@guru thank you for the info. now i have some idea of what it would take to get it done if it comes to that. I'll probably just show the user how to do it manually. I just thought i'd make it a simple tap, if possible.

@doniks by your reply it sounds like it's not possible to just point to a bash script from a launcher/desktop file and it open up with a terminal and run the script like it will with normal ubuntu(well, i tested that in mate desktop. maybe that doesn't even work with unity 7? i don't have that available. ). that's all i was trying to do. sounds like there are some layers i'm not familiar with in ubuntu touch's case. thanks for the links. i'll check out scripter as a possible temporary(?) workaround.

also, i notice that clicking on the script from the file browser doesn't work either as the file browser complains that there is no application associated with ".sh" files (or however it was worded) and it didn't give me the option to select the application i want it to use that time or as the deafault. that would have sufficed as a temporary launcher/workaround. Is there a manual way to choose the default app for bash scripts?
thanks

@doniks
by references i just meant random internet commenteers, though i did try to find some official docs that showed what was required for functioning launchers in UT, but i didn't find any. By then my eyes were pretty burned out so i didn't scour the interglobe or anything. Is this documented somewhere?

this is one example of some of the only info i found.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/625652/ubuntu-touch-how-to-create-a-launcher-to-start-a-shell-script

@doniks

#!/bin/bash

echo ""
echo "My Script is an example script for troubleshooting launchers in ubuntu touch."
echo ""
while [ 1 ]
do
echo "Press enter to exit"
stty -echo
read data
stty echo

if [ "$data" = "" ]
then
    echo "--------------------------"
    echo "Via con Dios..."
    echo "--------------------------"
exit 0
fi

done

hi,
I'm trying to get a custom launcher for a shell script working. The launcher shows up in app menu/main scope(?) but it doesn't seem to do anything when clicked. The desired outcome is that it opens the default terminal and runs my bash script in said terminal. The script works when run manually from the terminal. One of my more recent attempts is listed below and is located at /home/phablet/.local/share/applications/my_script.desktop on the nexus 5 being used.

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=true
Exec=/home/phablet/Downloads/my_script.sh
Icon=/home/phablet/.local/share/icons/doesnt_exist.png
Name=My Script
X-Ubuntu-Touch=true
X-Ubuntu-Default-Department-ID=accessories

i've also tried "aa-exec -- command" and "aa-exec-click -- command" with no discernable difference. The references online that i have found are a little old so i'm hoping someone knows what has changed with UT or what i'm doing wrong. Any help is appreciated. Please let me know if i didn't include any needed info.
Thanks