---
name: "openapp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gnustep-make"
version: "2.9.3-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/openapp"
---

# openapp(1)

launch applications from the command line

## NAME

openapp - launch applications from the command line

## SYNOPSIS

**openapp** \[**--find**\] \[**--debug** \[**--gdb=** *debuger*\]\] \[ **--library-combo=***library-combo* \]  *application* \[*arguments...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The  **openapp** command allows you to launch graphical GNUstep applications from the command line.

*application* is the complete or relative name of the application program with or without the .app extension, like **Ink.app.**

*arguments* are the arguments passed to the application.

**openapp** first checks whether the application is in the current working directory.  If not then searches the GNUstep domains' Applications folders in the following order: User (i.e. *~/GNUstep/Applications*), Local, Network, System. First match wins.

## OPTIONS

- **--find** *application*

  will print out the full path of the application executable which would be executed, without actually executing it. It will also list all paths that are attempted.

- **--debug** *application*

  starts the application in the debugger. By default **gdb**, but this can be changed with the **--gdb=** argument or through the  **GDB** shell variable.

- **--library-combo=***library-combo*

  Starts the application with the specified library combo. This is a rarely used option in a non-flattened setup. See the [**library-combo**(7)](/library-combo/7.md) man-page for more information about the different library combinations.

- **--help**

  print above usage description.

## EXAMPLES

Start **Ink.app** without additional parameters:

**openapp Ink.app**

Launch **Ink.app** and pass it the **--debug** argument:

**openapp --debug Ink.app**

To determine which executable is launched by openapp, type:

**openapp --find Ink.app**

The output of the above command might be something like: */usr/GNUstep/Local/Applications/Ink.app/Ink*

## ENVIRONMENT

- **GNUSTEP\_CONFIG\_FILE**

  is used to determine where the **GNUstep.sh** configuration file is located. If the variable is not set **openapp** tries to locate it in the folder where **openapp** was started, then in the user domain, and as a last resort in the system domain (or actually the place you configured (*--with-config-file=*) during building).

- **GDB**

  Sets the debugger to use when **--debug** is used.

## SEE ALSO

[debugapp(1)](/debugapp/1.md), [GNUstep(7)](/GNUstep/7.md), [gopen(1)](/gopen/1.md), [library-combo(7)](/library-combo/7.md), [opentool(1)](/opentool/1.md)

## HISTORY

Work on **openapp** started October 1997.

**openapp** was originally written by Ovidiu Predescu \<ovidiu@net-community.com\> and is now maintained by Nicola Pero \<nicola.pero@meta-innovation.com\>

## AUTHORS

This manual page was first written July 2003 by Martin Brecher \<martin@mb-itconsulting.com\>.

Updated with notes from Hubert Chathi \<uhoreg@debian.org\> and Dennis Leeuw \<dleeuw@made-it.com\>, December 2007 by Dennis Leeuw.