Vantage documentation

Desktop integration

Vantage installs as a per-user Linux desktop application using XDG application data, a stable GTK application ID and a hicolor launcher icon. No root-owned desktop file is required.

Installed files

The data root follows XDG_DATA_HOME when set; otherwise it is ~/.local/share. The binary directory can be overridden with VANT_INSTALL_DIR. Desktop entries under XDG application directories are the standard Linux mechanism for application-menu discovery.

Launcher icon

cv.vantage_browser.Vantage

The desktop entry names the icon without an extension. The installer places the PNG in the hicolor 512x512/apps theme directory and refreshes the GTK icon cache.

Desktop entry file

This is the launcher shipped in packaging/cv.vantage_browser.Vantage.desktop:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Vantage Browser
GenericName=Web Browser
Comment=Browse the web with Vantage
Exec=vant %U
Icon=cv.vantage_browser.Vantage
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=cv.vantage_browser.Vantage
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;text/html;
Keywords=web;browser;internet;
Actions=NewWindow;NewPrivateWindow;

[Desktop Action NewWindow]
Name=New Window
Exec=vant

[Desktop Action NewPrivateWindow]
Name=New Private Window
Exec=vant --private

Important fields

Exec=vant %U lets the desktop pass one or more HTTP/HTTPS URLs. StartupWMClass and the GTK application identity use the same stable ID so Wayland/desktop shells associate windows with the launcher. Actions adds right-click New Window and New Private Window entries.

Installation sequence

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin \
  ~/.local/share/applications \
  ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/512x512/apps

install -m 0755 build/vant ~/.local/bin/vant
install -m 0644 packaging/cv.vantage_browser.Vantage.desktop \
  ~/.local/share/applications/
install -m 0644 packaging/cv.vantage_browser.Vantage.png \
  ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/512x512/apps/

update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
gtk-update-icon-cache -f ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor

Refresh and diagnose

desktop-file-validate ~/.local/share/applications/cv.vantage_browser.Vantage.desktop
update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications
gtk-update-icon-cache -f ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor
command -v vant
vant --version

Most desktops notice changes automatically. If a compositor retains stale launcher identity/icon state after caches are refreshed, restart the launcher/session before changing application IDs.

Default browser and URL handling

The desktop entry advertises HTTP, HTTPS and HTML MIME handling. Installation does not silently force Vantage to become the default browser; default-app selection remains a desktop/user policy decision.