Remember, these are case-sensitive. When using a category described in the list below it is strongly recommended to also include the category listed under Related Categories. If a category has multiple related categories the most suitable related category should be included.
| Category | Description | Related Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Keyword that must be added to menu entries merged from legacy locations. May not actually exist in a desktop entry (should be stripped out if found there). If the same directory is given as both a <LegacyDir> and an <AppDir>, its desktop entries should be labeled "Legacy" only if the <LegacyDir> appears later in the file than the <AppDir> | |
| Core | Important application, core to the desktop such as a filemanager or a help browser | |
| Development | An application for development | |
| Debugger | A tool to debug applications | Development |
| IDE | IDE application | Development |
| GUIDesigner | A GUI designer application | Development |
| RevisionControl | Applications like cvs or subversion | Development |
| Office | An office type application | |
| Calendar | Calendar application | Office |
| ContactManagement | E.g. an addressbook | Office |
| Database | Application to manage a database | Office;Development |
| Chart | Chart application | Office |
| Email application | Office;Network | |
| Finance | Application to manage your finance | Office |
| PDA | Tool to manage your PDA | Office |
| ProjectManagement | Project management application | Office;Development |
| Presentation | Presentation software | Office |
| Spreadsheet | A spreadsheet | Office |
| WordProcessor | A word processor | Office |
| Graphics | Graphical application | |
| 3DGraphics | 3D based graphical application | Graphics |
| RasterGraphics | Raster based graphical application | Graphics |
| ScanTool | Tool to scan a file/text | Graphics |
| VectorGraphics | Vector based graphical application | Graphics |
| Viewer | Tool to view e.g. a graphic or pdf file | (Graphics) |
| Settings | Settings applications | |
| AccessibilitySettings | Accessibility settings | Settings |
| Desktop-Settings | ConfigurationTool for the GUI | Settings |
| HardwareSettings | A tool to manage hardware components, like soundcards, graphicards or printers | Settings |
| NetworkSettings | Application to manage network settings | Settings |
| PackageManager | A package manager application | Settings |
| SystemSetup | System setup application, e.g. init level configuration | Settings |
| Network | Network application such as a webbrowser | |
| WebBrowser | A webbrowser | Network |
| InstantMessaging | An InstantMessaging Client | Network |
| IRCClient | An IRC Client | Network |
| News | A newsreader or newsticker | Network |
| FileTransfer | Tools like FTP or P2P programs | Network |
| RemoteAccess | A tool to remotely manage your PC | Network |
| Telephony | Telephony via PC | Network |
| AudioVideo | A multimedia (audio/video) application | |
| AudioVideoEditing | Application to edit audio or video files | AudioVideo |
| DiscBurning | Application to burn a disc | AudioVideo |
| Mixer | Just a mixer | AudioVideo |
| Player | Application to play audio/video files | AudioVideo |
| Game | A game | |
| AdventureGame | Adventure style game | Game |
| ArcadeGame | Arcade style game | Game |
| BoardGame | A board game | Game |
| BlocksGame | Falling blocks game | Game |
| CardGame | A card game | Game |
| FirstPersonGame | First person perspective game | Game |
| KidsGame | A game for kids | Game |
| LogicGame | Logic games like puzzles, etc | Game |
| SportsGame | A Sports game | Game |
| StrategyGame | A Strategy game | Game |
| Education | Educational software | |
| Music | Musical Software | AudioVideo;Education |
| Languages | Software to learn foreign languages | Education |
| Science | Scientific software | Education |
| Astronomy | Astronomy software | Science |
| Biology | Biology software | Science |
| Chemistry | Chemistry software | Science |
| Geology | Geology software | Science |
| Math | Math software | Science |
| MedicalSoftware | MedicalSoftware | Science |
| Physics | Physics software | Science |
| Amusement | A simple amusement | |
| Applet | An applet that will run inside a panel or another such application, likely desktop specifi.c | |
| Archiving | A tool to archive/backup data | |
| Clock | A clock application/applet | |
| Electronics | Electronics software, e.g. a circuit designer | |
| Emulator | Emulator of another platform, such as a DOS emulator | |
| Engineering | Engineering software, e.g. CAD programs | |
| FileManager | A Filemanager | |
| HamRadio | HAM radio software | |
| Shell | A shell (an actual specific shell such as bash or tcsh, not a TerminalEmulator) | |
| Screensaver | A screensaver (launching this desktop entry should activate the screensaver) | |
| System | System application, "System Tools" such as say a log viewer or network monitor | |
| Monitor | Monitor application/applet that monitors some resource or activity | System |
| TerminalEmulator | A terminal emulator application | |
| TextEditor | A text editor | |
| TrayIcon | An application that is primarily an icon for the "system tray" or "notification area" (apps that open a normal window and just happen to have a tray icon as well should not list this category) | |
| Utility | Small utility application, "Accessories" | |
| Accessibility | Accessibility | Utility |
| KDE | Application based on KDE libraries | QT |
| GNOME | Application based on GNOME libraries | GTK |
| GTK | Application based on GTK+ libraries | |
| Qt | Application based on Qt libraries | |
| Motif | Application based on Motif libraries | |
| Java | Application based on Java awt or Swing | |
| ConsoleOnly | Application that only works inside a terminal (text-based or command line application) |