A powerful Python application for Ubuntu Desktop that creates beautiful, custom desktop icons for shell scripts. Design your icons with gradients, custom colors, fonts, and more - then deploy them instantly to both your desktop and the "Show Apps" launcher.

Perfect for Ubuntu users who want to create custom desktop shortcuts, app launchers, and desktop icons without complex design software.

Keywords: Ubuntu desktop icons, Linux custom launchers, Ubuntu app shortcuts, desktop icon generator, Linux GUI creator, Ubuntu desktop customization, shell script launcher, Ubuntu theming tools

• Gradient Backgrounds - Choose from diagonal, horizontal, vertical, or radial gradients for modern Ubuntu icons
• Custom Colors - RGB picker, hex codes, or color presets for background, text, and borders
• Typography - System font detection with smart sizing or manual control for Ubuntu fonts
• Multi-line Text - Use \n for line breaks in icon text - perfect for app names and descriptions
• Live Preview - See your custom Ubuntu desktop icon before creating it

• Create New Scripts - Write shell scripts directly in the app for Linux automation
• Use Existing Scripts - Browse and select existing .sh files and bash scripts
• Automatic Execution - Desktop icons launch scripts with proper Linux permissions

• Desktop Shortcuts - Icons appear on Ubuntu desktop and in "Show Apps" launcher
• Automatic Permissions - Scripts are made executable automatically on Ubuntu Linux
• Trusted Launchers - Desktop files are properly configured and trusted by Ubuntu GNOME

• Tabbed GUI Interface - Intuitive tabbed interface with Create and Manage tabs
• Icon Management - View, edit, preview, and remove created icons with advanced filtering
• Command Line - Full CLI support for automation and scripting on Linux
• Batch Processing - Create multiple Ubuntu desktop icons via command line

• Visual Icon Browser - See all created icons in an organized table view
• Smart Search & Filter - Find icons quickly by name, script, or type
• Icon Status Monitoring - See which icons are active, missing files, or have issues
• Safe Removal Tools - Remove individual icons or bulk cleanup with confirmations
• Edit & Recreate - Load existing icons for modification and improvement

• Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (or compatible Ubuntu Desktop with GNOME)
• Python 3.12+
• Internet connection (for initial setup)

• Custom desktop shortcuts for frequently used commands and scripts
• Professional app launchers for Python applications and development tools
• Desktop icons for system administration scripts and maintenance tools
• Ubuntu desktop customization and personalization
• Quick access launchers for web applications, databases, and services
• Development environment shortcuts (IDEs, servers, build scripts)
• System monitoring tools and diagnostic scripts
• Backup and automation script launchers
• Educational tools and learning environment shortcuts
• Gaming and entertainment application launchers

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dconsorte/desktop-icon-creator.git
cd desktop-icon-creator

# Run automated setup (installs everything)
chmod +x setup_environment.sh
./setup_environment.sh

After setup completes, you can launch the app in multiple ways:

🖱️ Click the Desktop Icon (Easiest)

• Look for "Desktop Icon Creator" on your desktop
• Or find it in "Show Apps"

💻 Command Line

# Activate environment and launch GUI
source venv/bin/activate
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py

# Or use the convenience script
./activate_env.sh

The Desktop Icon Creator features a modern tabbed interface with two main sections:

1. Choose Script Type

   • Create New: Write shell commands in the text area
   • Use Existing: Browse and select an existing script file

2. Customize Your Icon

   • Text: Enter your icon label (use \n for line breaks)
   • Colors: Choose background, text, and border colors
   • Gradients: Enable gradients with custom colors and directions
   • Fonts: Select system fonts with smart or manual sizing

3. Preview & Create

   • Click "Preview Icon" to see your design
   • Click "Create Desktop Icon" to deploy it

1. View Your Icons

   • See all created icons in an organized table
   • View icon name, type, script file, creation date, and status
   • Use the search filter to find specific icons quickly

2. Icon Management Actions

   • 👁️ Preview: View the selected icon image
   • ✏️ Edit: Load icon settings into Create tab for modification
   • 🗑️ Remove Selected: Delete chosen icons and all associated files
   • 🗑️ Remove All: Bulk cleanup of all created icons (with safety confirmations)

