Never mistake an entry edited in place for one we generated

A desktop entry that already lives in ~/.local/share/applications is the
user's own file, patched in place with the original kept aside. It used to
get the same X-MCA-Generated marker as a shadow copy, which made the next
scan skip it, fall back to the system entry, and overwrite the user's file
with a shadow - and then delete it on revert instead of restoring it.

The two cases now carry different markers. Only a shadow is skipped by the
scan and deleted when undoing; an entry patched in place stays in the scan
and is restored from its backup.

Also: resolve the applications screen's labels once instead of per row per
keypress, and drop code nothing calls.

Makefile

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 # Overridable so a packager can pass the version it is actually building
 # (`make VERSION=$pkgver`). The literal below is the fallback for builds
 # straight from a checkout, and is what a release tag has to carry.
-VERSION      ?= 1.0.0
+VERSION      ?= 1.0.1
 
 PREFIX       ?= /usr
 DESTDIR      ?=

doc/middleclick-autoscroll.1.scd

@@ -72,9 +72,12 @@ Two ways, chosen per application.
 	Flatpaks, a copy of the desktop entry with the argument appended is written
 	to _~/.local/share/applications_, where it shadows the system one. Entries
 	that already live there - AppImages, web app shortcuts - are edited in
-	place, with the original kept. Every generated entry is marked with
+	place, with the original kept.
-	*X-MCA-Generated*; an entry that is not marked is somebody else's and is
+
-	left alone.
+	A generated entry is marked *X-MCA-Generated* and an entry edited in place
+	*X-MCA-Patched*. The two are never confused: the first is deleted when
+	undoing, the second is restored from its backup. An entry with neither
+	marker belongs to somebody else and is left alone.
 
 Programs that start themselves at login write their own entry into
 _~/.config/autostart_ pointing straight at their binary, bypassing the menu

po/de.po

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 msgid ""
 msgstr ""
-"Project-Id-Version: middleclick-autoscroll 1.0.0\n"
+"Project-Id-Version: middleclick-autoscroll 1.0.1\n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: https://github.com/Felitendo/middleclick-autoscroll/issues\n"
 "POT-Creation-Date: 2026-08-16 00:00+0200\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: 2026-08-16 00:00+0200\n"

po/middleclick-autoscroll.pot

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 msgid ""
 msgstr ""
-"Project-Id-Version: middleclick-autoscroll 1.0.0\n"
+"Project-Id-Version: middleclick-autoscroll 1.0.1\n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: https://github.com/Felitendo/middleclick-autoscroll/issues\n"
 "POT-Creation-Date: 2026-08-16 00:00+0200\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"

src/lib/apply.sh

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 # of the behaviour, it is the behaviour.
 
 MCA_CHANGES=0
-MCA_TOUCHED=()
 MCA_ROUTES=()
 
 # mca_route <kind> <id> <program>
@@ -63,7 +62,6 @@ mca_apply() {
 	local i id file prog kind route steam_done=0
 
 	MCA_CHANGES=0
-	MCA_TOUCHED=()
 	MCA_ROUTES=()
 	MCA_N_ON=0; MCA_N_OFF=0; MCA_N_UNKNOWN=0
 
@@ -117,7 +115,6 @@ mca_apply() {
 	fi
 
 	mca_state_write last_apply "$(date +%s)"
-	mca_state_write covered "${#MCA_TOUCHED[@]}"
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -131,7 +128,6 @@ mca_revert() {
 		update-desktop-database "$MCA_APPDIR" 2>/dev/null || true
 	fi
 
-	mca_state_write covered 0
 	return 0
 }
 

src/lib/common.sh

@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ mca_head() { printf '\n%s%s%s\n\n' "$MCA_C_BOLD$MCA_C_BLUE" "$*" "$MCA_C_RESET";
 mca_ok()   { [[ -n $MCA_QUIET ]] || printf '%s✔%s %s\n' "$MCA_C_GREEN" "$MCA_C_RESET" "$*"; }
 mca_bad()  { MCA_UI_NEEDS_ACK=1; printf '%s✘%s %s\n' "$MCA_C_RED" "$MCA_C_RESET" "$*" >&2; }
 mca_note() { MCA_UI_NEEDS_ACK=1; [[ -n $MCA_QUIET ]] || printf '%s•%s %s\n' "$MCA_C_DIM" "$MCA_C_RESET" "$*"; }
-mca_debug() { [[ -n ${MCA_DEBUG:-} ]] && printf 'debug: %s\n' "$*" >&2; return 0; }
 
 mca_have() { command -v "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1; }
 
