Ubuntu-Launchpad

The Ubuntu version of Apple's/MacOS Launchpad application. The shortcut is meant to be placed on a dock as a keyboard-free alternative to pressing Super+A.

Installation

Install the dependency by opening Terminal and running:

sudo apt install xdotool

Download the deb installer file

Open the deb file and proceed with installation

Open Terminal and run:

xdg-open /usr/share/applications

or navigate to the /usr/share/applications folder manually

Drag the Launchpad icon onto the dock

Done!

Development Tutorial

In Terminal run:

sudo apt install dh-make devscripts

Then run:

sudo gedit .bashrc

Add your information to the end of the file (mine below, I used an URL instead of email):

export DEBEMAIL="https://github.com/milan102"
export DEBFULLNAME="Milan Mishra"

Create a folder called launchpad-1.0 and place the shell script inside

• Add a .desktop file and a .png file
• Edit the .desktop file to Exec where the shell script will be placed and set Path to that folder (more on that below)

From inside the launchpad-1.0 folder, run:

dh_make --indep --createorig --copyright mit

Inside the newly generated debian folder:

• Create an install file that specifies where the files in launchpad-1.0 get installed to (the paths are used in the .desktop file)
• Edit the rules file and add override_dh_usrlocal:
• Edit the control file by changing Section, Homepage, Depends, and Description

Create a folder outside launchpad-1.0 called post-dh_make-files Back up the finalized install, rules, and control files in here so that they don't need to be edited each time on future runs of dh_make and instead can be copied+pasted into the generated debian folder

From inside the launchpad-1.0 folder, run:

debuild -us -uc

Distribute the generated .deb file as an application installer

Notes

Thanks to https://blog.packagecloud.io/eng/2016/12/15/howto-build-debian-package-containing-simple-shell-scripts/ for providing a great starting point with regard to packaging shell scripts into deb files

Icon made by Pixel Buddha from www.flaticon.com