3. Status Indicators

   • ✓ Active: Icon is working properly
   • ⚠ Missing Icon: Icon image file not found
   • ⚠ Missing Launcher: Desktop file issues
   • ⚠ Not on Desktop: Desktop copy missing

• Type in the filter box to search by icon name, script name, or type
• Real-time filtering helps you find icons quickly
• Status information updates based on current selection

Basic Examples:

# Inside the icon creator directory, activate the virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# Simple icon with inline script
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py --text "Hello World" --script-content "echo 'Hello there'"

# Use existing script
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py --text "My App" --script /path/to/script.sh

# Multi-line text with line breaks
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py --text "My\nApp" --script-content 'echo "Multi-line text"'

Advanced Examples:

# Gradient icon with custom styling
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Gradient\nApp" \
  --script-content 'echo "Beautiful colors"' \
  --gradient \
  --bg-color "#FF6B6B" \
  --gradient-color2 "#4ECDC4" \
  --gradient-direction diagonal \
  --font-family "Ubuntu Mono" \
  --font-size 12

# No border with custom colors
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Clean" \
  --script ./my-script.sh \
  --bg-color blue \
  --text-color white \
  --no-border

Available Options:

# Content
--text, -t          Icon text (required, max 24 chars)
--script, -s        Path to existing shell script
--script-content, -c  Inline shell script content

# Colors (hex codes, RGB values, or color names)
--bg-color          Background color [default: #4285F4]
--text-color        Text color [default: #FFFFFF]  
--border-color      Border color [default: #FFFFFF]
--no-border         Disable border

# Gradients
--gradient          Enable gradient background
--gradient-color2   Second gradient color [default: #1A73E8]
--gradient-direction  diagonal|horizontal|vertical|radial [default: diagonal]

# Typography
--font-family       Font name [default: Ubuntu]
--font-size         Font size [default: 16]
--smart-sizing      Auto-adjust font size based on text length
--no-smart-sizing   Use manual font size

# Special
--create-self-icon  Create icon for Desktop Icon Creator itself
--help              Show full help with examples

After setup, your project directory will contain:

desktop-icon-creator/
├── 📄 desktop_icon_creator.py      # Main application
├── 🔧 setup_environment.sh         # Setup script
├── 📝 README.md                    # This file
├── 📜 LICENSE                      # MIT License
├── 🐍 venv/                        # Python virtual environment
├── ⚙️ activate_env.sh              # Environment activation script
├── 📋 requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
├── 📁 CustomScripts/               # Your shell scripts
│   └── desktop_icon_creator_launcher.sh
└── 🎨 CustomIcons/                 # Generated icons (SVG + PNG)
    ├── desktop_icon_creator.svg
    └── desktop_icon_creator.png

• System: python3-tk, fontconfig, glib2.0-bin, desktop-file-utils
• Python: pillow, cairosvg

• Format: SVG source, PNG output (128x128px)
• Desktop Files: XDG Desktop Entry specification compliant
• Integration: Automatic desktop database updates
• Management: Built-in tabbed interface for icon lifecycle management

• Tabbed Interface: Built with tkinter.ttk.Notebook (no additional dependencies)
• Icon Browser: Uses tkinter.ttk.Treeview for efficient icon listing
• Real-time Filtering: Live search and status monitoring
• File Management: Comprehensive cleanup and safety features

• Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (primary target)
• Other Ubuntu Desktop variants with GNOME
• Debian-based systems with GNOME (may work)

• ❌ Manual: Complex XML syntax, manual file permissions, error-prone
• ✅ Desktop Icon Creator: Visual GUI, automatic configuration, one-click deployment

• ❌ Alternatives: Limited customization, no gradient support, poor Ubuntu integration
• ✅ Desktop Icon Creator: Full gradient support, Ubuntu GNOME integration, modern UI

• ❌ Manual Process: Requires design skills, multiple tools, complex desktop integration
• ✅ Desktop Icon Creator: All-in-one solution, no design skills needed, automatic deployment

