package has .desktop file that errors and does nothing

[Ori Avtalion]

Binary package hint: emacs22

The binary package emacs22-bin-common 22.2-0ubuntu8 comes with the desktop file /usr/share/applications/emacsclient-emacs22.desktop

The file specifies the Exec key with the command:
/usr/bin/emacsclient.emacs22 -a emacs22

Running the command yields the error:
/usr/bin/emacsclient.emacs22: file name or argument required
Try `/usr/bin/emacsclient.emacs22 --help' for more information

The desktop file itself is also confusing because the emacs22 binary package already comes with the emacs22.desktop file which executes the command "/usr/bin/emacs22-x"

Also, from the two files' descriptions, which are "Emacs 22 (X11)" and "Emacs 22 (client)" it's hard to understand the difference between them.

[era (era)]

Confirming: Trivially reproed on an Intrepid system where I still have emacs22. Indeed, it doesn't really make sense for the client to have a .desktop file because you need to invoke it with a file name argument. (Or can you somehow drop things onto the .desktop item somewhere? At least it shouldn't be in the Applications menu.)

[Reinhard Tartler (siretart)]

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 09:27:07 (CET), era wrote:

> Confirming: Trivially reproed on an Intrepid system where I still have
> emacs22. Indeed, it doesn't really make sense for the client to have a
> .desktop file because you need to invoke it with a file name argument.

not necessarily. Such a .desktop file could just open a new emacs
frame. If no daemon process is running yet, the .desktop file can (and
should) start emacs in daemon mode and then attach to it.

> (Or can you somehow drop things onto the .desktop item somewhere? At
> least it shouldn't be in the Applications menu.)

That would indeed be great as well!

--
Gruesse/greetings,
Reinhard Tartler, KeyID 945348A4