sudo apt install python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gnome-terminal

./star...

Linux Start Menu

A lightweight GTK-based Windows-like start menu for Linux that launches shell scripts from a customizable folder structure. In the screenshot below you see start menu icon in the upper left corner, and it’s been clicked to open and display the menu.

Overview

This project provides a native popup menu that appears at your cursor position, built dynamically from the contents of the scripts/ folder. Simply organize your scripts into folders, and the menu structure mirrors your file system hierarchy.

Requirements

• Python 3
• GTK 3 (via PyGObject)
• gnome-terminal (for scripts that require a visible terminal)

Install dependencies on Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gnome-terminal

Usage

Run the menu:

./start-menu.py

Optionally, specify a different scripts folder:

./start-menu.py myfolder

The folder name is relative to the script’s location. If no argument is provided, it defaults to scripts/.

The menu will pop up at your current mouse position. Click a script to run it, or click outside / press Escape to dismiss.

Defining the Menu Structure

The menu is built entirely from the scripts/ folder. Your folder structure becomes your menu structure: To see this work, simply put some bash script files in the ‘scripts’ folder (or any subfolders onder ‘scripts’ to see it working)

Rules:

• Folders become submenus
• Files become clickable menu items
• File extensions (.sh, .bash, .py, .pl, .rb) are hidden in the menu display
• Leading underscores in filenames are stripped from the display name (useful for ordering)
• Hidden files (starting with .) are ignored
• Folders appear first, followed by a separator, then files (both sorted alphabetically)

Supported File Types

Shell Scripts

Place any executable script in the scripts/ folder. If a script is not marked executable, it will be run with bash.

File Links (Shortcuts)

Symbolic links are fully supported. Create symlinks to scripts located elsewhere on your system:

ln -s /path/to/your/script.sh scripts/My\ Script.sh

This allows you to include scripts without moving them from their original location.

Terminal=true Feature

By default, scripts run silently in the background with no visible output. If you need to see the output or interact with a script, add the following comment anywhere in the first 10 lines of your script:

#!/bin/bash
# Terminal=true

echo "This will be visible in a terminal window!"
read -p "Press Enter to continue..."

When Terminal=true is detected (case-insensitive, spaces ignored), the script will launch in a new gnome-terminal window that stays open after the script completes.

Working Directory: When running in a terminal, the working directory is automatically set to the folder containing the script. If the script is a symbolic link, the working directory will be the folder containing the actual target file, not the link itself.

Use cases:

• Scripts that require user input
• Scripts with important output to review
• Interactive tools and utilities

Desktop Icon Launcher

The included Menu.desktop file demonstrates how to launch the menu from a desktop icon or application launcher.

Example .desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Start Menu
Comment=Script Launcher Menu
Exec=/path/to/start-menu.py
Icon=application-x-executable
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;

To install:

1. Edit Menu.desktop and update the Exec= path to your installation location
2. Copy to your desktop or applications folder:

cp Menu.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/

1. You can also assign a keyboard shortcut to the Exec command in your desktop environment settings

Quick Install for GNOME/Ubuntu

For GNOME/Ubuntu users, you can automatically install Start Menu to your dock with a single command:

./install.sh

This will:

• Create a .desktop file with the correct paths
• Add Start Menu to your dock for single-click launching
• Set up the custom icon

To remove Start Menu from the dock and applications menu:

./uninstall.sh

Note: The uninstall script only removes the desktop integration—your source files remain intact.

Configure Menu Item

At the bottom of the menu, you’ll find a Configure option. Clicking it opens the installed .desktop file (~/.local/share/applications/start-menu.desktop) in your default text editor.

This allows you to easily change the scripts folder by modifying the Exec= line. For example, to use a different folder:

Exec=/path/to/start-menu.py my-custom-folder

Note: The Configure option assumes you’ve installed Start Menu using install.sh. If you’re running the script directly without installation, the .desktop file won’t exist.

Tips

• Quick access: Bind start-menu.py to a keyboard shortcut or mouse gesture for instant access
• Organization: Use folders to group related scripts (e.g., "Development", "System", "Media")
• Naming: Use descriptive filenames since they become menu labels
• Ordering: Prefix files with _ to influence sort order while keeping clean display names