This guide provides a complete workflow for integrating a manually downloaded CoppeliaSim package into your Ubuntu system.

It covers moving it to a system-wide directory, making it runnable from the terminal, and adding a proper application launcher to your dock (taskbar).

We will assume you have already downloaded and extracted the CoppeliaSim folder, for example, to

~/Downloads/CoppeliaSim_Edu_V4_x_x_Ubuntu...

Part 1: Move CoppeliaSim to a System-wide Location

Using a standard location like /usr/local keeps your home directory clean and is a common practice for manually installed software.

1. Move the Folder

Open a terminal and move the extracted folder to /usr/local/CoppeliaSim. You will need sudo permissions.

# Adjust the source path to match your downloaded folder name
sudo mv ~/Downloads/CoppeliaSim_Edu_V4_x_x_Ubuntu... /usr/local/CoppeliaSim

`

1. Adjust Ownership

Change the ownership of the folder to your user. This allows you to run it without sudo and makes it easier to manage.

# Replace $USER with your username (or just use the $USER variable)
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /usr/local/CoppeliaSim```

---

## Part 2: Set Up Command-Line Access

This allows you to type `coppeliasim` in your terminal to launch the application from any directory\.

1. **Create a Symbolic Link**

Link the executable script to a location in your system's PATH\.

```bash
sudo ln -s /usr/local/CoppeliaSim/coppeliaSim.sh /usr/local/bin/coppeliasim```

You can now test this by typing:

```bash
coppeliasim```

1. **\(Optional\) Set Environment Variable**

Some integrations \(like ROS or Python APIs\) expect a `COPPELIASIM_ROOT` environment variable\.
Add this to your shell configuration file \(e\.g\., `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`\)\.

```bash
echo 'export COPPELIASIM_ROOT=/usr/local/CoppeliaSim' >> ~/.bashrc
# Apply the changes to your current terminal session
source ~/.bashrc```

---

## Part 3: Create a Desktop Launcher \(Dock Icon\)

This creates a clickable icon in your **Show Applications** menu, which you can then pin to your dock\.

### Step 3\.1: Download and Place a Logo

The default `.desktop` file may not have a high-quality icon\. We can download one and place it in the installation directory\.

1. **Download the Logo**

```bash
wget -O ~/Downloads/logo.png https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/8070210/114549467-5793d900-9c61-11eb-88f2-24996a6c03e6.png```

1. **Create the Icon Folder**

We'll place the logo inside the `helpFiles` directory\. The `-p` flag creates parent directories if needed\.

```bash
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/CoppeliaSim/helpFiles```

1. **Move and Secure the Logo**

```bash
sudo mv ~/Downloads/logo.png /usr/local/CoppeliaSim/helpFiles/logo.png
sudo chown $USER:$USER /usr/local/CoppeliaSim/helpFiles/logo.png
sudo chmod 644 /usr/local/CoppeliaSim/helpFiles/logo.png```

---

### Step 3\.2: Create the `.desktop` File

Application launchers are defined by `.desktop` files\. We will create one for the current user\.

```bash
nano ~/.local/share/applications/CoppeliaSim.desktop```

---

### Step 3\.3: Edit the `.desktop` File Content

Paste the following into the editor:

```ini
[Desktop Entry]
Name=CoppeliaSim
Comment=Robotics simulation software
Exec=/usr/local/CoppeliaSim/coppeliaSim.sh
Icon=/usr/local/CoppeliaSim/helpFiles/logo.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Science;Education;Robotics;
StartupWMClass=CoppeliaSim```

#### Field Explanations

- **Name:** The name that appears in the applications menu\.
- **Exec:** The absolute path to the launch script\.
- **Icon:** The absolute path to the icon file we just moved\.
- **Terminal:** `false` because this is a GUI application\.
- **Categories:** Helps the app show up in the correct menu categories\.
- **StartupWMClass:** Ensures the dock recognizes the app window correctly \(prevents duplicate icons\)\.

Save and exit nano:

```text
Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X```

---

### Step 3\.4: Find the Correct `StartupWMClass` \(Optional but Recommended\)

The value `CoppeliaSim` is often correct, but this can vary\.
If you get a duplicate icon on your dock, follow these steps:

1. Launch CoppeliaSim:

```bash
coppeliasim```

1. In another terminal, run:

```bash
xprop | grep WM_CLASS```

1.

Click on the running CoppeliaSim window\.
1.

The terminal will output something like:

```WM_CLASS(STRING) = "some-string", "CoppeliaSim"```

1. The second value \(e\.g\., `"CoppeliaSim"`\) is what you should use for `StartupWMClass` in your `.desktop` file\.

---

### Step 3\.5: Make Executable and Add to Dock

1. **\(Optional\) Make Executable**

Some systems require the `.desktop` file to be executable\.

```bash
chmod +x ~/.local/share/applications/CoppeliaSim.desktop```

1. **Add to Favorites \(Pin to Dock\)**

- Open the **Show Applications** menu \(the grid icon\)\.
- Search for **CoppeliaSim**\.
- Right-click it and select **Add to Favorites**\.

---

**You’re all set\!**
CoppeliaSim is now fully integrated into your Ubuntu system\.