I have a working *.desktop file with this line:
Exec=conky -c "/home/john1/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1"
I would like to use a general usable line with variable $USER, but that seems to be not possible?
Exec=conky -c "/home/$USER/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1"
Google tells me something with env but how to change this line, so its expanding $USER?
Tipps are welcome!
What did it tell you and what did you try after researching and reading?
See here
https://askubuntu.com/questions/144968/set-variable-in-desktop-file
but how to use that in my Exec?
Have to sleep now …
Why do you think that will help? Did you try it? Did it work?
I’m not playing 20 questions with you.
Sleep well. 
This other link is more appropriate (e.g. Exec=sh -c "conky -c \"/home/\$USER/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1\"" but you’ll need to test/adjust)
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8980464/how-do-i-access-an-environment-variable-in-a-desktop-files-exec-line/8980518#8980518
By default environment variables do not seem to be resolved by all implementations, however you can instead exec sh, which will resolve the passed environment variable. Note that the desktop spec also requires you to escape the = and $ character with a backslash. So you want:
Exec=sh -c "myprogram --folder\=\$HOME/.special"For the full list of characters that need escaping, see the specification
thank you, that works for Manjaro XFCE, but see below …
journalctl -b -p err complains:
14 10:56:09 manjaro systemd-xdg-autostart-generator[846]:/home/john1/.config/autostart/conky.desktop:4: Undefined escape sequence \"
But it works, so i don’t care!
p.s. escaping and these ’ ´ ` " is still a mystery for me … i love pascal !
mpf … but it does not work for Linux Mint 20.3
There journalctl -b -p err tells me ( if that is the correct line? )
Apr 14 11:00:44 XPS cinnamon-session[1092]: GLib-CRITICAL: t+9,46484s: unquote_string_inplace: assertion 'err == NULL || *err == NULL' failed
Next step …
Placed a starter-object on Linux Mint 20.3 cinnamon Desktop with this content:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=conky
Exec=sh -c "conky -c \\"/home/\\$USER/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1\\""
Comment=Conky
Terminal=false
Icon=cinnamon-panel-launcher
Type=Application
… and moved it to ~/.config/autostart and that works for Linux Mint 20.3 cinnamon
but this one from Manjaro in ~/.config/autostart in Linux Mint 20.3 cinnamon
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
# Exec=conky -c "/home/john1/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1"
Exec=sh -c "conky -c \"/home/\$USER/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1\""
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name=Conky
Name[en_IN]=Conky
Comment=
Comment[en_IN]=
RunHook=0
Will not work
No, at the moment i don’t want to search for the reason … found a solution 
#!/usr/bin/env bash
export ROOT=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${0}")")
echo "$(cat <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Conky
Path=${ROOT}
Exec=$0
Type=Application
Terminal=True
Categories=Utility;
EOF
)" > $HOME/.local/share/applications/conky.desktop
conky -c "$HOME/.conky/Green Apple Desktop/Gotham1"
Save it somewhere and make it executable. Then run it once from the terminal and it will create a desktop file and run the command. Now you can also run it with the desktop file. Every time you run it, it will update the desktop file, so that you don’t have to deal with variables in the desktop file. Kinda automated self-update of the path.
That probably means you don’t need to escape the $ (if it’s within the quotes) - so just escape the quotes - try and see if complains. LinuxMint wise, different escaping, not sure.
Thanks for your script, but if i start in Manjaro menue, i get this error:
https://i.imgur.com/i5zl5iW.png
start_conky.sh ist your code.
I’ll keep my working solution ( that i don’t understand in respect of Linux Mint 20.3 cinnamon )
Next step …
If i take the *,desktop that is working for Linux Mint cinnamon and run it too in Manjaro XFCE … they work both … done
Sorry, I should know better. Never copy and paste from a script without testing it. Corrected it:
Exec=$ROOT/$0 → Exec=$0
You are right, you don’t need to escape the $, neither in Manjaro nor Mint!
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