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What does the StartupWMClass field of a .desktop file represent?

rated 0 times [ 163] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 56643 / 2 Years ago, wed, august 17, 2022, 10:16:56

I am working on this pre-existent .desktop file and I have a doubt:

The file content is:

[Desktop Entry]

#Icon=connect-data-space

Icon=XCloud

Categories=Utility;

Type=Application

#Exec=/usr/share/ConnectDataSpace/appl/launcher.sh

Exec=/usr/share/XCloud/appl/launcher.sh

Name[en_US]=Connect Data Space

#Name=Connect Data Space

Name=XCloud

Comment[en_US]=

Comment=

StartupNotify=true

Terminal=false

OnlyShowIn=GNOME;Unity;

StartupWMClass=ConnectDataSpace

Actions=CheckUpgrade



[Desktop Action CheckUpgrade]

Name=Verifica Aggiornamenti

#Exec=java -jar /usr/share/ConnectDataSpace/appl/lib/shellExtBridge.jar -checkupgrade

Exec=java -jar /usr/share/XCloud/appl/lib/shellExtBridge.jar -checkupgrade

OnlyShowIn=GNOME;Unity;

What exactly does the StartupWMClass field of this file represent?

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tigehanc

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4 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago istictroubli · Accepted Answer

Modern Linux desktop environments (Gnome 3, Ubuntu Unity, Docky) use the WMClass property to associate windows with the owning application. Many Java-based applications have the problem where the windows created by the application are not associated with the shortcut used to start the application (so the dock contains multiple copies of the same icon).

So the field called StartupWMClass is a string that defines in which class the application is grouped in the Unity Launcher at startup.

You can find out which WM_CLASS your window has got when you type in a terminal:

xprop WM_CLASS

and then click at the window. In case of the gnome terminal the output is as follows:

WM_CLASS(STRING) = "gnome-terminal", "Gnome-terminal"

So all windows with WM_CLASS "gnome-terminal" and "Gnome-terminal" are grouped together.