• 🎨 No Design Skills Required - Create professional icons without Photoshop or GIMP
• ⚡ Instant Deployment - Icons appear immediately on desktop and in launcher
• 🔧 Perfect Ubuntu Integration - Works seamlessly with GNOME desktop environment
• 💻 Developer Friendly - CLI support for automation and batch processing
• 🆓 Completely Free - Open source MIT license, no subscriptions or limitations

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3-tk

# Refresh Ubuntu desktop database
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
# Restart GNOME shell (Alt+F2, type 'r', press Enter)

# Make scripts executable on Ubuntu Linux
chmod +x CustomScripts/*.sh

# Remove and recreate Python venv on Ubuntu
rm -rf venv/
./setup_environment.sh

# Clear Ubuntu icon cache
rm -rf ~/.cache/icon-theme.cache
# Logout and login again to Ubuntu

# Manually trust desktop files on Ubuntu
gio set ~/Desktop/*.desktop metadata::trusted true

# If Manage tab shows incorrect status, refresh the list
# Click the "🔄 Refresh" button in the Manage Icons tab

# If icons appear in list but don't work, check file permissions
chmod +x CustomScripts/*.sh
chmod 644 CustomIcons/*.png

# If desktop integration is broken, rebuild desktop database
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications

# If icons show "⚠ Missing" status in Manage tab:
# 1. Use "Edit" to load the icon settings
# 2. Recreate the icon in Create tab
# 3. This will regenerate all missing files

# For complete reset of all icons:
# 1. Use "Remove All" in Manage tab
# 2. Recreate icons as needed

• Use descriptive names for system monitoring tools
• Create icons for backup scripts and maintenance tasks
• Group related tools with consistent color schemes

• Create launchers for development environments (IDEs, databases)
• Use gradients to categorize different project types
• Integrate with Ubuntu terminal for debugging output

• Customize desktop with thematic icon sets
• Create shortcuts for frequently used commands
• Use CLI mode for bulk icon creation

One of the most powerful uses of Desktop Icon Creator is creating desktop launchers for your own Python applications that use virtual environments. Here's how to replicate the same setup pattern we use for this application:

Always backup your project files before making changes! While this process is generally safe, it's good practice to have backups of your code and any important data.

• Your Python application in a dedicated project directory
• Virtual environment with all dependencies installed
• Main Python script (e.g., my_app.py, main.py)

# Navigate to your Python project directory
cd /path/to/your/python-project

# Ensure virtual environment exists and is activated
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Install your app's dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt  # or pip install your-dependencies

# Test that your app runs correctly
python3 your_main_script.py

#!/bin/bash
# Launcher for Your Python Application
cd "/full/path/to/your/python-project"

# Activate virtual environment if it exists
if [ -d "venv" ]; then
    source venv/bin/activate
    echo "Virtual environment activated for Your App"
fi

# Launch your Python application
python3 your_main_script.py

# Optional: Keep terminal open to see output
# read -p "Press Enter to close..."

GUI Method:

1. Launch Desktop Icon Creator
2. Choose "Create new script"
3. Paste the launcher script template (update paths and script name)
4. Customize your icon design
5. Create the desktop icon

CLI Method:

# Example: Create launcher for a data analysis app
python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Data\nAnalyzer" \
  --script-content '#!/bin/bash
cd "/home/user/my-data-app"
if [ -d "venv" ]; then
    source venv/bin/activate
fi
python3 analyze_data.py' \
  --gradient \
  --bg-color "#2E8B57" \
  --gradient-color2 "#98FB98" \
  --font-family "Ubuntu Mono"

For Data Science Apps:

--gradient --bg-color "#FF6B6B" --gradient-color2 "#4ECDC4"

For Web Applications:

--gradient --bg-color "#667eea" --gradient-color2 "#764ba2"

For Utilities:

--gradient --bg-color "#ffecd2" --gradient-color2 "#fcb69f"

#!/bin/bash
cd "/path/to/your/app"
export PYTHONPATH="/path/to/your/app:$PYTHONPATH"
export MY_APP_CONFIG="/path/to/config.json"
source venv/bin/activate
python3 main.py

#!/bin/bash
cd "/path/to/your/app"
if [ ! -d "venv" ]; then
    zenity --error --text="Virtual environment not found!"
    exit 1
fi
source venv/bin/activate
python3 main.py || zenity --error --text="Application failed to start!"

