Folders opened by wrong application

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please answer these questions:

* Is this reproducible?
* If so, what specific steps should we take to recreate this bug?

This will help us to find and resolve the problem.

I think this might not be related to file-roller, I have a similar problem: clicking any of the Bookmarks from the Places menu opens Shotwell instead of the folder, the only option to open them is to open Computer, and click the desired place in the bookmarks bar.

The subject is too short to be meaningful and I can not figure out what the problem is from your description. Can you try restating the problem more clearly?

I don't know what caused this but it can't be removed by me unless I'm told how to do it. I pretty good at picking up advice from the forums but I'm not a hacker.

The problem is that clicking any bookmarked place from the Places menu results in opening archive manager... so the bookmarked places can be accessed only by clicking the Computer place, and then from the sidebar selecting the bookmark you want to access. This happens to me too, only for me the app opening is the Shotwell photo manager. Another report related to this IMO is bug #669280, where the app opening is VLC.

Marked bug #669280 (VLC opening for all bookmarked places) and bug #673833 (eog opening) as duplicates of this one, and I also do experience this bug with shotwell opening. Please someone find out what is causing this.

I have found a workaround. Something messes up file associations for the 'folder' type. I can't find the reason, but here's how I have fixed it:

* Open the Computer from the Places menu
* open a partition, which does have some folders in it
* right click on any folder
* select Open with Other application from the context menu
* select the File browser as the app to open with
* make sure the "remember this application for 'folder' files" is checked
* click OK

This solved the problem for me, hope it helps you too :)

Instead of the File Browser you can select the Open Folder item too.

Marking as incomplete since the cause or method of reproduction has not been determined.

Thanks for your email.
I would like to ask what, in your opinion causes the bug to appear in the first place?
I was having with the old Gateway notebook's slowness, I installed 10.10
into VMWare's virtual box on my much higher-performance MacBookPro Unibody with 8GB of memory.
10.10 is yet, quite new, very fast.
So far, this bug hasn't shown up, but if you know the conditions that cause this "rollover",
then I'd be happy to watch out for it as I develop the VMware's version which I think I'll continue to use, for now.

Thanks for your help,

Vladimir Vooss

On Nov 16, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Robert Roth wrote:

> I have found a workaround. Something messes up file associations for the
> 'folder' type. I can't find the reason, but here's how I have fixed it:
>
> * Open the Computer from the Places menu
> * open a partition, which does have some folders in it
> * right click on any folder
> * select Open with Other application from the context menu
> * select the File browser as the app to open with
> * make sure the "remember this application for 'folder' files" is checked
> * click OK
>
> This solved the problem for me, hope it helps you too :)
>
> --
> archive manager
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/667071
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of a duplicate bug (673883).
>
> Status in “gnome-panel” package in Ubuntu: New
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: file-roller
>
> archive manager blocks places. can't be removed. the home and other titles in the menu can only be reached thru computer, by accessing the left menu. this is the same thing that happened the last time i used 10.10. i had to switch back to 10.04. i'm disappointed it's still happening.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: file-roller 2.32.0-0ubuntu1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.35-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Tue Oct 26 19:39:08 2010
> ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/file-roller
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: file-roller
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-panel/+bug/667071/+subscribe

I don't know what could cause such a problem, i can not reproduce it. At first I thought, that shotwell was causing it, but after seeing other people have the same issue with other apps (archive manager, vlc, etc) I have changed my mind. It must be something more systemwide .... but I do not understand ubuntu so deeply to find out the cause. maybe someone else, who does have the required knowledge will get this problem on his/her PC and then he/she'll find the reason. I've shared the workaround for the people who need it, because this is a really annoying bug.

Does anyone have any information regarding what can change the file associations and where these are stored? It would be useful for investigating the problem.

I had the exact same problem except all my bookmarks where trying to be opened by EOG (Eye of Gnome). After finding this thread and reading what Robert Roth wrote on 2010-11-16, I was finally able to fix it.

Hi,
  The workaround in (10) didn't work for me.

The other observation is that

xdg-open /

triggers the same problem.

