How to Change App Icons in Linux

3 min readOct 21, 2024

Personalizing your Linux desktop by customizing app icons is a great way to make your system uniquely yours. This guide will walk you through the process of changing the Firefox icon in Xfce, but the same principles also apply to other applications.

Step 1: Find the .desktop File

Application icons in Xfce are defined in .desktop files, which can be found in two locations:

System-wide: /usr/share/applications
User-specific: ~/.local/share/applications

Locate the Firefox .desktop file in one of these directories.

For other applications, look for [application_name].desktop in the same directories.

Step 2: Edit the .desktop File

Once you’ve found the Firefox .desktop file, it’s time to make your changes. Use the vi editor to open the file:

sudo vi /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop

For other applications, replace ‘firefox.desktop’ with the appropriate .desktop file name.

Step 3: Modify the Icon Field

In the .desktop file, look for a line starting with Icon=. You can specify either an absolute path to an image file or the name of an icon available in your system's icon theme. For example:

Icon=/path/to/your/custom/icon.png

This process is the same for all applications. Just ensure you’re using the correct path or icon name for your desired custom icon.

Step 4: Save Your Changes

To save your changes in vi:

Press Esc to ensure you're in command mode
Type :wq and press Enter to write the changes and quit vi

Step 5: Update the Icon Cache

After modifying the icon, you may need to update the icon cache for the changes to appear in the Xfce menu. Run this command:

sudo gtk-update-icon-cache /usr/share/icons/*

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can easily customize the Firefox icon or any other app icon in your Xfce desktop environment. This simple process allows you to create a Linux experience that truly reflects your personal style.

Remember, you can apply this method to any application on your system. Just locate the correct .desktop file, modify the Icon= line, and update the icon cache if necessary.

Default Icon

Customized Icon

So, whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a professional, or just someone who wants to learn more, I invite you to follow me on this journey. Subscribe to my blog and follow me on social media to stay in the loop and never miss a post.

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Happy customizing! Happy learning!