Firefox doesn't use dolphin to open download directory

Bug #1294689 reported by Uqbar
42
This bug affects 9 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
firefox (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Under KDE, if from the download screen I ask to open the folder, I get a strange application, called files, to be spawned to browse the directory, instead of the more natural Dolphin. I am using Kubuntu.

How to reproduce:
1. Start Firefox under KDE
2. Download any file from the Internet
3. Open the Download page
4. Within the downloaded file entry, click on the small "folder" icon on the right and wait a little bit

Expected result:
Dolphin file system browser to be started

Actual result:
A programm called "files" from GNOME environment is started. Most of the icons in the program are missing as I am running KDE from Kubuntu.
This happens 100% of the times.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: firefox 28.0+build2-0ubuntu0.13.10.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-18.32-generic 3.11.10.4
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-18-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: enzo 2229 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: enzo 2229 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20140317233501
Channel: Unavailable
Date: Wed Mar 19 15:33:07 2014
Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-03-16 (3 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.254.254 dev eth0 proto static
 192.168.122.0/24 dev virbr0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.122.1
 192.168.254.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.254.42 metric 1
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.

 virbr0 no wireless extensions.
Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
MarkForUpload: True
Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
PrefSources: prefs.js
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=28.0/20140317233501 (In use)
RfKill:

RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/06/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0803
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P6X58D-E
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0803:bd08/06/2012:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP6X58D-E:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

Revision history for this message
Uqbar (uqbar) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Uqbar (uqbar) wrote :

I have found this:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/219119/how-can-i-get-firefox-to-use-dolphin-instead-of-nautilus-by-defalut
Which fixes the problem.
As I have never installed GNOME (but maybe some components have been pulled in by some GTK+ package), this is still a bug.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in firefox (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Wilfried Essig (wilfried-essig) wrote :

Kubuntu 14.04, all updates till today (2014-12-22):
Had same problem, but with audacious comming up, instead of dolphin. Deinstalled Audacious. Then Gwenview came up instead.

After some searching i found, that firefox is using /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache from desktop-file-utils. This was line for inode/directory :

"inode/directory=audacious.desktop;kde4-gwenview.desktop;kde4-dolphin.desktop;kde4-kfmclient_dir.desktop;"

Same Problem for pdf, getting gimp instead of okular:
"application/pdf=gimp.desktop;kde4-okularApplication_pdf.desktop;"

Editing by hand, showed, that ff used always the first entry of this for directory. Same Problem with line "application/pdf=kde4-okularApplication_pdf.desktop;gimp.desktop;"

Everey update triggering /var/lib/dpkg/info/desktop-file-utils.postinst created /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache from completely scratch. No changes by hand survived. Applications got sorted alphbetically in each line again.

Ugly (but system wide) solution for me now : I added some lines in /var/lib/dpkg/info/desktop-file-utils.postinst, after "update-desktop-database -q" :
---
set -x
grep -v "application/pdf=\|inode/directory\|MIME Cache" /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache >/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.xx
cat /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.willi.kopf >/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache
cat /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.willi >>/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.xx
sort /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.xx >> /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache
rm /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.xx
set +x
---

I can repair that for my family and the school i'm supporting, but I consider that very annoying especially for unexperienced users. Please get that repaired.

Yours Wilfried Essig

Revision history for this message
Wilfried Essig (wilfried-essig) wrote :
Download full text (3.4 KiB)

Forgot to say : found that behaviour of ff after using kubuntu 14.04 with homedir from kubuntu 12.04.

My apt-sources (please ask for other needed information) :

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates main restricted

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe
deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates universe
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates universe

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty multiverse
deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates multiverse

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security multiverse

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu trusty partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu trusty partner

deb http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main
deb-src http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main
deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-proposed main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty main restricted

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates main restricted

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty universe
deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates universe
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates universe

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty multiverse
deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates multiverse

deb http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security multivers...

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Revision history for this message
Vincenzo Costa (cvincenzo16) wrote :

I have been using kubuntu in laptops since 13.04 version.
Now I use kubuntu 14.04.1 in my Dell Latitude 5530 and a small Asus eeepc 1215b. I have always had exactly the same problem in both laptops: when trying to open the download folder in firefox Gwenview is the result instead of Dophin.
I am currently trying to apply the various workarounds that are suggested here, but for the moment I have skip kubuntu all the times that I'm asked to install a GNU/Linux distribution in other's people PCs because of this annoying bug.

Revision history for this message
Uqbar (uqbar) wrote :

It's clear that either none is paying attention to this or none is able to apply an existing fix.
The fix is to edit /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache (as root) and to make it like this:

inode/directory=kde4-dolphin.desktop;

That's it.

Revision history for this message
Wilfried Essig (wilfried-essig) wrote : Re: [Bug 1294689] Re: Firefox doesn't use dolphin to open download directory

Am 14.01.2015 um 08:56 schrieb Uqbar:
> It's clear that either none is paying attention to this or none is able to apply an existing fix.
> The fix is to edit /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache (as root) and to make it like this:
>
> inode/directory=kde4-dolphin.desktop;
>
> That's it.

That's it - until the next install/deinstall/update a softwarepaket. May
be it would have been useful to read my comment from 2014-12-22,
especially folowing part:

> Everey update triggering /var/lib/dpkg/info/desktop-file-utils.postinst
> created /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache from completely scratch.
> No changes by hand survived. Applications got sorted alphbetically in
> each line again.

Questions?

Yours Wilfried Essig

Revision history for this message
Uqbar (uqbar) wrote :

On top of this, depiste I have (obviously) Okular installed, Firefox is insisting in using GIMP to open PDFs!!!
I fixed this by editing /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache.
It looks like once I installed GIMP, it got as the preferred way to read PDFs!
This thing is becoming more and more annoying.

Revision history for this message
Sergio Callegari (callegar) wrote :

Editing /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache is not a fix because:

1) The file is periodically recreated
2) The way in which it is recreated is correct. This file is not meant to specify a preferred order in which applications should be used to open links, but merely what applications can deal with what mime types (as such the order in which the file reports applications associated to some mime type is by definition random.
3) The issue is that some applications including firefox look at this file rather than at mimeapps.list or defaults.list to determine the default apps.

Bug is known by firefox developers (see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=727422).

I suggest that this bug is made a duplicate of bug 1551171, that better specifies what is going on.

Revision history for this message
motang (mohan-ram) wrote :

Using Kubuntu 19.10 with KDE 5.17 (via backports) with Firefox 71. This seems to be the case to me as well. Won't open Dolphin from download.

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