Change default app via console

[Charlie Kravetz]

On Sat, 15 Mar 2014 16:13:16 -0700
Grant <emailgrant at gmail.com> wrote:

>>>> You can copy/create *.desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications
>>>> And modify it as you wish.
>>>>
>>>>> > I do not use gnome and evince but i think you can check desktop
>>>>> > files in /usr/share/applications and find file(s) with
>>>>> > 'Exec=evince-previewer %U' And change it to 'Exec=evince %U'
>>>>> >
>>>>> >> I'd like to have PDF documents opened with the full evince app
>>>>> >> instead of evince's "GNOME Document Previewer" since I can't get
>>>>> >> copy/paste to work from the previewer.  How can I make that change
>>>>> >> via console?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Ideally I would be able to edit the app/filetype associations in the
>>>>> userdir.  Which files there control that?
>>>
>>>
>>>Great, it looks like ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list should
>>>do it.  Where are exo-web-browser.desktop and exo-file-manager.desktop
>>>defined?
>>>
>>>- Grant
>>
>>
>> At least exo-file-manager.desktop is defined as a desktop file
>> in /usr/share/applications. It is called "File Manager", and there may
>> be more than one with that name. Listing them in terminal shows the
>> actual file names.
>
>
>I have that file but there doesn't seem to be a file manager defined
>in that file.  Settings Manager -> Preferred Applications displays
>Chromium, Thunar, and Xfce Terminal, but they aren't listed anywhere
>in /usr/share/applications/*exo*.
>
>- Grant


I think the exo*.desktop files all define a separate file used
by /etc/alternatives when called from dpkg-reconfigure . This is the
way you change the preferred browser, file manager, terminal,
etc. It takes a bit to learn to use these, but once you start doing it,
it makes everything else work properly. The command 
sudo dpkg-reconfigure --all 
lets you see all configuration changes that can be made by the user. It
might be quite extensive, though, so if you run it, you need more than
a minute or two. If you simply hit enter on an entry, it does not
change from the current setting.

http://manpages.debian.net/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=dpkg-reconfigure

-- 
Charlie Kravetz
Linux Registered User Number 425914
[http://linuxcounter.net/user/425914.html]
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