I tried to create a .desktop file and it changed the icon in Task Manager. I saw someone online saying I also needed to specify the class of the app for the task switcher to pick it up and reboot the machine. It didn’t work for me.
Easiest way to change the icon for an application is to have a desktop entry file with the icon (see below for quick way to create one), then create a window rule to assign that to the application that you want:
In the “Add property” popup that opens, search for “desktop” and click on “Desktop file name”
After the popup closes, edit the text of the “Desktop file name” to be the name of the desktop entry file you created before (just the file name, without the .desktop extension and without a directory path). You can leave the “Apply initially” setting or change it to “Force” - either will work
Click “Apply” and close the configuration panel.
Now when you launch the application again it will have the icon from your custom desktop entry file - in its window icon as well as in the task manager and wherever application icons are showing.
Custom Desktop Entry File
In the application launcher search and run the “Menu Editor” application.
From the tree on the left side of the menu editor, select a category you don’t care about - I recommend “Lost & Found” - then click “New Item”.
In the popup that opens, type in the unique name that you want to use for your custom desktop entry file - just the name, don’t put in an extension and do not put any spaces or funky characters. Things that look like domain names in reverse are best suited for this purpose, like Dolphin in the above example is “org.kde.dolphin”.
The editor on the right side of the window will open with your new desktop entry file. Click the large square button on the top right and select an icon you want to use.
Click “Save” and close the Menu Editor.
The name that you typed in step 3 is what you need to use for the “Desktop file name” window rule property.
Hi, I tried right clicking on the application.
And I got into the Edit Application, then
General , Permissions, Application, Details.
Then
I went to Application,
and then Advanced Options
but i cannot find how to change the icon.
Can you please kindly be more specific ?
I am new to Linux. And the previous post was totally convoluted to follow.
Thanks.
BNeo, I think it’s the 1st screen when u click edit application, just click the Icon and it will bring up a window where u can search for the one you want to use
Registered for that exact issue I’ve had for an appimage and this window rule approach did work just fine … strange enough though it is that I had to specify the whole window class (which is obsidian obsidian in this case for obsidian) as I’ve tried this via StartupWMClass=obsidian in the .desktop file (before trying the window rule approach) which did not help and doing StartupWMClass=obsidian obsidian also did not work.
also not using imageapp-launcher for the sake of “simplicity & learning linux” … also to note is that I do like this solution, but I’d like to have a ready to be applied and used solution and easy to backup instead of relying on import and export functionality of that KDE setting, which can be out of reach for whatever reason … I could export it each time I’m making changes and store it somewhere, but then again I might forget it or even neglect it after a while … hope it makes sense what I’m trying to accomplish here
also hope this is still topic related
edit: using wayland btw … haven’t yet tried with x11