Desktop link for Progressive Web Apps incorrect

[WBGSReject]

Since the change to a Snap package, PWA "add to homescreen" (A2HS) does not seem to be working.

I am using Xubuntu 19.10

A link is created on the desktop with the app name, but the icon is a generic one and clicking on the link just brings up a blank Chromium page.

I tested it from my own PWA to start with, but to check it is a generic problem I used the MDN PWA page:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Progressive_web_apps/Add_to_home_screen

which has a PWA demo app called "Awesome Fox Pictures". If you open the live demo page:

https://mdn.github.io/pwa-examples/a2hs/

you should be able to add the app to your desktop, but this creates the broken link I described.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

The Exec line in the generated desktop file has:

    Exec=/snap/chromium/1026/usr/lib/chromium-browser/chrome --profile-directory=Default --app-id=…

Replacing the path to the chrome executable by /snap/bin/chromium seems to fix the issue.

This is a duplicate of bug #1732482, marking as such.

[WBGSReject (wbgsreject)]

Thanks for your update Olivier. I tried your suggestion but:

(a) this did not fix the icon issue

(b) the amended link failed with a Launch Error and a "failed to run..." message - I will attach an image of the message as I could not copy its text.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Indeed this won't fix the icon issue. As to the launch error, I'm not seeing this here on a GNOME desktop, not sure what it's about. But let's continue the conversation on bug #1732482.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Thomas Carlisle (tcarlisle2012)]

This is not a duplicate of https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/chromium-browser/+bug/1863897

Because I am am seeing the same on Chrome -- not Chromium -- and my Chrome was not installed via snap.

That said, playing with this a little, I found that right clicking on the desktop icon there is an option "Allow Launch", and after clicking that the PWA launches and works. But the icon still is not correct. The PWA sets an appropriate icon in its manifest.

Not, the menu option "Allow Launch" is not the same as giving execute permission. The installation of the PWA did set "Execute" permission. The "allow launch" is a permission above and beyond file system permissions.

[Giacomo Orlandi (giaco-orlandi)]

It looks like this bug is about the Desktop link, and it's probably fixed with bug #1732482.
However, unfortunately, a PWA installed using the Chromium snap is not integrated into the Gnome desktop as well as one installed using Google Chrome.
As reported, the Icon path doesn't work, for which there is a manual workaround, and you can't pin the PWA to the launcher.
When I have time I'll open 2 new bugs (one for the icon, and another one for the app integration)
Edit: there is already bug #2007652 for the PWA application integration.