#!/bin/bash
# Production launcher
cd "/path/to/your/app"
source venv/bin/activate
export ENVIRONMENT="production"
python3 main.py --config production.yaml

your-python-project/
├── 🐍 venv/                    # Virtual environment
├── 📄 main.py                 # Your main script
├── 📋 requirements.txt        # Dependencies
├── ⚙️ config/                 # Configuration files
├── 📊 data/                   # Data files (if applicable)
├── 🧪 tests/                  # Test files
└── 📝 README.md               # Project documentation

1. Create the icon using Desktop Icon Creator
2. Click the desktop icon to verify it launches correctly
3. Check terminal output for any errors
4. Verify environment is activated (check pip list, python path)
5. Test functionality to ensure your app works as expected

Jupyter Notebook Launcher:

python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Jupyter\nLab" \
  --script-content '#!/bin/bash
cd "/home/user/notebooks"
source venv/bin/activate
jupyter lab --browser=firefox' \
  --bg-color orange --text-color white

Django Development Server:

python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Django\nDev" \
  --script-content '#!/bin/bash
cd "/home/user/my-django-project"
source venv/bin/activate
python3 manage.py runserver' \
  --gradient --bg-color green --gradient-color2 lightgreen

Data Processing Pipeline:

python3 desktop_icon_creator.py \
  --text "Process\nData" \
  --script-content '#!/bin/bash
cd "/home/user/data-pipeline"
source venv/bin/activate
python3 pipeline.py --input data/raw --output data/processed' \
  --bg-color purple --text-color white

This approach gives you professional desktop integration for any Python application, making them as easy to launch as native desktop applications!

Regular Maintenance:

• Use the Manage Icons tab to review created icons periodically
• Remove unused icons to keep your desktop clean
• Check status indicators to ensure all icons are working properly

Icon Naming Conventions:

• Use descriptive names that clearly identify the purpose
• Group related tools with consistent prefixes (e.g., "Dev - Tool Name")
• Use line breaks (\n) for better readability on multi-word names

Backup Strategy:

# Backup your custom scripts and icons
cp -r CustomScripts/ ~/Desktop-Icon-Backup-Scripts/
cp -r CustomIcons/ ~/Desktop-Icon-Backup-Icons/

Icon Removal Safeguards:

• Single icon removal requires one confirmation
• "Remove All" requires double confirmation with warnings
• Clear messaging about what files will be deleted
• Detailed error reporting if removal fails

File Management:

• Automatic cleanup of all associated files (scripts, icons, desktop entries)
• Desktop database updates after changes
• Status monitoring to detect missing or corrupted files

Recovery Options:

• Edit function allows recreation of accidentally removed icons
• Script content is preserved in the Create tab for easy recreation
• Icon settings can be modified and regenerated

Clean Desktop Workflow:

1. Open Manage Icons tab
2. Review status column for any issues
3. Use search to find specific icons
4. Remove outdated or broken icons
5. Use "Remove All" for complete cleanup if needed

Icon Update Workflow:

1. Select icon in Manage tab
2. Click "Edit" to load settings
3. Modify in Create tab
4. Create new version (will overwrite old one)
5. Original icon is automatically replaced

Troubleshooting Workflow:

1. Check Manage tab for status indicators
2. Preview icons to verify they display correctly
3. Remove and recreate any with "⚠" status
4. Use refresh button to rescan after manual file changes

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Dennis Consorte

• Website: dennisconsorte.com
• Expertise: Digital Marketing, Data Science, Python Development

If you find this tool useful, please:

• ⭐ Star this repository
• 🐛 Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• 💡 Suggest features via GitHub Issues
• 🔗 Share with others who might find it useful

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Also Known As:

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• Ubuntu Desktop Tool

Made with ❤️ for the Ubuntu Desktop community