Free Desktop test files and sample generator

The freedesktop.org launcher format used by Linux desktops. Generate valid .desktop sample files to test menu tooling, packagers and config parsers.

Generate a .desktop file →

What is a .desktop file?

DESKTOP: Linux Desktop Entry. A .desktop file is a freedesktop.org launcher entry: the metadata Linux desktops use to show an application in a menu. Keys prefixed with X- are the spec's own extension point.

Why generate a test Desktop file?

• Test a Linux packaging or menu-generation step.
• Verify a parser handles the required keys and extension keys.
• Check installer behavior when placing launcher files.

How a .desktop file is identified

A .desktop file has no signature at the start. A text format has no identifying leading bytes, so the extension and the reported media type are the only claims about it until a parser actually reads it, which is why validating uploads by extension alone is unsafe.

How the size lands on the exact byte

The format allows comments, so the padding is comment lines, legal, inert, and visible if you open the file.

Negative testing with broken Desktop files

• Invalid. Identifiable, but wrong inside, so it fails during parsing.
• Corrupted. The leading bytes are destroyed. Same length as the valid file.
• Incomplete. Truncated part-way, so it is genuinely shorter.
• Empty. Chosen under Content rather than File Condition: valid structure, no data.

Which failure to reach for, and what to assert for each, is covered in how to make a corrupted file for testing. For upload limits and type checks see testing file upload validation, and for this format's encodings, UTF-16 and BOM test files.

Sample Desktop content

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Software Test Data
Exec=/bin/true

This shows the shape of the file. Your download is generated fresh at the size you choose, so the values will differ.

How to open and verify the file

Validate with `desktop-file-validate file.desktop` on Linux.

Media type application/x-desktop · extension .desktop · category Config & DevOps

Generate a .desktop file → · questions about sizes, privacy or cost are answered on the site FAQ.

Frequently asked questions about Desktop files

What identifies a .desktop file?

Nothing at the start of the file does. A text format has no identifying leading bytes, so the extension and the reported media type are the only claims about it until a parser actually reads it, which is why validating uploads by extension alone is unsafe.

How can a .desktop file be an exact number of bytes?

The format allows comments, so the padding is comment lines, legal, inert, and visible if you open the file.

Can I download several broken Desktop files at once?

Yes, select more than one File Condition and you get one ZIP containing a .desktop per condition, each named after its condition.

Can the Desktop file use UTF-16 or a byte-order mark?

Yes. .desktop is a text format, so it can be generated as UTF-8, UTF-8 with a byte-order mark, UTF-16 LE or UTF-16 BE. The body is shortened before re-encoding so the finished file still lands on the exact size you asked for. Note that a UTF-16 file always has an even byte count.

How do I open or verify the Desktop file?

Validate with desktop-file-validate file.desktop on Linux.

Related Config & DevOps formats

ENV · INI · TOML · Dockerfile · gitignore · CONF · Properties · Makefile

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