Arch Linux

alaskanarcher

Member

Registered: 2016-04-30

Posts: 50

Firefox and Chrome fail to launch external applications e.g zoom slack

As of a recent update Firefox and Chrome are failing to launch external applications. I'm not sure how to troubleshoot this issue.

For example, when I try to open a Zoom meeting link, the Zoom application used to launch automatically into the meeting. Now that does not occur. No application or prompt for what application should be used ever shows up. Whether Zoom is already running has no effect. This is now the case in both Firefox and google-chrome from the AUR.

I'm using i3 and no DE.

Any thoughts on how to start debugging this?

Thank you

kidpixo

Member

Registered: 2016-12-02

Posts: 3

Re: Firefox and Chrome fail to launch external applications e.g zoom slack

I have the same problem and I am using also only i3.
The gist of it should be to :

1. set a custom url scheme handler with xdg-settings or manually in your ~/.config/mimeapps.list :

xdg-settings get default-url-scheme-handler zoommtg
# ensure it is set to zoom.desktop (verify in {/usr/share/applications,/usr/local/share/applications,~/.local/share/applications})
xdg-settings set default-url-scheme-handler zoommtg zoom.desktop

and add

MimeType=x-scheme-handler/zoommtg;

to the Zoom desktop file that you manually created in ~/.local/share/applications on in system wide locations /usr/share/applications or /usr/local/share/applications (see
(Desktop entries - ArchWiki) )

2. change the scheme handler in your browser (this depends on your browser).

I'm testing all those solutions, I'll keep posting if i found THE solution.

some readings :

• Zoom Desktop Client isn't launching from browser xdg-open : kde

• XDG MIME Applications - ArchWiki

• Default applications - ArchWiki

• xdg-settings(1) — Arch manual pages

Last edited by kidpixo (2021-02-08 14:16:47)

kidpixo

Member

Registered: 2016-12-02

Posts: 3

Re: Firefox and Chrome fail to launch external applications e.g zoom slack

I can confirm the solution above is working for me, but the Zoom don't pick the link sent by Firefox.

But I'm using Zoom as Appimage, maybe that is the problem.

FabianoLothor

Member

Registered: 2022-12-17

Posts: 1

Re: Firefox and Chrome fail to launch external applications e.g zoom slack

Hey there,

I was with the same `xdg-settings` issue, thank you for the help.

I created an account just to help you with the other problem: the meeting link not opening properly.

So, the reason is because your app isn't receiving the URL as a parameter, you can add it to your Exec command.

e.g.

Exec=/opt/Apps/zoom.AppImage %u

To know more about it:

• Desktop Entry Specification - The Exec key

Last edited by FabianoLothor (2022-12-17 22:04:38)

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,645

Re: Firefox and Chrome fail to launch external applications e.g zoom slack

Closing this old thread.

FabianLothor, please note the date on this thread -- kidxpro has not been here since April 2022, and the OP has not been here since 2020.