Add desktop shortcuts for installed games.

.codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/references/core-map.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Linux Game Manager Core Map
 
-Last refreshed: 2026-10-31
+Last refreshed: 2026-11-05
 
 ## Top-Level Structure
 
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Last refreshed: 2026-10-31
 - `.launch/`: Per-game launch scripts (`.game`) and runnable entries (`.sh`, usually symlinks).
 - `.update/`: Optional per-game update scripts expected to define `run_update()`.
 - `.includes/ipfs.sh`: Central associative array of IPFS download URLs, expanded against the configured gateway at startup.
+- `.includes/desktop.sh`: Game-specific desktop shortcuts with Desktop Entry and Exec argument escaping.
 - `.includes/wickets.sh`: Shared Wickets installer/updater; resolves the latest GitHub release and preserves portable saves.
 - `speech/speak_window_title.sh`: Accessibility helper for announcing focused window titles.
 - `README.md`: Project summary and high-level behavior notes.
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ python3 .codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/scripts/audit_game_catalog.py
 - `game_launcher` enumerates `.launch/*.sh` entries.
 - Entries with first line `#//` are skipped.
 - Selected launcher is sourced/executed.
+- The launch menu offers Desktop Shortcut in both Yad and dialog. It writes an executable `~/Desktop/linux-game-manager-<Game Name>.desktop`, refuses to overwrite existing files, and returns to the menu. The shortcut runs the manager with `-l` and sets its working directory to the repository root.
+- `game_launcher <Game Name>` skips the menu and selects an installed, enabled entry by its exact display name. Missing or disabled entries fail with a message. Launcher discovery uses `scriptRoot` even when called from another working directory.
+- `ui_menu --desktop-shortcut` adds the launch-menu buttons and returns status 3 for shortcut creation. Ordinary `ui_menu` calls keep their standard buttons. Both modes preserve cancellation status and discard any cancelled selection.
+- Run `bash tests/game_shortcut_tests.sh` for isolated menu, direct-launch, CLI, and Desktop Entry checks; these require Python with PyGObject and `desktop-file-validate`. They do not launch installed games or use real user state. Live keyboard, screen-reader, and real-game acceptance remains separate.
 - Monkey Spank runs from its repository directory so relative sound and text assets resolve; its explicit directory assignment also identifies the removal root.
 - Text-terminal launchers can fall back to `xterm`, which inherits the requested working directory before executing the game command.
 
@@ -60,6 +65,7 @@ python3 .codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/scripts/audit_game_catalog.py
 ## CLI Surface
 
 - `-i`: install game
+- `-l <Game Name>`: launch an installed, enabled game directly by exact menu name
 - `-r`: remove game
 - `-u`: update game
 - `-t`: show number of available games

.includes/desktop.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+# Desktop Entry escaping is separate from Exec argument quoting.
+desktop_entry_value() {
+    local value="$1"
+    value="${value//\\/\\\\}"
+    value="${value//$'\n'/\\n}"
+    value="${value//$'\r'/\\r}"
+    value="${value//$'\t'/\\t}"
+    printf '%s' "$value"
+}
+
+desktop_exec_argument() {
+    local value="$1"
+    value="${value//%/%%}"
+    value="${value//\\/\\\\}"
+    value="${value//\"/\\\"}"
+    value="${value//\$/\\\$}"
+    value="${value//\`/\\\`}"
+    desktop_entry_value "\"${value}\""
+}
+
+game_desktop_shortcut() {
+    local gameName="$1"
+    local fileName="${gameName//\//_}"
+    fileName="${fileName//[$'\n\r\t']/_}"
+    local desktopFile="${HOME}/Desktop/linux-game-manager-${fileName}.desktop"
+    local launcherPath
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2154 # Set by the manager before sourcing this helper.
+    launcherPath="$(readlink -e "${scriptRoot}/linux-game-manager.sh")" || return 1
+
+    if ! mkdir -p "${HOME}/Desktop"; then
+        ui_msgbox "Desktop Shortcut" "" "Could not create ~/Desktop."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    # Refuse to overwrite files or follow existing symbolic links.
+    if ! (
+        set -o noclobber
+        printf '%s\n' '[Desktop Entry]' \
+            "Name=$(desktop_entry_value "$gameName")" \
+            "Exec=$(desktop_exec_argument "$launcherPath") -l $(desktop_exec_argument "$gameName")" \
+            "Path=$(desktop_entry_value "$scriptRoot")" \
+            'Terminal=true' 'Type=Application' 'Categories=Game;' \
+            > "$desktopFile"
+    ); then
+        ui_msgbox "Desktop Shortcut" "" "Could not create ${desktopFile}. Check permissions and whether a shortcut already exists."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    if ! chmod +x "$desktopFile"; then
+        ui_msgbox "Desktop Shortcut" "" "Could not make ${desktopFile} executable."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    ui_msgbox "Desktop Shortcut" "" "Created ${desktopFile}."
+}

