dex

Execute all programs in the autostart folders

$ dex --autostart

$ dex --autostart --search-paths [path/to/directory1]:[path/to/directory2]:[path/to/directory3]:

$ dex --autostart --environment [GNOME]

$ dex --autostart --dry-run

$ dex --property [Name] [path/to/file.desktop]

$ dex --create [path/to/file.desktop]

$ dex --term [terminal] [path/to/file.desktop]

dex [options] [DesktopEntryFile]...

dex, DesktopEntry Execution, is a program to generate and execute DesktopEntry files of the Application type.

-h, --help

Show this help message and exit

-a, --autostart

Autostart programs

-c PATH, --create PATH

Create a DesktopEntry file for the program at the given path. An optional second argument is used to specify the filename of the created DesktopEntry file, or specify the filename - to print the file to stdout. By default a new file is created with the .desktop file extension.

-d, --dry-run

Dry run, don't execute any command

-e ENVIRONMENT, --environment ENVIRONMENT

Specify the Desktop Environment an autostart should be performed for; works only in combination with --autostart

-s SEARCHPATHS, --search-paths SEARCHPATHS

Colon separated list of paths to search for desktop files, overriding the default search list

-t DIRECTORY, --target-directory DIRECTORY

Create files in target directory

--term TERM

The terminal emulator that will be used to run the program if Terminal=true is set in the desktop file, defaults to x-terminal-emulator

-w, --wait

Block until the program exits

--test

Perform a self-test

-v, --verbose

Verbose output

-V, --version

Display version information

Perform an autostart/execute all programs in the autostart folders.

dex -a

Perform an autostart/execute all programs in the specified folders.

dex -a -s /etc/xdg/autostart/:~/.config/autostart/

Preview the programs would be executed in a regular autostart.

dex -ad

Preview the programs would be executed in a GNOME specific autostart.

dex -ad -e GNOME

Create a DesktopEntry for a program in the current directory.

dex -c /usr/bin/skype

Create a DesktopEntry for a programs in autostart directory.

dex -t ~/.config/autostart -c /usr/bin/skype /usr/bin/nm-applet

Execute a single program from command line and enable verbose output.

dex -v skype.desktop

Execute a single program (with Terminal=true in the desktop file) in gnome-terminal.

dex --term gnome-terminal nvim.desktop

Execute a single program and block until it exits.

dex --wait nvim.desktop

Jan Christoph Ebersbach, Johannes Löthberg