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I'm trying to get a launcher working for the WikidPad (python) program.
I already have a python program, so I looked into the file /usr/share/applications/taskcoach.desktop. The exec line was simply taskcoach.py.

But I cannot start WikidPad just typing "WikidPad.py", I have to write python WikidPad.py, then it starts correctly from the command line.

So I made the .desktop file for wikidpad, in the exec line I wrote python /home/abc/wikidpad/WikidPad.py.

But it seems that you have to be in the same directory in order to get correct results, otherwise there is the error No module named pwiki.Enum.

So I changed the exec line into cd /home/abc/wikidpad;python WikidPad.py.

But that did also not work, the error message was cd could not be executed, file or directory not found.

If I want to execute a Linux command in a bash script and I get an error "command/file not found", I adjust the PATH variable or write the full path of the command. That normally helps.

But in this case, cd is a built in bash command, and I cannot write whereis cd in order to get the full path of the command.

I do not have any idea to get this going.

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2 Answers 2

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The Exec key in a .desktop file accepts only one executable name (+ arguments):

The Exec key must contain a command line. A command line consists of an executable program optionally followed by one or more arguments.

So, you either:

  • invoke the shell with an explicit sh -c "command_string" (where command_string = your actual commands): 

    Exec=sh -c "cd /home/abc/wikidpad; python WikidPad.py"

or

  • put your commands in a script (somewhere in your $PATH), make it executable and have the .desktop file execute the script:

    Exec=my_script

    (or Exec=/full/path/to/my_script if the script is not in your $PATH).

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It depends a bit on where the pwiki directory is (or a pwiki.py file), but assuming it is in /home/abc/wikidpad/ you can add the following to /home/abc/wikidpad/WikidPad.py before the the import of pwiki.Enum:

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/home/abc/wikidpad')

(Replacing the directory with the directory where you found pwiki)

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