README.md

@@ -9,6 +9,23 @@ As the project grows, more dependencies will most likely be added. When LGM is l
 
 Current base dependencies checked on launch: `7z`, `curl`, `dialog`, `jq`, `yad`, and `unzip`.
 
+## Desktop shortcuts
+
+Open `./linux-game-manager.sh`, select an installed game, and choose **Desktop
+Shortcut**. This works in both the graphical and console menus and creates an
+executable `.desktop` file in `~/Desktop`. Existing files are left intact, and
+the game list opens again after creation. Your desktop environment may ask you
+to trust the shortcut before launching it.
+
+The shortcut launches that game directly through the manager's `-l` option.
+You can also use this option from a terminal with the exact game menu name:
+
+```bash
+./linux-game-manager.sh -l "RS Games"
+```
+
+Only installed, enabled launcher entries can be launched this way.
+
 ## Wickets
 
 Install Wickets on x86_64 Linux by selecting it under `./linux-game-manager.sh -i`.

linux-game-manager.sh

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+# shellcheck disable=SC2329 # Shared helpers are called by sourced game scripts.
 
 scriptRoot="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd -P)"
 
@@ -50,14 +51,25 @@ export DIALOGOPTS='--no-lines --visit-items'
 # Automatically switches between dialog (console) and yad (GUI) based on DISPLAY environment
 
 # Wrapper function for menu selection
-# Usage: ui_menu "title" "backtitle" "text" option1 "description1" option2 "description2" ...
+# Usage: ui_menu [--desktop-shortcut] "title" "backtitle" "text" option "description" ...
+# Returns 3 for Desktop Shortcut; other nonzero statuses cancel the menu.
 ui_menu() {
+    local shortcutMenu=false
+    local menuButtons=()
+    local menuCode=0
+    if [[ "$1" == --desktop-shortcut ]]; then
+        shortcutMenu=true
+        shift
+    fi
     local title="$1"
     local back_title="$2"
     local text="$3"
     shift 3
     
     if [[ "$dialog_type" == "yad" ]]; then
+        if [[ "$shortcutMenu" == true ]]; then
+            menuButtons=(--button="Launch:0" --button="Desktop Shortcut:2" --button="Cancel:1")
+        fi
         # Build yad list format: Display only, then map back to value
         local yad_list=""
         declare -A value_map
@@ -81,7 +93,13 @@ ui_menu() {
             --selectable-labels \
             --search-column=1 \
             --height=400 \
-            --width=600)
+            --width=600 "${menuButtons[@]}") || menuCode=$?
+        if [[ "$shortcutMenu" == true && $menuCode -eq 2 ]]; then
+            menuCode=3
+        fi
+        if [[ $menuCode -ne 0 && ( "$shortcutMenu" != true || $menuCode -ne 3 ) ]]; then
+            return "$menuCode"
+        fi
         # Strip trailing newline, pipe, and any other whitespace
         selected_description=$(echo "$selected_description" | tr -d '\n\r' | sed 's/^[[:space:]]*//;s/[[:space:]]*$//;s/|$//')
         
@@ -89,7 +107,11 @@ ui_menu() {
         if [[ -n "$selected_description" ]]; then
             echo "${value_map["$selected_description"]}"
         fi
+        return "$menuCode"
     else
+        if [[ "$shortcutMenu" == true ]]; then
+            menuButtons=(--extra-button --extra-label "Desktop Shortcut")
+        fi
         # Build dialog menu format with mapping (same approach as yad)
         local dialog_args=()
         declare -A value_map
@@ -104,15 +126,20 @@ ui_menu() {
         local selected_description
         selected_description=$(dialog --backtitle "$back_title" \
                --title "$title" \
+               "${menuButtons[@]}" \
                --no-tags \
                --menu "$text" 0 0 0 \
                "${dialog_args[@]}" \
-               --stdout)
+               --stdout) || menuCode=$?
+        if [[ $menuCode -ne 0 && ( "$shortcutMenu" != true || $menuCode -ne 3 ) ]]; then
+            return "$menuCode"
+        fi
         
