arch, I had installed it on a VM when I was looking for Distros that I could use and the Pacman idea with so much customization and gaming performance was something that caught my attention, and the 16 hours to install it and set it up. Any log, journal, needed I will happily give.

Skido · 2025-12-05 03:43:04

Im going to let this be here for anyone who followed the same steps and nuked their installations.

So going through more forums Opensuse I went to the conclusion of taking the default

XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/local/share:/usr/share

on the flatpak.sh and it solved the problem.

Now plasma works and Firefox, even fooyin is showed in the App launcher (I'm not sure if future flatpaks will).
And I don't even know what changed, but xwayland and the steamwebhelper aren't using 30% of my GPU, now it's at 0%-5% on idle.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-11-23 18:48:18

Application Launcher missing application

#2 2025-11-23 19:11:37

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#3 2025-11-23 19:15:39

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#4 2025-11-23 19:32:32

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#5 2025-11-23 19:39:38

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#6 2025-11-23 19:41:25

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#7 2025-11-23 20:02:38

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#8 2025-11-23 20:11:03

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#9 2025-11-23 20:13:20

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#10 2025-11-23 20:19:10

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#11 2025-11-23 20:22:53

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#12 2025-11-23 20:33:10

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#13 2025-11-23 20:54:57

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#14 2025-12-05 00:13:08

Re: Application Launcher missing application

#15 2025-12-05 03:43:04

Re: Application Launcher missing application

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