(Which makes me wonder if it's related to the breakage in bug 670128)

But xdg-open is calling gvfs-open, and gvfs-open / triggers the same
I can see that gvfs-open has read /usr/share/applications/exo-file-manager.desktop and that tells it to
run

exo-open --launch FileManager filename

(that's from exo-utils, part of xfce)

If I run exo-preferred-applications I can see that File Manager is set to evince (!); if I flick that to Nautilus it opens.

(Although leaves a straggling window saying it's opening it even though it did).

Has everyone else who has this problem also got exo-utils installed?
I would have thought that we'd want xfce stuff to co-exist with a gnome desktop without getting in eachothers way.

Dave

Dave

No, I'm sure I do not have exo-utils installed, and this happened to me too. So the problem is something else.

I tried the resetting folder properties to open folders using the 'file browser', as Robert suggested and presto it's all back to the way it was. I remember the archive manager was trying to open the zip file i downloaded and it would appear to load and then nothing would happen. I tried this several times and still nothing. I closed all windows and then manged to get to the file and open manually with the archive manager. Anyway, after listening to the music files I couldn't open my places folders anymore without Rythymbox opening instead.

The workaround works and I'll just use that if it happens again.
eric

How to replicate this bug.
It appears to me that the problem is created when right clicking on a folder and choosing /Open With/Other application/ when the choice you want is not in the default list. In Ubuntu 10.10 the check-box "Remember this application for "folder" files" is checked off by default. If you don't notice this and choose VLC or some other app then for ever after that is what you will launch when you click /Places/Home Folder/

Now I just checked Ubuntu 10.04 and the situation is the same there except that even with the "Remember this application for "folder" files" checked, the choice of VLC does not stick as it does in Ubuntu 10.10.

So it appears that that Ubuntu before 10.10 is smart enough to know that you don't want to use VLC to open folders forever after.

PS replace VLC with whatever other application you have got pinned to the /Places/Home Folder/

PPS Comment 10 fixed this problem for me too.

If the "Remember this application..." box is checked, then that is exactly what it is supposed to do. If that is the case, then there is no bug here.

Thanks for your precious suggestion on solving my problem...you were right...it was not a bug...it was my stupidness and carelessness that I did not notice. Once again my warm regards.
yours, Md. Mehboob Hussain

--- On Sat, 15/1/11, Jack Brown <email address hidden> wrote:

From: Jack Brown <email address hidden>
Subject: [Bug 667071] Re: archive manager
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Saturday, 15 January, 2011, 10:06 PM

How to replicate this bug.
It appears to me that the problem is created when right clicking on a folder and choosing /Open With/Other application/ when the choice you want is not in the default list. In Ubuntu 10.10 the check-box "Remember this application for  "folder" files" is checked off by default.  If you don't notice this and choose VLC or some other app then for ever after that is what you will launch when you click /Places/Home Folder/

Now I just checked Ubuntu 10.04 and the situation is the same there
except that even with the "Remember this application for "folder" files"
checked, the choice of VLC does not stick as it does in Ubuntu 10.10.

So it appears that that Ubuntu before 10.10 is smart enough to know that
you don't want to use VLC to open folders forever after.

PS replace VLC with whatever other application you have got pinned to
the /Places/Home Folder/

PPS Comment 10 fixed this problem for me too.

--
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of a duplicate bug (696807).
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/667071

Title:
  archive manager

Status in “gnome-panel” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: file-roller

  archive manager blocks places. can't be removed. the home and other
  titles in the menu can only be reached thru computer, by accessing the
  left menu. this is the same thing that happened the last time i used
  10.10. i had to switch back to 10.04. i'm disappointed it's still
  happening.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
  Package: file-roller 2.32.0-0ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.35-generic 2.6.35.4
  Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Tue Oct 26 19:39:08 2010
  ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/file-roller
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: file-roller

To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-panel/+bug/667071/+subscribe

Setting this back to Confirmed, as the duplicate list of this bug is still growing, with many different applications trying to open simple folders. Please provide a reason if marking this as Invalid again.

