.desktop Desktop entry
Text & source code
| MIME type | application/x-desktop |
|---|---|
| Description | Desktop entry |
| Category | Text & source code |
| Signature (magic bytes) | 23 20 43 6F 6E 66 69 67 20 46 69 6C 65 (# Config File)5B 44 65 73 6B 74 6F 70 20 41 63 74 69 6F 6E ([Desktop Action)5B 44 65 73 6B 74 6F 70 20 45 6E 74 72 79 5D ([Desktop Entry]) |
| Based on | text/plain |
| Other extensions | .kdelnk |
Frequently asked questions
What is a .desktop file?
A .desktop file is a “Desktop entry” (MIME type application/x-desktop).
How do I open a .desktop file?
With any text editor – Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, or gedit and vim on Linux. The file contains readable text, possibly source code or configuration.
How can you tell a genuine .desktop file?
By the bytes at the start of the file, the signature (magic bytes): 23 20 43 6F 6E 66 69 67 20 46 69 6C 65 (# Config File), 5B 44 65 73 6B 74 6F 70 20 41 63 74 69 6F 6E ([Desktop Action) and 5B 44 65 73 6B 74 6F 70 20 45 6E 74 72 79 5D ([Desktop Entry]). On Linux and macOS, file --mime-type example.desktop checks the real type regardless of the extension.
Which format is .desktop based on?
Technically a .desktop file is a subtype of “Plain text document” (text/plain), so programs for that base format can often read it too.
Which MIME type belongs to .desktop?
The MIME type is application/x-desktop. In the Apache web server: AddType application/x-desktop .desktop; in nginx: types { application/x-desktop desktop; }.