[Bug]: Bottle's can't create a desktop entry if the XDG applications directory does not exist.

[matta]

Describe the bug

I am using Bottles from flathub on a relatively new system. I do not yet have a ~/.local/share/applications directory. When I attempt "Add Desktop Entry" Bottles opens up a browser showing https://docs.usebottles.com/bottles/programs#flatpak, which tells me to run this command:

flatpak override com.usebottles.bottles --user --filesystem=xdg-data/applications

After doing so, and quitting Bottles and restarting Bottles, the cycle repeats. This seems related to the following:

Bottles cannot automatically create that path as the check is based on the path existence

Originally posted by @mirkobrombin in https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles/issues/1468#issuecomment-1127839616

However, there is an easy fix! If I change the permission to xdg-data/applications:create instead, Bottles can, and does, create the directory if it does not exist. Suggested fix is to update https://docs.usebottles.com/bottles/programs#flatpak to suggest this command:

flatpak override com.usebottles.bottles --user --filesystem=xdg-data/applications:create

The :create suffix is described at https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/sandbox-permissions-reference.html

To Reproduce

In a shell, run:

APP="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}"/applications
mv "${APP}" "${APP}".old

3. Run bottles and try to create a desktop entry for something.

Expected: it works Actual: Bottles brings up https://docs.usebottles.com/bottles/programs#flatpak

When done: mv "${APP}".old "${APP}"

Package

Flatpak from Flathub

Distribution

Fedora 36

Troubleshooting Logs

Sorry, choosing "Troubleshooting" pops up a browser and takes me to https://docs.usebottles.com/flatpak/black-screen-or-silent-crash.  I don't have any "Debugging Information."

Display Protocol

Wayland

Display Backend used by Bottles

I don't know

Additional context

No response

[j8r]

We could give the permission by default in the manifest: xdg-data/applications/Bottles:create, then make Bottles create the shortcuts there.

[j8r]

:create may not be necessary: https://github.com/flathub/flatpak-builder-lint/issues/110

[msegers]

+1 is usually not helpful but I spent quite some time figuring out why it couldn't create the entry. adding :create was enough for me. I'm not sure if I understand the linked issue though. I have not used bottles often, initially the suggested command just worked, but I did a more limited install of arch/plasma and I needed the create permission.

[BitterBlackCoffee]

We could give the permission by default in the manifest: xdg-data/applications/Bottles:create, then make Bottles create the shortcuts there.

just worked, Thank you so much :)