Sometimes, after installing applications via APT on Linux, you may find that the apps do not appear in the desktop environment menu (like GNOME). This can be confusing and inconvenient, especially for users accustomed to a GUI. In this post, we briefly discuss the causes of this issue and introduce a tool called Alacarte that can help resolve it.

Why Aren't Apps Displayed in the Menu?

Apps installed via APT typically create .desktop files in the /usr/share/applications directory to integrate with the desktop menu system. However, there are several reasons why an app might not appear in the menu:

  • If the installed app does not include a .desktop file or it exists in an incorrect path
  • Even if a .desktop file exists, it may be set to hidden with NoDisplay=true or Hidden=true
  • Compared to Flatpak/Snap, APT packages may require manual configuration for menu integration

In such cases, using a menu editing tool called Alacarte, users can manually register their apps in the menu.

What is Alacarte?

Alacarte is the official menu editor used in the GNOME desktop environment. Users can add, modify, and delete menu items, and freely set execution commands or icons.

  • Name: alacarte
  • Package Name: alacarte
  • After installation, run it as: "Main Menu" (or via the alacarte command)

How to Install

Alacarte can be installed on most GNOME-based distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, and Pop!_OS.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install alacarte

After installation, you can run alacarte in the terminal or find "Main Menu" in the app search to execute it.

Summary of Alacarte Usage

  1. Run alacarte
  2. Select the desired category from the left (e.g., Internet, Utilities, etc.)
  3. Click “New Item” on the right
  4. Specify the name, command, and icon, then save
  5. If needed, items can be moved or toggled between checked/unchecked

💡 When entering the command, you should input a CLI command that can be directly executed, specifying the name of the executable file located in the /usr/bin path.

When is Alacarte Useful?

  • When the apps installed via APT are not automatically registered in the app menu
  • For Wine apps that do not automatically create a .desktop file
  • When you want to customize the icon or name of a specific app
  • When you need to register development scripts or command-line apps in the GUI menu

Conclusion

APT is a powerful package system, but sometimes GUI integration requires additional adjustments from users. In such cases, Alacarte can provide a simple and effective solution. It's a useful tool, especially for those using Linux in a GUI environment, so it's recommended to install and utilize it.

Example screenshot of Alacarte in action

When you run Alacarte, you can edit or add menu items category-wise through an interface that looks like the one above.