Whenever I try to install epiphany, with both Gnome Software (rpm, not flatpak) and DNF, no shortcut is created in the applications menu.
However, when I type epiphany into the terminal, the browser opens. Why does it exist on my system despite the fact that I didn’t install it? Why doesn’t the shortcut get created when I install it? I am planning to upgrade to Fedora 39 soon, so I need to ensure that the system is not broken in any way.
That sounds like a strange bug. I just tested installing the Epiphany Fedora RPM using GNOME Software 45.3-1.fc39 and it worked fine for me. Let’s make sure the desktop file is installed:
$ rpm -qf /usr/share/applications/org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop
This command should succeed and print the name of the package providing the file. For me it prints epiphany-45.2-1.fc39.x86_64.
The epiphany-runtime package is there as a dependency of GNOME Software because it’s GNOME’s web application runtime. So Epiphany is always installed.
Then the epiphany package contains the appstream metadata, desktop file, and search provider. This is separate to make it look like Firefox is the only web browser installed by default. This is to make it not feel so much like bloatware.
❯ rpm -qf /usr/share/applications/org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop
epiphany-44.6-1.fc38.x86_64
The command succeeds, but it doesn’t appear in the apps launcher. It’s strange, because I know that .desktop files are stored in either /usr/share/applications or ~/.local/share/applications, so it should appear.
It might be worth noting that I had manually deleted the desktop entry with alacarte when I previously uninstalled epiphany and the desktop entry wouldn’t delete itself.
Well that explains it then. You have another desktop file somewhere else overriding this one. Check in ~/.local/share/applications. It probably uses NoDisplay=true
You’re right, thanks a lot! I’ll delete the file.
.local/share/applications/org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop
Hidden = true
Can you explain why uninstalling didn’t remove the desktop entry?
~/.local/share/applications is your personal configuration, not a packaged file owned by dnf. Since you created it (using alacarte), you also have to remove it if you don’t want it anymore.
Fedora packages are generally expected to not touch your home directory.
Ah, okay. Good to know. Thanks again!