diff --git a/engine/findprograms.py b/engine/findprograms.py
index 027e4df..a5dc300 100644
--- a/engine/findprograms.py
+++ b/engine/findprograms.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import subprocess
 import os
 import stat
 
+from engine.start import PATHS
 
 class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
     """Find all binaries. Use all available resources: xdg desktop files, binary string seach in
@@ -52,6 +53,9 @@ class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
+
+        #self.grepexcluded = (pathlib.Path(PATHS["share"], "grepexcluded.txt")) #from a system without audio software installed:  find /usr/bin  -printf "%f\n" | sort > grepexcluded.txt 
+        #assert self.grepexcluded.exists()
         self.blacklist = ("nsmd", "non-daw", "carla") #only programs that have to do with audio and music. There is another general blacklist that speeds up discovery
         self.morePrograms = ("thisdoesnotexisttest", "carla-rack", "carla-patchbay", "carla-jack-multi", "ardour5", "ardour6", "nsm-data", "nsm-jack") #only programs not found by buildCache_grepExecutablePaths because they are just shellscripts and do not contain /nsm/server/announce.
         self.userWhitelist = () #added dynamically to morePrograms
@@ -67,7 +71,7 @@ class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
         self.unfilteredExecutables = None #in build()
         #self.build() #fills self.programs and
 
-    def buildCache_grepExecutablePaths(self):
+    def buildCache_grepExecutablePaths(self): #TODO: this is a time consuming process. But is has a chance of finding programs that would have been missed otherwise.
         """return a list of executable names in the path
         Grep explained:
         -s silent. No errors, eventhough subprocess uses stdout only
@@ -81,7 +85,9 @@ class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
         result = []
         executablePaths = [pathlib.Path(p) for p in os.environ["PATH"].split(os.pathsep)]
         for path in executablePaths:
-            command = f"grep -iRsnl {path} -e /nsm/server/announce"
+            #command = f"grep --exclude-from {self.grepexcluded}  -iRsnl {path} -e /nsm/server/announce"           
+            command = f"grep -iRsnl {path} -e /nsm/server/announce"           
+                        
             #Py>=3.7 completedProcess = subprocess.run(command, capture_output=True, text=True, shell=True)
             completedProcess = subprocess.run(command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True, shell=True) #universal_newlines is an alias for text, which was deprecated in 3.7 because text is more understandable.  capture_output replaces the two PIPEs in 3.7
             for fullPath in completedProcess.stdout.split():
@@ -94,7 +100,7 @@ class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
                 if pathlib.Path(path, prg).is_file():
                     result.append((str(prg), str(pathlib.Path(path, prg))))
                     break #inner loop
-
+        
         return result
 
     def buildCache_DesktopEntries(self):
@@ -115,13 +121,16 @@ class SupportedProgramsDatabase(object):
                         config.read(f)
                     except: #any bad config means skip
                         continue #next file
-                    entryDict = dict(config._sections["Desktop Entry"])
-                    if f.name == "zynaddsubfx-jack.desktop":
-                        self.knownDesktopFiles["zynaddsubfx"] = entryDict
-                    elif f.name == "carla.desktop":
-                        self.knownDesktopFiles["carla-jack-multi"] = entryDict
-                    #in any case:
-                    allDesktopEntries.append(entryDict)  #_sections   'DesktopEntry':{dictOfActualData)
+                    try:
+                        entryDict = dict(config._sections["Desktop Entry"])
+                        if f.name == "zynaddsubfx-jack.desktop":
+                            self.knownDesktopFiles["zynaddsubfx"] = entryDict
+                        elif f.name == "carla.desktop":
+                            self.knownDesktopFiles["carla-jack-multi"] = entryDict
+                        #in any case:
+                        allDesktopEntries.append(entryDict)  #_sections   'DesktopEntry':{dictOfActualData)
+                    except:
+                        logger.warning(f"Bad desktop file. Skipping: {f}")
         return allDesktopEntries
 
     def loadPrograms(self, listOfDicts):