[SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

mersh · 2022-01-24 07:50:14

I've been trying to configure xdg-utils for the past few weeks and this has been driving me insane. If I attempt to open a "mailto" or "gemini" link anywhere, it will open the link in my default web browser such as Brave or Firefox, rather than opening it in the default application associated with the mimetype.

# .config/mimeapps.list

[Default Applications]

application/postscript=pdf.desktop;
application/pdf=pdf.desktop;
image/png=img.desktop;
image/jpeg=img.desktop;
image/gif=img.desktop;
inode/directory=file.desktop
text/gemini=gemini.desktop;
text/plain=text.desktop;
text/x-shellscript=text.desktop;
video/x-matroska=video.desktop
x-scheme-handler/gemini=gemini.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/gopher=gemini.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/http=web.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/https=web.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/irc=chat.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/ircs=chat.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/mailto=mail.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/terminal=terminal.desktop;
x-scheme-handler/xmpp=chat.desktop;

# .local/share/applications/gemini.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Amfora
GenericName=Gemini Client
Exec=/usr/bin/amfora %u
Terminal=true
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/gemini;text/gemini

# .local/share/applications/mail.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Neomutt
GenericName=Mail Client
Exec=/usr/bin/neomutt %u
Terminal=true
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/mailto

I am using st as my terminal (and dwm as the window manager, if that matters), and I have symlinked /usr/local/bin/st to /usr/local/bin/xterm for (what I've understood) xdg-utils compatibility.

Last edited by mersh (2022-02-01 01:56:08)

ishaanbhimwal · 2022-01-25 19:53:02

https://man.archlinux.org/man/xdg-settings.1

Lone_Wolf · 2022-01-26 11:03:09

/usr/local/bin/st to /usr/local/bin/xterm

There are no archlinux packages that install stuff in /usr/local , you probably didn't use https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/st/ ?

please post output of

xdg-settings get default-url-scheme-handler mailto

mersh · 2022-01-27 04:49:02

Lone_Wolf wrote:

/usr/local/bin/st to /usr/local/bin/xterm
There are no archlinux packages that install stuff in /usr/local , you probably didn't use https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/st/ ?
please post output of
xdg-settings get default-url-scheme-handler mailto

I don't use the st package, I compile my own st.

$ echo $BROWSER $TERMINAL
librewolf st

$ xdg-settings get default-url-scheme-handler mailto
mail.desktop

$ xdg-settings get default-web-browser
web.desktop

# .local/share/applications/web.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=LibreWolf
GenericName=Web Browser
Exec=/usr/bin/librewolf %u
Terminal=false
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https

Lone_Wolf · 2022-01-27 09:20:33

xdg-settings output looks fine.

I don't use the st package, I compile my own st.

A big part of the reason we have PKGBUILDs is to ensure programs that need adjustments to work correctly on archlinux are done.
The aur st package adds a patch and sets some compilation options .

Please post the PKGBUILD you use for your local compilation.
In case you don't use a PKGBUILD point us to the compiling instructions you followed.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2022-01-27 09:21:39)

mersh · 2022-01-28 07:29:45

Lone_Wolf wrote:

xdg-settings output looks fine.
I don't use the st package, I compile my own st.
A big part of the reason we have PKGBUILDs is to ensure programs that need adjustments to work correctly on archlinux are done.
The aur st package adds a patch and sets some compilation options .
Please post the PKGBUILD you use for your local compilation.
In case you don't use a PKGBUILD point us to the compiling instructions you followed.

What patches does the AUR package add?

This is the Git repository for my st build.
https://git.mersh.com/garretthoward/st

I have never used a PKGBUILD to install it. Am I supposed to?

Lone_Wolf · 2022-01-28 13:14:08

It appies a terminfo patch, https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/ … patch?h=st

https://git.mersh.com/garretthoward/st looks like a fork without tags or releases that lags behind the original.
example : https://st.suckless.org/ shows 0.8.5 was released on jan 7, garrethoward version is 0.8.4 .

For systemwide installs it is recommended to use a PKGBUILD.
makepkg uses the PKGBUILD to create binary packages which can then be installed with pacman.

pacman knows what is in the package, allows for easy removal , keeps track of dependencies and is able to keep your installation consistent & maintained.

