A Linux desktop tool

ics2gcal

odrakirmusic/ics2gcal

Linux Python

Double-click an invite on Linux, and Google Calendar opens with the event already filled in. You press Save; that's the whole ceremony.

in bloom works today · install from source

Plant it See the source

Why it grew

Seven steps, or two

Opening an invite in Google Calendar on Linux used to be a walk all the way round the hedge. Now there's a gate.

Without it

Open Google Calendar's settings
Find Import & export
Upload the .ics file
Pick a calendar
Press Import
Dismiss the popup
Go back and look for the event

With ics2gcal

Double-click the .ics file
Press Save

It reads the invite and opens a Google Calendar new event link with the title, time, place, description and recurrence already filled in.

Under the leaves

Made for real invites

A single Python script, standard library only, that has met the files people actually get sent.

Outlook and Exchange invites, Windows time-zone names included, like W. Europe Standard Time
IANA time zones, UTC and floating times
All-day and multi-day events
DURATION where there is no DTEND
Recurring events, from their RRULE
Several events in one file: one tab each
A desktop notification when the file is a cancellation, or can't be read

Good manners

It never speaks for you

No invites sent

Attendees are left out on purpose, so pressing Save can never email anyone on your behalf.

Under Google's limit

Descriptions are trimmed to 2,000 characters, so the event always fits in a link.

Your account, your choice

Signed in to several Google accounts? Set ICS2GCAL_ACCOUNT to an address, or to an index like 1.

Plant it

Three lines in a terminal

It installs for your user only, and needs nothing but Python.

Take a cutting

$ git clone https://github.com/odrakirmusic/ics2gcal.git

$ cd ics2gcal

Plant it
```
$ ./install.sh
```
It copies the script to ~/.local/bin/ics2gcal, adds a desktop entry, and makes it the default app for text/calendar files.
Use it

Double-click any .ics file. Or, from a terminal:
```
$ ics2gcal invite.ics
```
To print the link instead of opening it:
```
$ ics2gcal --print invite.ics
```

To dig it up again:

$ rm ~/.local/bin/ics2gcal ~/.local/share/applications/ics2gcal.desktop

The back of the packet

The small print

Licence: MIT
Tags: Linux Python
Works with: Linux desktops
Needs: Python 3.9 or newer, standard library only; a browser signed in to Google
Status: in bloom works today · install from source
Source: odrakirmusic/ics2gcal
Last tended: 1 October 2026

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