Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

eyes · 2021-10-28 14:50:02

I just started using arch, and loving the amount of control it offers over what's installed on my computer. When I open htop, I know exactly what every process is. There is one exception though: graphical file explorers. So far I've installed i3-gaps and the necessary x packages, firefox, discord, flameshot, and alacritty. Already flameshot and firefox/discord seem to have two separate graphical file explorers whenever I'm prompted to save files.

I'd like to remove these graphical file explorers altogether ideally, and replace them with a terminal prompt. If this is not possible, I'd like to at least make sure that I only have one graphical file explorer installed on my computer at any time, and use it for everything. Have any of you ever succeeded in either of these tasks, and if so, how? What packages/browser extensions did you use?

Stefan Husmann · 2021-10-28 14:55:33

I think there is a misunderstanding. These "graphical file explorers" aren't seperate programs, but built in into the given application. No way to change that.

eyes · 2021-10-28 15:21:06

Stefan Husmann wrote:

built in into the given application.

So is the only exception programs which execute through XDG? I know how to set the default file explorer in that case. If that's the best I can do besides editing source for programs with file managers, then I guess this thread is closed.

Lone_Wolf · 2021-10-28 16:43:28

Some programs allow to choose which graphical file explorer to use.

firefox uses GTK file chooser by default, but can be configured to use the KDE one [1]
Libreoffice has 3 options, see [2]

[1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Firefo … ntegration
[2] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/LibreOffice#Theme

Slithery · 2021-10-28 18:23:36

eyes wrote:

So is the only exception programs which execute through XDG? I know how to set the default file explorer in that case. If that's the best I can do besides editing source for programs with file managers, then I guess this thread is closed.

XDG applications aren't an exception, you're still slightly confused about the process.

An application that wants to do a file operation (load/save/etc) it will use the file-chooser for whichever respective toolkit it was built with. GTK applications use the gtk-filechooser whereas QT applications will use the qt-filechooser. If an application instead wants to display a file in the users preferred 'file manager' then it will look at the XDG preferred application and open that.

This is one of the main reasons that users try to pick a single toolkit and choose all of their applications accordingly - you will end up with a much more coherant look across all of your apps.

eyes · 2021-10-29 19:49:22

XDG applications aren't an exception, you're still slightly confused about the process.
An application that wants to do a file operation (load/save/etc) it will use the file-chooser for whichever respective toolkit it was built with. GTK applications use the gtk-filechooser whereas QT applications will use the qt-filechooser. If an application instead wants to display a file in the users preferred 'file manager' then it will look at the XDG preferred application and open that.
This is one of the main reasons that users try to pick a single toolkit and choose all of their applications accordingly - you will end up with a much more coherant look across all of your apps.

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the explanation.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-10-28 14:50:02

Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

#2 2021-10-28 14:55:33

Re: Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

#3 2021-10-28 15:21:06

Re: Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

#4 2021-10-28 16:43:28

Re: Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

#5 2021-10-28 18:23:36

Re: Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

#6 2021-10-29 19:49:22

Re: Is there a way to standardize all graphical file explorers?

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