gtk-launch

Launch an application

$ gtk-launch [Application_name]

$ gtk-launch -h

gtk-launch application [URI...]

gtk-launch launches applications using their .desktop files from standard XDG locations (/usr/share/applications, ~/.local/share/applications, etc.). This is the programmatic equivalent of clicking an application icon.
The application parameter is the desktop file ID (filename without .desktop extension). For example, gtk-launch firefox launches the application defined in firefox.desktop.
This is useful for launching applications from scripts in a desktop-agnostic way, respecting the application's StartupNotify, exec parameters, and other desktop file settings.

application

Desktop file name (without .desktop extension)

Optional URIs/files to open with the application

Display help message

Only works with applications that have .desktop files. Application names are case-sensitive and must match the desktop file name exactly (without extension). Requires GTK libraries to be installed.

gtk-launch is part of GTK's command-line tools, providing a standard way to launch desktop applications. It supports the XDG Desktop Entry Specification for cross-desktop compatibility.

xdg-open(1), gio(1), desktop-file-validate(1)