Removing an AppImage does not remove its desktop file

[machitgarha]

The title is clear enough.

[probonopd]

Please provide more information so this can be reproduced.

[machitgarha]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Copy (or move) an AppImage to an appimaged-detectable path, e.g. ~/Downloads.
2. Wait for it to be registered as a desktop file, i.e. wait for the notification.
3. Now, remove the AppImage file.

Expected behavior should be the desktop file living in ~/.local/share/applications being removed, but it will remain there until a restart of appimaged user service (e.g. by doing systemctl --user restart appimaged.service).

[probonopd]

Which distribution and version are you using?

Can you reproduce this behavior using a Ubuntu Live ISO?

[machitgarha]

@probonopd

Fedora Workstation 33.

Sorry, but I can't do reproducing now. Maybe I'll give it a try in the future.

[thimslugga]

This is reproducible on openSUSE 15.2 Leap. This usually results in temporarily having duplicate desktop file entries because appimaged will immediately pickup an AppImage after downloading and it'll create another after moving to ~/Applications. Ideally appimaged should only check ~/Applications by default and allow for customization of monitored directories via config file.

[machitgarha]

@thimslugga

The solution is not a general one, as the problem is not limited to moving the AppImage from one monitored directory to another, but, generally, every AppImage with a unique path is considered distinct. So, for example, if you rename your AppImage inside ~/Applications directory, you'll end up with two desktop files.

One solution could be comparing file hashes, although the performance should be considered.

[probonopd]

So, for example, if you rename your AppImage inside ~/Applications directory, you'll end up with two desktop files.

It should remove the desktop file that is no longer needed and create the new one, though. So it's a bug.

[nourkagha]

Can confirm this happens with me as well (on Pop!_OS). Moving an AppImage from Downloads to Applications results in two desktop files without deleting the previous one.

[Docmine17]

Same problem here,I deleted the appimage (either via the context menu or directly via nautilus).

Ubuntu 21.04 x64

[Ged296123]

Same problem here on Debian 11. Better to make appimages executable than integrating with desktop. Just posting this comment for verification.

[probonopd]

So this is a confirmed bug that needs to be debugged/fixed. Volunteers?

[Ged296123]

Didn't mean to offend you @probonopd. I wish I knew coding, would then gladly help. If there is any other contribution I could make to make this work, would be happy to cooperate.

[CalebQ42]

So this is a confirmed bug that needs to be debugged/fixed. Volunteers?

I may look into this, though it has been a bit since I've worked on appimaged.

[probonopd]

That would be great @CalebQ42 since I've not been running Linux in a very long time.

[abbluiz]

Still happens. Fedora 35 here.