diff --git a/icons/krowlog.svg b/icons/krowlog.svg
index 64d2c34..c10be71 100644
--- a/icons/krowlog.svg
+++ b/icons/krowlog.svg
@@ -29,18 +29,6 @@
 	z"/>
 	<rect x="8" y="8" width="112" height="112"
 		  style="fill:none; stroke:url(#bg1); stroke-width:14" rx="10"/>
-
 	<circle cx="65" cy="40" r="6" fill="url(#rg1)"/>
 	<circle cx="65" cy="40" r="3" fill="white"/>
-</svg>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/krowlog.py b/krowlog.py
index 137cfe4..339bc84 100644
--- a/krowlog.py
+++ b/krowlog.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication
 from PySide6.QtCore import QTimer
 import sys
 import constants
+from src import install
 from src.pluginregistry import PluginRegistry
 import gettext
 from src.ui.icon import Icon
@@ -37,8 +38,12 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     if sys.platform == 'win32' or sys.platform == 'cygwin':
         myappid = 'krowlog'  # arbitrary string
         import ctypes
+
         ctypes.windll.shell32.SetCurrentProcessExplicitAppUserModelID(myappid)
 
+    # install stuff, e.g. a desktop file
+    install.install()
+
     # workaround to make signals work in QT apps.
     # They do not work out of the box, because the main thread
     # is running in C++ code once app.exec() is executed
diff --git a/src/install.py b/src/install.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d92c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/install.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import sys
+import textwrap
+from os import PathLike
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def install():
+    if sys.platform == 'win32' or sys.platform == 'cygwin':
+        # nothing to do
+        pass
+    else:
+        if _is_executable():
+            _linux_install_desktop_file()
+            _linux_install_icon()
+
+
+def _is_executable() -> bool:
+    """
+    Checks if we run from an executable (as opposed to from source by calling 'python krowlog.py')
+    :return: True if this process is run from a distribution binary
+    """
+    return Path(sys.executable).name == 'krowlog'
+
+
+def _linux_install_desktop_file():
+    apps_dir = Path.home().joinpath(".local").joinpath("share").joinpath("applications")
+    if apps_dir.exists() and apps_dir.is_dir():
+        krowlog_desktop_file = apps_dir.joinpath("krowlog.desktop")
+        if not krowlog_desktop_file.exists():
+            desktop_file_data = textwrap.dedent("""
+            [Desktop Entry]
+            Type=Application
+            Terminal=false
+            Name=KrowLog
+            Comment=A viewer for files of arbitrary size.
+            Categories=Development;Utility;TextTools;IDE;
+            MimeType=text/plain;text/x-log
+            Icon=krowlog
+            Exec={binary}
+            """.format(binary=Path(sys.executable).resolve()))
+            krowlog_desktop_file.write_text(desktop_file_data, "utf8")
+
+
+def _linux_install_icon():
+    local_share = Path.home().joinpath(".local").joinpath("share")
+    if local_share.is_dir():
+        icon_dir = local_share / "icons" / "hicolor" / "scalable" / "apps"
+        icon_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        _linux_install_icon_to_path(icon_dir / "krowlog.svg")
+
+
+def _linux_install_icon_to_path(path: Path):
+    svg = textwrap.dedent("""<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
+<svg width="64" height="64" viewBox="0 0 128 128" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+	<defs>
+		<linearGradient id="bg1" x1="0%" y1="100%" x2="100%" y2="0%">
+			<stop offset="0%" style="stop-color:#9f8700"/>
+			<stop offset="100%" style="stop-color:#ffdb00"/>
+		</linearGradient>
+		<linearGradient id="fg1" x1="0%" y1="100%" x2="100%" y2="0%">
+			<stop offset="0%" style="stop-color:#8caec7"/>
+			<stop offset="100%" style="stop-color:#6289a3"/>
+		</linearGradient>
+		<radialGradient id="rg1">
+			<stop offset="0%" stop-color="white"/>
+			<stop offset="100%" stop-color="black"/>
+		</radialGradient>
+	</defs>
+	<rect x="8" y="8" width="112" height="112" style="fill:url(#fg1)" rx="10"/>
+	<path style="fill:black"
+		  d="M76,113
+	L15,113
+	L15,70
+	C15,70 25,55 45,36
+	C53,29 60,26 78,32
+	C85,34 90,32 90,32
+	C95,30 108,35 110,40
+	L110,40
+	C83,48 80,60 76,71
+	C74,80 76,113 76,113
+	z"/>
+	<rect x="8" y="8" width="112" height="112"
+		  style="fill:none; stroke:url(#bg1); stroke-width:14" rx="10"/>
+
+	<circle cx="65" cy="40" r="6" fill="url(#rg1)"/>
+	<circle cx="65" cy="40" r="3" fill="white"/>
+</svg>""")
+    path.write_text(svg, "utf8")
+    pass