Installing icons

In Example 1-1, we have specified the icon for this application as application.png. In order for this to work, we need to put that icon file in the correct directory.

The desktop looks for icons in the selected theme directory of /usr/share/icons/. Application icons should be available at least at a resolution of 48x48 pixels. Place the icon in /usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/. This is the directory the desktop looks in if there is no icon for your application in the selected theme. If you have themed icons, put them in the appropriate directories.

To better visually integrate with the GNOME desktop, while keeping your application look native when run under KDE, Windows XP or Mac OS X, follow the Tango Style guidelines when creating your artwork. The document explains various aspects of icon design, including colors, lighting and sizes. Some typical workflow and video tutorials are also provided.

1.2.1. References

Icon Theme Specification — Describes how to install and look up icons in a themeable way.

Icon Naming Specification — Provides a canonical naming scheme for icon files.

Tango Style Guidelines — Provides description on how to design clean and 'multiplatform' icon artwork.