Generate desktop files based for Web Applications using a Snapcraft installation of Chromium

chromium-snap-desktop-generator.sh

#!/bin/bash

base="$HOME/snap/chromium/current/.config/chromium/Default/Extensions"
desktops="$HOME/.local/share/applications"
chromium="/snap/bin/chromium"

# ./generator.sh      ... Lists all installed Chromium Apps
# ./generator.sh [id] ... Installs Chromium app with given App ID to user applications

if [ $# = 0 ]; then
  for file in $base/*/*/manifest.json; do
    cat $file | grep -oP '(?<="name": ").*(?=")' | tr '\n' '\t'
    id=$(echo $file | grep -oP '(?<=Extensions/).*?(?=/)')
    echo $id # | tr '\n' ' '
    # echo $file | grep -oP "(?<=$id/).*(?=/manifest.json)"
  done

elif [ $# = 1 ]; then
  id=$1
  path=$(find $base/$id/* | head -1)
  name=$(cat $path/manifest.json | grep -oP '(?<="name": ").*(?=")')
  desktop="$desktops/chrome-$id-Default.desktop"
  icon=$(ls -v $path/icons/* | tail -1) # Get largest icon, sorted using -v

  echo "Name: $name"
  echo "App ID: $id"
  echo "Path: $path"
  echo "Desktop file: $desktop"

  echo "#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open" > $desktop
  echo "[Desktop Entry]" >> $desktop
  echo "Version=1.0" >> $desktop
  echo "Terminal=false" >> $desktop
  echo "Type=Application" >> $desktop
  echo "Name=$name" >> $desktop
  echo "Exec=env BAMF_DESKTOP_FILE_HINT=$desktop $chromium --app-id=$id" >> $desktop
  echo "Icon=$icon" >> $desktop
  echo "StartupWMClass=crx_$id" >> $desktop

  chmod +x $desktop
fi

info-chromium-snap.md

Background

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/chromium-browser/+bug/1732482 https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/how-to-expose-desktop-files-created-by-snaps-to-the-de/2853

Chromium has a feature that lets you add web apps to the desktop and app menu using Options -> More tools -> Create shortcut.... This is great because you can have apps for e.g. Twitter or WhatsApp appearing to be standalone apps (because the browser shell is hidden).

Sadly, at least with the Snap installation of Chromium, the generated .desktop files are broken (they have an invalid icon and open an empty Chromium window). But while the created shortcuts don't work, the apps are indeed added to the Chrome Apps (chrome://apps).

Using the script, all Chromium apps installed can be listed and proper shortcuts can be created (which are added to the user's app launchers located under ~/.local/share/applications).

Usage

To add a web app to the app drawer,

1. Open the website
2. Options -> More tools -> Create shortcut..., while making sure "Open as window" is ticked
3. Delete the shortcut created on your desktop
4. Download the script and open a terminal in the directory you downloaded it to.
5. Run ./chromium-snap-desktop-generator.sh. It will output a list of all Chrome apps.

Instagram	maonlnecdeecdljpahhnnlmhbmalehlm
The Air Horner	mepckecgignpfokhpmhopohiikfbpnai
Google	okkolgldfknecfjnhhglfopimelbaceh

6. Look for your web app and copy the ID printed next to it.
7. Run ./chromium-snap-desktop-generator.sh [id], with [id] being replaced with your app's id.

./chromium-snap-desktop-generator.sh maonlnecdeecdljpahhnnlmhbmalehlm

8. Open your app drawer and find your web app listed.

Prevent wrong grouping in dock

In order to prevent Chromium instances from being grouped with Chromium app launcher icons in the dock and to fix that Chromium opens a new icon in the dock when launched, add one line to Chromium's desktop launcher file.

Chromium's desktop file is located at /var/lib/snapd/desktop/applications/chromium_chromium.desktop, and thus you need to edit it with admin privileges (press Alt+F2 and paste the following command, or run it from the command line):

gedit admin:///var/lib/snapd/desktop/applications/chromium_chromium.desktop

The following line is missing in Chromium for Snap's desktop file:

StartupWMClass=chromium

I suggest placing it in the [Desktop Entry] group, so before [Desktop Action NewWindow].

When saved, launching Chromium from the dock won't create a second icon and make sure it's distinct from the other Chromium apps (say, the app launchers created with the script).