How to execute a script just by double clicking like .EXE files in Windows?

Question

How can I make a bash script executable by double clicking just like .exe files in Windows? I tried creating a launcher and assigning the script to it, but there are two consequences:

1. the terminal twinkles, disappears, and nothing is done.
2. you must specify to run in terminal in order to work.

I have a script that installs tomcat on an offline PC, including all dependencies of tomcat in the script. I need to make the script work on double clicking like windows since most who use the script will not be familiar with Ubuntu.

Forget the above explanation. I want to make a script that can be run by double-clicking on it, without using the terminal. Anybody knows how?

Answer 1

I tested this and it worked fine. Ensure your script begins with the correct shebang, e.g. #!/usr/bin/env bash .

Then follow these steps:

• Hit Alt+F2 to run a command.
• Type dconf-editor and hit Enter.
• In dconfg-editor go to: org ➤ gnome ➤ nautilus ➤ preferences

• Click on executable-text-activation and from drop down menu select:

  launch: to launch scripts as programs.
  OR
  ask: to ask what to do via a dialog.

  

• Close dconf-editor. Thats it!

Alternative way, using terminal: Run:

gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences executable-text-activation 'launch'

Note: The file should be executable. You may also need to change permission of file. Right click and set "Allow executing file as program"

Source.

Answer 2

On Nautilus (AKA Files)

1. Go to Files (Edit on Unity (17.04 or below)) > Preferences > Behavior tab

   

2. Change the settings for executable text file.

   

Answer 3

I think creating a *.desktop file is missing here:

$ cat shortcut-for-my-script.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Terminal=true
Name=Click-Script
Icon=utilities-terminal
Exec=gnome-terminal -e "bash -c './script.sh;$SHELL'"
Categories=Application;

If you create more than one *.desktop file for one script you are able to create multiple configurations by passing different parameters, which is a very comfortable and user-friendly way.

Answer 4

In Ubuntu and all Unix based OSes, afaik, nothing is set as executable by default. There are two ways of doing this.

1. Right click on the script or file you want to execute. Go to Properties then to the Permissions Tab. Click the check box that says Execute.

2. Open a Terminal cd into the directory where the file is found. Type chmod ugo+x filename. This will set the file to execute.

Now your users can double click to their hearts content.

Answer 5

For Ubuntu 20.04:

1. Open Files (Nautilus is called Files now), click on the hamburger menu and select Preferences.

2. Go to the Behaviour tab and select what's suitable from the Executable Text Files section

Answer 6

If you're using XFce then you can make script executed in Thunar by executing this command:

xfconf-query --channel thunar --property /misc-exec-shell-scripts-by-default \
             --create --type bool --set true

or by using gui xfce4-settings-editor and creating the same properties.

Run xfce4-settings-editor, then enter:

• /misc-exec-shell-scripts-by-default

• Boolean

• TRUE

Answer 7

You have to check 3 points :

• Nautilus / Nemo configuration : https://askubuntu.com/a/286651/301025
• The script file must be executable: https://askubuntu.com/a/275714/301025

• The file system must allow execution :

  1. Type mount in a console
  2. Check if your file system has the noexec flag
  3. Remove the noexec flag by editing /etc/fstab and remount the modified system (eg. a reboot works)

Answer 8

For GNOME users: the option to run a script by double-clicking it has been removed from Nautilus as of late 2020, following this bug report, enforcing the alternative #2 described in the bug report (right-click the script / click on "Run as a Program" from the context menu) as the only mean to run a script directly from Nautilus (the script must still be executable in order for this to work).

As a workaround, you can create a minimal .desktop file that will run the script, so that by double-clicking the desktop file the script will be run (again, the script must be executable in order for this to work):

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Script
Exec=/path/to/script.sh
Type=Application

After that, right-click on the .desktop file and click on "Allow Launching" from the context menu.

Answer 9

When you create a launch in Desktop to a SHEL script or Whatever, in command line, don't forget to signal the script, to be executed in background.

The script will die when he finished is job.

Answer 10

Based on umask defualt value, you haven't execute permissions for files by default and must change mod to gain execute permissions, something like this:

chmod u+x filename

Answer 11

As a complement to the answer about Thunar: that answer would re-enable a previous feature of Thunar to execute scripts on double click. But that feature was considered a security risk.

To avoid that, maybe the most elegant solution is to get a pop-up window with a question like "What do you want to with that file: Run or edit?" (similar to what you have in other file managers like PCManFM and Nemo) when clicking that file - by using Zenity: here.

---

An alternative would be custom actions, perhaps the best feature Thunar has.

The command that I use for running an executable text file is sh -c %f, for a custom action called "Run/Execute script".

The appearance conditions are simply "text":

A similar command can be used for running in terminal a such script ("Run in terminal"), while keeping the Xfce4 terminal open:

xfce4-terminal -H -x %f

Optionally, and maybe preferably, in order to hide such options for all text files except the executable ones, a way is to restrict appearance use to .sh files (or .py files if the case, etc), under "Appearance conditions":

-- before renaming the executable files accordingly.

Answer 12

Still in 2023, i found hard to run scipts (sh files) in linux desktop. In my case, run lxqt configuaration center from menu, then KDE system Setting (or any other relevant setting), then Applications, then search for ".sh" or x-shellscript then in application order, add ANY application, then edit the "top one", and change everything in "application tab" (in edit) as "bash" or "bash -c" or "sh -c", whatever works for you. Try it on terminal like bash script.sh to see if it works.

Answer 13

Specially for Android Studio You can follow my original answer here:

To Create Desktop Launcher:

• Click on Create Desktop Entry.. from Tools menu.

• It will be prompt for password, enter password of your current login.

• Finally it will be display notification in Android Studio screen like:

• You can see in Applications => Programming => Android Studio, and you may see on desktop also after restarting system.

Thank you. :)

Answer 14

OS: Linux Mint (I'm using 18.3)

I struggled for ages with this, trying to find out how you can click (or double-click) an executable item and get it to run, without further questions. I looked at all the stuff under Nemo Edit --> Preferences. The answer is actually very simple, and set up for you... I don't know whether this applies solely to Mint.

On the desktop, right-click and choose "+ Create a new launcher here". One of the simplest imaginable dialogs then follows, where you have to choose your executable file, and whether you also want to create a new item in the Start menu, i.e. to run using exclusively keyboard.

What this actually creates is a simple executable text file, e.g.

[Desktop Entry]
Comment=
Terminal=true
Name=MyScript
Exec=/media/mike/D_drive/My Documents/sysadmin/MyScript.sh
Type=Application

There's no requirement for this file to have ".desktop" in its name.

This file can be used elsewhere than on the desktop: move/copy it into another directory and it will also run with a double-click in Nemo (or single click if Nemo is so configured).