Xdg-open

xdg-open is a utility for configuring the default applications of a user. Many applications invoke the Template:Codeline command internally.

You can bind mimetypes to .desktop files in Template:Filename with the xdg-mime command:

# This will make Thunar the default file-browser, i.e. the default application for opening folders.
xdg-mime default Thunar.desktop inode/directory

The best way to look up the MIME type is to read the Template:Codeline list in your application's Template:Filename file. You can put custom Template:Filename files into Template:Filename.

The config file

Template:Codeline saves the configuration for Template:Codeline in Template:Filename. Its format is as follows:

[Default Applications]
mimetype=desktopfile1;desktopfile2...

For example,

[Default Applications]
text/html=firefox.desktop
inode/directory=kde4-dolphin.desktop;Thunar.desktop;nautilus.desktop

It seems that it is perfectly save to edit that file.

Environment Variables

export BROWSER=chromium # this will make xdg-open use chromium for any kind of URLs

export DE="xfce" # This will make xdg-open use the more user-friendly exo-open, because it assumes it is inside Xfce. Use exo-preferred-applications for configuring.

See also

 - Default Applications