@@ -239,22 +238,6 @@ mca_ledger_forget() {
 	return 0
 }
 
-# mca_ledger_has <path>
-mca_ledger_has() {
-	[[ -f $MCA_LEDGER ]] || return 1
-	awk -F'\t' -v p="$1" '$2 == p { found = 1 } END { exit !found }' "$MCA_LEDGER"
-}
-
-# mca_ledger_detail <path>
-mca_ledger_detail() {
-	[[ -f $MCA_LEDGER ]] || return 1
-	awk -F'\t' -v p="$1" '$2 == p { print $3; exit }' "$MCA_LEDGER"
-}
-
-mca_ledger_count() {
-	[[ -f $MCA_LEDGER ]] || { printf '0\n'; return; }
-	grep -c . "$MCA_LEDGER" 2>/dev/null || printf '0\n'
-}
 
 # mca_backup <file>
 # Copies a file aside before it is edited in place, and prints the name the

src/lib/detect.sh

@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ _mca_desktop_read() {
 			Hidden=*)          DE_HIDDEN="${line#Hidden=}" ;;
 			Categories=*)      DE_CATEGORIES="${line#Categories=}" ;;
 			MimeType=*)        DE_MIME="${line#MimeType=}" ;;
+			# Only a generated shadow. An entry we edited in place carries
+			# X-MCA-Patched and is still the application's real entry, so it
+			# has to stay in the scan.
 			X-MCA-Generated=*) DE_OURS=1 ;;
 		esac
 	done < "$file"
@@ -399,8 +402,8 @@ MCA_PROGS=()      # resolved program, or a flatpak app id
 MCA_KINDS=()      # app | browser | flatpak | steam | unknown | no
 
 # A scan reads every desktop entry on the system, so the menu does it once and
-# then redraws from what it found. Anything that changes the answer - applying,
+# then redraws from what it found. Applying rescans on its own, so nothing else
-# reverting - invalidates it explicitly.
+# has to remember to invalidate this.
 MCA_SCANNED=0
 
 mca_scan_once() {
@@ -408,8 +411,6 @@ mca_scan_once() {
 	mca_scan
 }
 
-mca_scan_invalidate() { MCA_SCANNED=0; }
-
 mca_scan() {
 	local dir file id name exec_line prog kind i
 	local -A seen=()

src/lib/menu.sh

@@ -371,12 +371,32 @@ mca_ui_apps() {
 
 	locale="$(mca_ui_locale)"
 
-	local title hint legend
+	local title hint legend warn
 	mca_msg_into "$locale" "Applications"; title="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
 	mca_msg_into "$locale" "Up/Down select - Space turns one on or off - q goes back"
 	hint="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
 	mca_msg_into "$locale" "Anything not identified is left alone until it is turned on here."
 	legend="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "Autoscroll is off - this is what would be covered."
+	warn="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+
+	# The per-row labels are resolved once, here. Looking them up inside the
+	# drawing loop is a fork per row per keypress, and that is enough to make
+	# the arrow keys feel like the screen is reloading.
+	local l_off l_cannot l_on l_steam l_flagfile l_launcher
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "off";         l_off="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "cannot tell"; l_cannot="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "on";          l_on="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "Steam";       l_steam="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "flag file";   l_flagfile="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+	mca_msg_into "$locale" "launcher";    l_launcher="$MCA_MSG_RESULT"
+
+	local s_off="${MCA_C_DIM}${l_off}${MCA_C_RESET}"
+	local s_cannot="${MCA_C_DIM}${l_cannot}${MCA_C_RESET}"
+	local s_on="${MCA_C_GREEN}${l_on}${MCA_C_RESET}"
+	local s_steam="${s_on} ${MCA_C_DIM}(${l_steam})${MCA_C_RESET}"
+	local s_flags="${s_on} ${MCA_C_DIM}(${l_flagfile})${MCA_C_RESET}"
+	local s_desktop="${s_on} ${MCA_C_DIM}(${l_launcher})${MCA_C_RESET}"
 