         # Return the mapped value
         if [[ -n "$selected_description" ]]; then
             echo "${value_map["$selected_description"]}"
         fi
+        return "$menuCode"
     fi
 }
 
@@ -878,7 +905,7 @@ game_update() {
 game_launcher() {
     # Initialize array for menu construction
     mapfile -t menuList < <(
-        if [[ -d ".launch" ]]; then
+        if [[ -d "${scriptRoot}/.launch" ]]; then
             # shellcheck disable=SC2016  # variables expand in the child bash, not this single-quoted string
             find -L "${scriptRoot}/.launch" -maxdepth 1 -type f -iname "*.sh" -print0 | sort -z | xargs -0 bash -c '
                 for f; do
@@ -889,20 +916,45 @@ game_launcher() {
                 done' _
         fi
     )
-    if [[ ${#menuList} -eq 0 ]]; then
+    local selectedGame=""
-        ui_msgbox "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "No games found."
+    if [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; then
-        exit 0
+        for ((i=0; i<${#menuList[@]}; i+=2)); do
-    fi
+            if [[ "$1" == "${menuList[i+1]}" ]]; then
-    # Create the menu of all games  
+                selectedGame="${menuList[i]}"
-    # menuList has alternating full_path, display_name pairs
+                break
-    declare -a menuArgs
+            fi
-    for ((i=0; i<${#menuList[@]}; i+=2)); do
+        done
-        menuArgs+=("${menuList[i]}" "${menuList[i+1]}")
+        if [[ -z "$selectedGame" ]]; then
-    done
+            ui_msgbox "Linux Game Launcher" "Linux Game Manager" "Game $1 is not installed or is disabled."
-    selectedGame="$(ui_menu "Linux Game Launcher" "Linux Game Launcher" "Please select a game to play" "${menuArgs[@]}")"
+            exit 1
-    local menuCode=$?
+        fi
-    if [[ $menuCode -ne 0 ]] || [[ -z "$selectedGame" ]]; then
+    else
-        exit 0
+        if [[ ${#menuList[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+            ui_msgbox "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "No games found."
+            exit 0
+        fi
+        # Create the menu of all games
+        # menuList has alternating full_path, display_name pairs
+        declare -a menuArgs
+        for ((i=0; i<${#menuList[@]}; i+=2)); do
+            menuArgs+=("${menuList[i]}" "${menuList[i+1]}")
+        done
+        local menuCode
+        local gameName
+        while true; do
+            selectedGame="$(ui_menu --desktop-shortcut "Linux Game Launcher" "Linux Game Launcher" "Please select a game to play" "${menuArgs[@]}")"
+            menuCode=$?
+            if [[ $menuCode -eq 3 ]]; then
+                if [[ -n "$selectedGame" ]]; then
+                    gameName="${selectedGame##*/}"
+                    game_desktop_shortcut "${gameName%.sh}"
+                fi
+                continue
+            elif [[ $menuCode -ne 0 || -z "$selectedGame" ]]; then
+                exit 0
+            fi
+            break
+        done
     fi
     # shellcheck disable=SC1090  # launcher scripts are selected dynamically from .launch
     . "${selectedGame}"
@@ -969,6 +1021,8 @@ export ipfsGateway="${ipfsGateway:-https://ipfs.stormux.org}"
 source "${scriptRoot}/.includes/ipfs.sh"
 # shellcheck source=.includes/gamemode.sh
 source "${scriptRoot}/.includes/gamemode.sh"
+# shellcheck source=.includes/desktop.sh
+source "${scriptRoot}/.includes/desktop.sh"
 export spd_module="${spd_module:+ -o ${spd_module}}"
 export spd_pitch="${spd_pitch:+ -p ${spd_pitch}}"
 export spd_rate="${spd_rate:+ -r ${spd_rate}}"
@@ -1006,6 +1060,7 @@ declare -A command=(
     [h]="This help screen."
     [i]="Install games."
     [L]="Display license information."
+    [l:]="Launch an installed game directly by its menu name."
     [N]="No cache, delete the installer after it has been extracted."
     [R]="Redownload. Removes old versions of packages from cache before installing."
     [r]="Remove game. Remove a game and its menu entry."
@@ -1023,6 +1078,7 @@ while getopts "${args}" i ; do
         h) help ;;
         i) game_installer ;;
         L) license ;;
+        l) game_launcher "$OPTARG" ;;
         N) noCache="true" ;;
         R) redownload="true" ;;
         r) game_removal ;;