@Roger: Thanks for the solution. On Ubuntu Precise, GMM 1.0.23.1334-r0 seems to use /usr/local/share/applications instead of /usr/share/applications for the desktop file (there’s also a copy in /opt/google/musicmanager/, but it’s apparently just used for installing the effective file into /usr/local/).

@Nuno: I’m not sure I see the point of encrypting the application-specific password, and then be prompted to enter the key for decrypting the password. Isn’t it more straightforward to just specify the application-specific password when GMM prompts you to? Actually, with the caveat that specifying the password on the commandline means exposing it to trusted users, isn’t having GMM prompt for it a *better* solution securitywise? I guess you do get the benefit of getting to specify your own password which can be as easily memorizable as you dare use though (the application-specific passwords are difficult). Instead of OpenSSL I’d probably use GNOME Keyring, as it gets unlocked during login without an extra prompt for another password. Then pick the key for GMM using gkeyring.