 	local clearseq
 	clearseq="$(clear 2>/dev/null)" || clearseq=$'\033[H\033[2J'
@@ -409,11 +429,11 @@ mca_ui_apps() {
 		local marker selected="${MCA_C_BLUE}▸${MCA_C_RESET} " shown
 		for i in "${!labels[@]}"; do
 			case "${states[i]}" in
-				off)     shown="${MCA_C_DIM}$(mca_msg "off")${MCA_C_RESET}" ;;
+				off)     shown="$s_off" ;;
-				unknown) shown="${MCA_C_DIM}$(mca_msg "cannot tell")${MCA_C_RESET}" ;;
+				unknown) shown="$s_cannot" ;;
-				steam)   shown="${MCA_C_GREEN}$(mca_msg "on")${MCA_C_RESET} ${MCA_C_DIM}($(mca_msg "Steam"))${MCA_C_RESET}" ;;
+				steam)   shown="$s_steam" ;;
-				flags)   shown="${MCA_C_GREEN}$(mca_msg "on")${MCA_C_RESET} ${MCA_C_DIM}($(mca_msg "flag file"))${MCA_C_RESET}" ;;
+				flags)   shown="$s_flags" ;;
-				*)       shown="${MCA_C_GREEN}$(mca_msg "on")${MCA_C_RESET} ${MCA_C_DIM}($(mca_msg "launcher"))${MCA_C_RESET}" ;;
+				*)       shown="$s_desktop" ;;
 			esac
 			pad=$(( 34 - ${#labels[i]} ))
 			(( pad < 0 )) && pad=0
@@ -426,7 +446,7 @@ mca_ui_apps() {
 		# Without this the list reads as a list of what is switched on, which
 		# it is not while the whole thing is off.
 		if [[ $CFG_ENABLED != yes ]]; then
-			frame+="  ${MCA_C_YELLOW}$(mca_msg "Autoscroll is off - this is what would be covered.")${MCA_C_RESET}"$'\n'
+			frame+="  ${MCA_C_YELLOW}${warn}${MCA_C_RESET}"$'\n'
 		fi
 		frame+="  ${MCA_C_DIM}${legend}${MCA_C_RESET}"$'\n'
 		frame+="  ${MCA_C_DIM}${hint}${MCA_C_RESET}"$'\n'

src/lib/patch.sh

@@ -195,9 +195,6 @@ _mca_flags_write() {
 		mca_ledger_add flags "$file" block
 	fi
 
-	# Every application whose flag file was touched counts as covered, so the
-	# status line can say how many there are.
-	MCA_TOUCHED+=("$file")
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -255,12 +252,20 @@ mca_flags_revert() {
 # Desktop entries
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# _mca_desktop_transform <file> [flags] [position]
+# A generated entry and an entry that was edited in place look similar and must
+# never be confused: the first one is ours to delete, the second one is the
+# user's file with one line changed and has to be restored from its backup. They
+# carry different markers so that the scan, the "already done" checks and the
+# undo can all tell them apart.
+MCA_MARK_SHADOW='X-MCA-Generated'
+MCA_MARK_INPLACE='X-MCA-Patched'
+
+# _mca_desktop_transform <file> <marker> [flags] [position]
 # The whole file with every Exec line rewritten - the main one and the one in
 # each Desktop Action, because those are the right-click menu entries and a
 # user who starts Steam from "Library" expects the same behaviour there.
 _mca_desktop_transform() {
-	local file="$1" flags="${2:-}" where="${3:-before-fields}"
+	local file="$1" marker="$2" flags="${3:-}" where="${4:-before-fields}"
 	local line rest new marked=0
 
 	while IFS= read -r line || [[ -n $line ]]; do
@@ -283,7 +288,7 @@ _mca_desktop_transform() {
 		printf '%s\n' "$line"
 
 		if (( ! marked )) && [[ $line =~ ^[[:space:]]*\[Desktop\ Entry\][[:space:]]*$ ]]; then
-			printf 'X-MCA-Generated=%s\n' "$MCA_VERSION"
+			printf '%s=%s\n' "$marker" "$MCA_VERSION"
 			marked=1
 		fi
 	done < "$file"
@@ -300,9 +305,9 @@ mca_desktop_apply() {
 		# The user's own entry - an AppImage, a web app shortcut, something
 		# installed by hand. There is nowhere to shadow it from, so it is
 		# edited directly and the original is kept.
-		grep -q '^X-MCA-Generated=' "$src" 2>/dev/null && return 0
+		grep -q "^$MCA_MARK_INPLACE=" "$src" 2>/dev/null && return 0
 
-		content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$src" "$flags" "$where")"
+		content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$src" "$MCA_MARK_INPLACE" "$flags" "$where")"
 		[[ -n $content ]] || return 1
 		[[ "$content" == "$(< "$src")" ]] && return 0
 