By building manually and installing to /usr/local you circumvent the package manager and block pacman from maintaining whatever is installed there.
This makes maintenance of your system nuch harder.

I have 18 personal packages on my system including development versions of llvm & mesa and a trimmed down version of libblockdev .

Using makepkg & pacman allows me to keep my system in good health and rocksolid despite changing big parts of it .

Incase I need help with issues I can post the PKGBUILD (or point to its aur/web page) and show exactly what is different on my system.
This helps tremendously with troubleshooting.

seth · 2022-01-28 22:04:11

If I attempt to open a "mailto" or "gemini" link anywhere

Define "anywhere" - there's no guarantee that "somewhere" (some browser?) actually cares much about xdg. Esp. if "somewhere" is "librewolf" - since it's not in the repos, how did you install it and is it a flatpak?

mersh · 2022-01-30 08:56:31

seth wrote:

If I attempt to open a "mailto" or "gemini" link anywhere
Define "anywhere" - there's no guarantee that "somewhere" (some browser?) actually cares much about xdg. Esp. if "somewhere" is "librewolf" - since it's not in the repos, how did you install it and is it a flatpak?

I've attempted to open those links from Firefox, Chromium, Librewolf (librewolf-bin from AUR), Brave (brave-bin from AUR), xdg-open (not in a terminal), and handlr (not in a terminal). They haven't worked.

Firefox and it's derivatives, although, do open a popup asking for which program to handle the file/URL with, allowing me to open "gemini" and "mailto" links through Librewolf. This doesn't fix the issue, because when I type xdg-open (not in a terminal), it opens the URL in Librewolf, which then asks what program to open the URL in.

Using the st package from the AUR didn't solve anything, at least for me.

seth · 2022-01-30 10:09:20

Try to run "update-desktop-database" to update the cache, though iirc. at least the big DEs do that w/ every login anyway.

mersh · 2022-01-30 10:12:42

seth wrote:

Try to run "update-desktop-database" to update the cache, though iirc. at least the big DEs do that w/ every login anyway.

After running that command, xdg-open (not in terminal) still runs Librewolf rather than opening a url in my terminal.

Last edited by mersh (2022-01-30 10:13:46)

seth · 2022-01-30 14:40:10

As you keep pointing that out "xdg-open (not in terminal)": is there a difference and where exactly is "not in a terminal"?

mersh · 2022-01-30 22:10:31

seth wrote:

As you keep pointing that out "xdg-open (not in terminal)": is there a difference and where exactly is "not in a terminal"?

I mean menu software such as bemenu, dmenu, and rofi. Sorry for the confusion.

When I open the URLs in a terminal, it opens the terminal software just as I want, but through the menu software listed above, it opens the URL in the browser.

seth · 2022-01-30 22:13:49

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Neomutterm
GenericName=Mail Client
Exec=/usr/bin/xterm -e /usr/bin/neomutt %u
Terminal=false
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/mailto

mersh · 2022-02-01 01:55:32

seth wrote:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Neomutterm
GenericName=Mail Client
Exec=/usr/bin/xterm -e /usr/bin/neomutt %u
Terminal=false
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/mailto

This finally got things working! Thanks for all of your help! I'll mark this as solved.

Last edited by mersh (2022-02-01 01:56:18)

seth · 2022-02-01 07:30:47

The reason is (apparently) that dmenu etc. resp. the backing script(s) can't make use of desktop services that require it to start a terminal process to run them.
You might want to research on that for a more general solution.

Arch Linux

#1 2022-01-24 07:50:14

[SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#2 2022-01-25 19:53:02

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#3 2022-01-26 11:03:09

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#4 2022-01-27 04:49:02

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#5 2022-01-27 09:20:33

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#6 2022-01-28 07:29:45

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#7 2022-01-28 13:14:08

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#8 2022-01-28 22:04:11

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#9 2022-01-30 08:56:31

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#10 2022-01-30 10:09:20

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#11 2022-01-30 10:12:42

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#12 2022-01-30 14:40:10

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#13 2022-01-30 22:10:31

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#14 2022-01-30 22:13:49

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#15 2022-02-01 01:55:32

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

#16 2022-02-01 07:30:47

Re: [SOLVED] xdg-open launches default-web-browser no matter what protocol

Board footer