How to Add Arduino.AppImage Application to Menu in Ubuntu (Linux)

Environment Configuration

Tested on the following environment:

1. Arduino Application: arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage
2. Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS

Installation Steps

1. Prepare the AppImage

Download the Arduino AppImage (Assuming default download location: ~/Downloads)

Open the terminal and run the following commands:

mkdir ~/Documents/Arduino
mv ~/Downloads/arduino-ide_22.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage ~/Documents/Arduino
sudo chmod +x ~/Documents/Arduino/arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage
sudo apt-get install fuse libfuse2

2. Debugging (Optional)

To debug any potential errors:

1. Run the file to check for errors:

   ./arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage

2. If no errors occur, close the application through File → Exit

3. Get the full path to the Arduino AppImage file:

   realpath arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage

   Example output:

   /home/virtualbox/Documents/Arduino/arduino-ide_2.1.1_Linux_64bit.AppImage
   

3. Create Desktop Entry

1. Open the desktop entry file in gedit:

   gedit ~/.local/share/applications/'Arduino IDE.desktop'

2. Add the following content (replace file paths as needed):

   [Desktop Entry]
   Version=2.0.4
   Type=Application
   Name=Arduino 2
   Comment=Arduino IDE 2
   TryExec=/home/virtualbox/Documents/Arduino/arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage
   Exec=/home/virtualbox/Documents/Arduino/arduino-ide_2.3.4_Linux_64bit.AppImage
   #Icon=/home/virtualbox/Documents/Arduino/arduino.ico
   #Actions=Editor
   Categories=Utility;Application;Development;

4. Finalize Installation

1. Add the option for adding to favorites:

   sudo cp ~/.local/share/applications/'Arduino IDE.desktop' /usr/share/applications

2. Enter your password if prompted

3. Log out and log back in to your system

4. The Arduino IDE should now be available in your application menu

Done!

Your Arduino IDE is now properly installed and accessible from the Ubuntu application menu.

Note: Make sure to replace /home/virtualbox in the file paths with your actual username path if different.