Uninstalling default browser doesn't fall back to another

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

Binary package hint: gnome-control-center

Ubuntu Hardy beta, all updates installed

1. Install Galeon.
2. In Preferred Applications, set Galeon as your default browser.
3. Open a Web shortcut in Nautilus, or enter "xdg-open http://example.com/" in a terminal, to check that it opens in Galeon.
4. Uninstall Galeon.
5. Open a Web shortcut in Nautilus, or enter "xdg-open http://example.com/" in a terminal.
6. See what the default browser is in Preferred Applications.

What happens:
5. You get an error message.
6. The default browser is described as "Custom" and shows the no-longer-existing "galeon".

What should happen:
5. Ubuntu should fall back to another browser automatically.
6. This automatically-chosen browser should be shown in Preferred Applications.

Probably this will require a specification that I don't have time to write -- I'm just recording it here before I forget. If anyone else wants to work on it, I would be very grateful. :-)

<seb128> the issue is that the default is written in the gconf configuration
<seb128> and the capplet is only a way to change this key
...
<seb128> but if we want to do dynamic adjustment we need something running all the time doing the work

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Confirming, thanks for your report.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

The bug has been sent upstream on http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=545126

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

upstream is not interest to work on such changes

[Thibault Lemaitre (thibault.lemaitre)]

This bug still occurs on maverick

In my opinion, the best way should be to propose to the user to select his new default web browser during the uninstallation.