@@ -311,18 +316,18 @@ mca_desktop_apply() {
 			MCA_CHANGES=$(( MCA_CHANGES + 1 ))
 		fi
 		mca_ledger_add inplace "$src" "$backup"
-		MCA_TOUCHED+=("$src")
 		return 0
 	fi
 
-	content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$src" "$flags" "$where")"
+	content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$src" "$MCA_MARK_SHADOW" "$flags" "$where")"
 	[[ -n $content ]] || return 1
 
 	mkdir -p "$MCA_APPDIR" 2>/dev/null || return 1
 
-	# Something is already shadowing this entry. If it is not ours it is the
+	# Something is already shadowing this entry. Unless it is a shadow of ours,
-	# user's own override and is left exactly as it is.
+	# it is the user's own file - possibly one we edited in place earlier - and
-	if [[ -e $target ]] && ! grep -q '^X-MCA-Generated=' "$target" 2>/dev/null; then
+	# overwriting it here would lose it.
+	if [[ -e $target ]] && ! grep -q "^$MCA_MARK_SHADOW=" "$target" 2>/dev/null; then
 		return 1
 	fi
 
@@ -330,7 +335,6 @@ mca_desktop_apply() {
 		MCA_CHANGES=$(( MCA_CHANGES + 1 ))
 	fi
 	mca_ledger_add shadow "$target" "$src"
-	MCA_TOUCHED+=("$target")
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -349,7 +353,7 @@ mca_autostart_apply() {
 
 	for file in "$dir"/*.desktop; do
 		[[ -f $file ]] || continue
-		grep -q '^X-MCA-Generated=' "$file" 2>/dev/null && continue
+		grep -q "^$MCA_MARK_INPLACE=" "$file" 2>/dev/null && continue
 
 		exec_line="$(mca_desktop_get "$file" Exec)"
 		[[ -n $exec_line ]] || continue
@@ -358,7 +362,7 @@ mca_autostart_apply() {
 		prog="$MCA_PROG"
 		mca_is_chromium "$prog" || continue
 
-		content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$file")"
+		content="$(_mca_desktop_transform "$file" "$MCA_MARK_INPLACE")"
 		[[ -n $content ]] || continue
 		[[ "$content" == "$(< "$file")" ]] && continue
 
@@ -367,7 +371,6 @@ mca_autostart_apply() {
 			MCA_CHANGES=$(( MCA_CHANGES + 1 ))
 		fi
 		mca_ledger_add inplace "$file" "$backup"
-		MCA_TOUCHED+=("$file")
 	done
 }
 
@@ -412,7 +415,6 @@ mca_spotify_apply() {
 		MCA_CHANGES=$(( MCA_CHANGES + 1 ))
 	fi
 	mca_ledger_add inplace "$file" "${backup:-}"
-	MCA_TOUCHED+=("$file")
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -431,7 +433,7 @@ mca_revert_all() {
 		case "$kind" in
 			shadow)
 				# Only remove what is still recognisably ours.
-				if [[ -f $path ]] && grep -q '^X-MCA-Generated=' "$path" 2>/dev/null; then
+				if [[ -f $path ]] && grep -q "^$MCA_MARK_SHADOW=" "$path" 2>/dev/null; then
 					rm -f -- "$path"
 					MCA_CHANGES=$(( MCA_CHANGES + 1 ))
 				fi

src/lib/steam.sh

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 # The file comes back on every client update, and the watcher re-applies the
 # patch when that happens.
 
-MCA_STEAM_EXEC='exec ./steamwebhelper "$@"'
 MCA_STEAM_LAUNCH_FLAG='-noverifyfiles'
 
 # Every place a Steam installation is known to live, resolved and de-duplicated
@@ -106,7 +105,7 @@ mca_steam_apply() {
 		script="$(mca_steam_script "$root")" || continue
 		found=1
 
-		mca_steam_script_patched "$script" && { MCA_TOUCHED+=("$script"); continue; }
+		mca_steam_script_patched "$script" && continue
 
 		lineno="$(_mca_steam_exec_line "$script")"
 		if [[ -z $lineno ]]; then
@@ -125,7 +124,6 @@ mca_steam_apply() {
 		fi
 		chmod +x -- "$script" 2>/dev/null || true
 		mca_ledger_add steam "$script" "$backup"
-		MCA_TOUCHED+=("$script")
 	done < <(mca_steam_roots)
 
 	(( found ))