Manually create game shortcut?

[Nephilim]

Steam quit creating game shortcuts so I am trying to figure out how to manually create them in the .local share applications folder. I was going to create a desktop shortcut and just copy it over into that folder but Steam is unable to create a desktop shortcut.

I am running Linux Mint 18 and know where to place the shortcut and figured out I can probably create one on the desktop with the Create Launcher but not sure which file I should select. I am trying to do this with Left 4 Dead 2 and Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD.

[x_wing]

As workaround, you can create your own desktop icon. The command to execute would be: steam steam://rungameid/${YourGameId}. You can find all your games icons zipped in "/home/$USER/.local/share/Steam/steam/Game" (check your distro default install directory).

Hope it helps you.

[Nephilim]

I tried that and created working shortcuts for both games but am having problems finding an icon for Left 4 Dead 2. I found icons for some of the games in the /.local/share/icons/ folder but not all of the games. The Left 4 Dead 2 icon is being elusive.

Thanks for the help I appreciate it.

[Nephilim]

Just realized that placing the shortcuts in /.local/share/applications doesn't make them show up in the Linux Mint start menu under Games. They show up under All instead of Games.

I just need to find the Games folder or I am doing something wrong.

[WarnerCK]

https://standards.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/latest/apas02.html

You set the category the launcher will be displayed in when you create the .desktop file. I tend to simply copy and amend an existing one.

steamdb is a useful resource for getting the icons for Steam games when Steam itself hasn't provided them; https://steamdb.info/app/550/info/ for example, for Left 4 Dead 2.

Having Categories=Application;Game;ActionGame; in your .desktop file, for example, would put the launcher in the Action sub-menu of the Games menu. You'll potentially need to run update-menus to update the menus.

Also, you can use icons of multiple sizes by putting them in the appropriate place within ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor. You don't need to specify the full path in the Icon field: just the filename without extension is sufficient, which would theoretically mean that you could have different icons with different themes if you wished. The hicolor theme is inherited by all themes, so those would be used if there is no native icon provided by a theme.

[Nephilim]

I don't have a category option but there is a type option which only has three choices and none of the choices place it in the Games category.

In my /.local/share/applications folder where my other game shortcuts are I was thinking of copying one to another folder, renaming it, changing the appid then copying it back and seeing if it would work.

Thanks for the help and I will try that tip for changing the game icon.

[WarnerCK]

All the options are listed in the freedesktop menu specification if you want to get into the weeds. As a quick fix, though, here is my Bioshock Infinite .desktop file you can use as a template.

[Desktop Entry]
Name=BioShock Infinite
Comment=Play this game on Steam
Exec=steam steam://rungameid/8870
Icon=steam_icon_8870
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Game;ActionGame;

I find that dragging-and-dropping the launcher into a text editor window is a good way to get started.

You'll want to change the filename, the Exec path and the Icon name to reflect the new game.

Since Steam isn't creating launchers at all any more, rather than simply making uncategorised ones, you can also get the Steam Game ID from SteamDB while you're getting the icons. Export Layers is a useful plugin for GIMP if the icons are only available in the .ico format. Most games have *something* in .png or .jpg though, and if there's a linuxicon that's a zip file with .pngs of the icons at different sizes.

[Nephilim]

On the desktop I can either create folder, create launcher or create document. None of them seem to have the options that you are saying they should especially the categories option which I can not find anywhere.

[WarnerCK]

A launcher file is just a text file with the .desktop extension and [Desktop Entry] as the first line. I just use a text editor to make them rather than messing about with more limited things. Make a blank text file, put the text I posted upthread in it, change it to reflect the game you're interested in, and save it as it "Name Of The Game I'm Interested In.desktop".

[Nephilim]

Ok I understand what you are saying now. Anyways I got it to work by copying an existing game shortcut into another folder and then renaming it and changing the AppID. It is using the default Steam icon which is fine and not to worried about that but I can look at changing it later with the tip you gave me.

Thanks again for the help.

[WarnerCK]

No problem. Glad to help. Hopefully it will help other people too, until the bug gets fixed. It's tracked here, if you're interested: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/5012

[Nephilim]

Good to hear and I just tried it with the second game and it is working fine as well now. Thanks once again.

[Marlock]

Seems like latest Steam Beta solved the issue some people were having with being unable to create shortcuts for some games:
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/valve-put-out-a-new-steam-beta-client-plenty-of-linux-fixes-and-no-more-steam-play-zero-byte-downloads.13367

Fixed a bug that could result in being unable to create shortcuts for certain games. To unblock previously affected titles, delete all *.ico and *.zip files from ~/.steam/root/steam/games and "Verify Game Files" to re-download the icons with the right format