"unable to find firefox.desktop" when clicking "Show Details" on the Firefox menu (top)

[Aptivi]

When a user tries to open the menu that is on the top, next to Activities button, and clicks "Show Details", it opens GNOME Software, but stays on the loading bar for a while then it says "Unable to find firefox.desktop".

However, if I opened GNOME Software to search for Firefox, there are two entries for Firefox, one from Ubuntu repo, one from Snap. I know that Firefox existed on GNOME Software, but it seems weird that it won't be able to search for "firefox.desktop."

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: gnome-software 3.30.6-2ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.2.0-8.9-generic 5.2.0
Uname: Linux 5.2.0-8-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Jul 22 14:59:54 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-07-21 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Alpha amd64 (20190715)
InstalledPlugins:
 gnome-software-plugin-flatpak N/A
 gnome-software-plugin-snap 3.30.6-2ubuntu8
SourcePackage: gnome-software
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

I can observe the problem with several applications:
 - Firefox (firefox.desktop)
 - Chromium as a snap (chromium_chromium.desktop)
 - VLC (vlc.desktop)

However gedit doesn't appear affected.

[lotuspsychje (lotuspsychje)]

I also tested some details of packages on a live daily 19.10

-Livepatch
-Thunderbird

also gives the details .desktop error

[Aptivi (eofla)]

Thanks lotuspsychje and Olivier Tilloy (osomon)! That helped confirm that was a bug. Testing variety of software... Keep testing...

[Jont Allen (jontallen)]

This may be useful, and a bit obvious:
/usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop

[esdoorn blad (esdoorn)]

Work around:

1. In Ubuntu Desktop, open Settings program
2. Select Details
3. Select Default Applications
4. I toggled the drop down lists, see screenshot
5. Close Settings program
6. Open Ubuntu Software program

[Compiler (pranav.bhattarai)]

From my recent experience with Ubuntu 19.10, I don't think Ubuntu is intelligent enough to refresh the "All application" icon list. If you install a program from outside Ubuntu store & apt repo, then that program's icon can last forever even when you have uninstalled that program which seems pretty lame and disappointing.

I wish this gets better in the future.