For desktop icons, etc. take a look at the instructions for running VASSAL on SteamDeck or Android. In particular
Create the file ~/Desktop/VASSAL.desktop with the content
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
MimeType=application/x-vassal-module;application/x-vassal-log;application/x-vassal-save
Name=VASSAL
Exec=${HOME}/VASSAL-current/VASSAL.sh
Icon=${HOME}/VASSAL-current/VASSAL.svg
Actions=Run;Edit;
Categories=Games
[Desktop Action Run]
Name=Run
Exec=${HOME}/VASSAL-current/VASSAL.sh -l %f
[Desktop Action Edit]
Name=Edit
Exec=${HOME}/VASSAL-current/VASSAL.sh -e %f
and make it executable
chmod 755 ~/Desktop/VASSAL.desktop
Note, this assumes you have VASSAL installed in ~/VASSAL-current. If you put VASSAL elsewhere (say in /opt/vassal/current), then change ${HOME}/VASSAL-current in the above to the correct path (e.g., /opt/vassal/current).
Also copy the file to ~/.local/share/applications
cp ~/Desktop/VASSAL.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
Create the file ~/.local/share/mime/packages/application-x-vassal.xml with the content
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<mime-info xmlns='http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info'>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-module">
<comment>VASSAL module file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vmod"/>
<icon name="application-x-vassal"/>
</mime-type>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-log">
<comment>VASSAL log file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vlog"/>
<icon name="application-x-vassal"/>
</mime-type>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-save">
<comment>VASSAL save file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vsav"/>
<icon name="application-x-vassal"/>
</mime-type>
</mime-info>
Copy the VASSAL icon (in say /opt/vassal/current) to /.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/mimetypes
cp ~/VASSAL-current/VASSAL.svg ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/mimetypes/application-x-vassal.svg
Finally, update the Desktop registries with the new information
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
update-mime-database ~/.local/share/mime
This applies to all desktop environments that support the free-desktop standard, including GNOME, KDE, and Xfce.
Ideally, VASSAL would distribute a script or the like that did this set-up. Something like
#!/bin/bash
VASSAL_DIR=`realpath $(dirname $0)`
# --- For logging purposes -------------------------------------------
msg() {
if test $verb -lt 1 ; then return ; fi
echo $@
}
# --- Help message ---------------------------------------------------
usage()
{
cat <<-EOF
Usage: $0 [OPTIONS]
Options:
-h,--help This help
-u,--user Install for current user only
-s,--system Install system wide
-v,--vassal-path DIR VASSAL installation (${VASSAL_DIR})
-d,--desktop Make desktop short-cut
-D,--no-desktop Do not make desktop short-cut
-V,--verbose Be verbose
-r,--remove Remove VASSAL desktop integration
System-wide (-s,--system) requrires super-user privileges. Run
this script with f.ex. 'sudo'.
Default is to install for current user only.
By default, no desktop short-cut is not installed.
EOF
}
# --- Delete a file --------------------------------------------------
del_file() {
file=$1
msg "Removing $file"
if test ! -f $file ; then
echo "$file does not exist" > /dev/stderr
return 0
fi
rm -f $file
}
# --- Settings -------------------------------------------------------
user=1
verb=0
app=application-x-vassal
rem=0
# --- Handle command line --------------------------------------------
while test $# -gt 0 ; do
case x$1 in
x-h|x--help) usage ; exit 0 ;;
x-u|x--user) user=1 ;;
x-s|x--system) user=0 ;;
x-V|x--verbose) verb=1 ;;
x-v|x--vassal-path) VASSAL_DIR=$2 ; shift ;;
x-d|x--desktop) desktop_dir=$HOME/Desktop ;;
x-D|x--no-desktop) desktop_dir= ;;
x-r|x--remove|x--uninstall) rem=1 ;;
*) echo "$0: Unknown option $1" > /dev/stderr ; exit 1 ;;
esac
shift
done
# --- Check VASSAL directory -----------------------------------------
if test ! -f $VASSAL_DIR/VASSAL.sh ; then
echo "$0: '$VASSAL_DIR' is not a valid VASSAL installation" > /dev/stderr
exit 1
fi
# --- Set prefix and check privileges --------------------------------
if test $user -gt 0 ; then
prefix=$HOME/.local
else
prefix=/usr
if test $UID -ne 0 ; then
echo "You need super-user permissions to install in ${prefix}" \
> /dev/stderr
exit 0
fi
fi
# --- Set target directories -----------------------------------------
mimetype_dir=$prefix/share/mime/packages
app_dir=$prefix/share/applications
icon_dir=$prefix/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/mimetypes
# --- Show current settings ------------------------------------------
msg "VASSAL installation: $VASSAL_DIR"
msg "Mime-types: $mimetype_dir"
msg "Applications: $app_dir"
msg "Icons: $icon_dir"
# --- Create desktop launcher(s) -------------------------------------
mk_app() {
if test $rem -gt 0 ; then
del_file ${app_dir}/${app}.desktop
if test x$desktop_dir != x ; then
del_file ${desktop_dir}/${app}.desktop
fi
return 0
fi
msg "Making desktop launcher in ${app_dir}/${app}.desktop"
name=`mktemp`
cat <<-EOF > ${name}
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
MimeType=application/x-vassal-module;application/x-vassal-log;application/x-vassal-save
Name=VASSAL
Exec=${VASSAL_DIR}/VASSAL.sh
Icon=${app}
Actions=Run;Edit;
Categories=Games
[Desktop Action Run]
Name=Run
Exec=${VASSAL_DIR}/VASSAL.sh -l %f
[Desktop Action Edit]
Name=Edit
Exec=${VASSAL_DIR}/VASSAL.sh -e %f
EOF
chmod a+rx ${name}
mkdir -p ${app_dir}
mv ${name} ${app_dir}/${app}.desktop
if test "x${desktop_dir}" != "x" ; then
msg "Making user Desktop short-cut"
cp ${app_dir}/${app}.desktop
fi
}
# --- Create mime-type database entry --------------------------------
mk_mime() {
if test $rem -gt 0 ; then
del_file ${mimetype_dir}/${app}.xml
return 0
fi
msg "Making mime-type entry in ${mimetype_dir}/${app}.xml"
name=`mktemp`
cat <<-EOF > ${name}
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<mime-info xmlns='http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info'>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-module">
<comment>VASSAL module file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vmod"/>
<icon name="${app}"/>
</mime-type>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-log">
<comment>VASSAL log file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vlog"/>
<icon name="${app}"/>
</mime-type>
<mime-type type="application/x-vassal-save">
<comment>VASSAL save file</comment>
<glob pattern="*.vsav"/>
<icon name="${app}"/>
</mime-type>
</mime-info>
EOF
chmod a+r ${name}
mkdir -p ${mimetype_dir}
mv ${name} ${mimetype_dir}/${app}.xml
}
# --- Make icon ------------------------------------------------------
mk_icon() {
if test $rem -gt 0 ; then
del_file ${icon_dir}/${app}.svg
return 0
fi
msg "Installing icon ${icon_dir}/${app}.svg"
mkdir -p ${icon_dir}
cp $VASSAL_DIR/VASSAL.svg ${icon_dir}/${app}.svg
}
# --- Update databases -----------------------------------------------
update_entries() {
msg "Updating desktop database"
update-desktop-database ${app_dir}
update-mime-database `dirname ${mimetype_dir}`
}
# --- Run everything -------------------------------------------------
mk_app
mk_mime
mk_icon
update_entries
#
# EOF
#
Yours,
Christian