See comments #21 and #22.

see bug #662194 as well

Interesting. I have seen those comments, but that is a reaction of one user. One user has done it by mistake. But I don't really agree that that many users would choose Open With for Folders and use different applications to open them.
As for myself, I have had this behavior with VLC and I am certain that I haven't used the Open With dialog (on the install I have experienced it - clean maverick install with some additional softwares installed - the bug appeared in around 15 days of usage ... my memory isn't that bad ) before the day I have decided to fix this problem on my computer, and I am certain that I would not assign VLC to folders.
So it's ok to Invalidate this bug, although I don't really agree, but as I don't know what could cause this, and it would require deeper investigation (IF it really is a bug, and to do that I do not have the necessary knowledge). So please, if there will be more than 3 new duplicates of this bug, take reopening it in consideration.
Thanks for considering, and sorry for spamming so many people.

My bug is duplicate #700909. The method proposed in #10 worked for me.
  I realize the original problem was caused by opening a folder containing video by choosing "Open with other Application", "Movie Player" and leaving the default "Remember this application for 'folder' files" checkbox checked. I had overlooked checkbox that first time. By doing this I could repeat my problem. I think the checkbox default should be unchecked instead of checked. So I don't have a problem now. my bug can be closed.

thanks I"l try it

On 26 January 2011 16:20, RichWolf <email address hidden> wrote:

> My bug is duplicate #700909. The method proposed in #10 worked for me.
> I realize the original problem was caused by opening a folder containing
> video by choosing "Open with other Application", "Movie Player" and leaving
> the default "Remember this application for 'folder' files" checkbox checked.
> I had overlooked checkbox that first time. By doing this I could repeat my
> problem. I think the checkbox default should be unchecked instead of
> checked. So I don't have a problem now. my bug can be closed.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of a duplicate bug (706915).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/667071
>
> Title:
> archive manager
>
> Status in “gnome-panel” package in Ubuntu:
> Invalid
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: file-roller
>
> archive manager blocks places. can't be removed. the home and other
> titles in the menu can only be reached thru computer, by accessing the
> left menu. this is the same thing that happened the last time i used
> 10.10. i had to switch back to 10.04. i'm disappointed it's still
> happening.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: file-roller 2.32.0-0ubuntu1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.35-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Tue Oct 26 19:39:08 2010
> ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/file-roller
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386
> (20101007)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: file-roller
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-panel/+bug/667071/+subscribe
>

You might file a bug requesting that the default of that check box be changed, and certainly if some other cause can be identified that would constitute a bug, but for now, this report does not contain any actionable intel.

I will reformat this bug into a meta bug so it can continue to serve as a target for duplicates and serve as a guide.

apt-get autoremove libcddb2 libdvbpsi6 libebml2 libiso9660-7 libmatroska2 libtar libupnp3
  libva-x11-1 libvcdinfo0 libvlc5 libvlccore4 libxcb-keysyms1 libxcb-randr0
  totem totem-mozilla totem-plugins vlc vlc-data vlc-nox vlc-plugin-notify
  vlc-plugin-pulse

# after
apt-get install libcddb2 libdvbpsi6 libebml2 libiso9660-7 libmatroska2 libtar libupnp3
  libva-x11-1 libvcdinfo0 libvlc5 libvlccore4 libxcb-keysyms1 libxcb-randr0
  totem totem-mozilla totem-plugins vlc vlc-data vlc-nox vlc-plugin-notify
  vlc-plugin-pulse

It fix me.

I hope is helping for you.

Robert,

Thanks for identifying that my bug 713319 is a duplicate of this one; also for providing the workaround in #10.

If so many of us managed to get ourselves into this situation through ineptness, then it would seem that the "Open with" application should not have the "Remember this application for "folder" files check box" pre-checked.

One might ask, why does the problem apply only to "/home" files & not to "computer".

By the way, if I right click on a /home folder, the option "open with document viewer" (which was my incorrect default) is listed before the option "open with other application".

Regards, Garry.

Re-opening, this is a quite severe bug.
When this happened to me the first time, I was like "what the hell ?"
Today, my mom filed a new bug on totem when it was actually a duplicate of this bug. You want Ubuntu to be usable by your moms right ?
I suffered from this bug no later than last Sunday, once again, I was taken by surprise, the only difference being that I knew how to fix things this time.

I booted on several virtual machines to see how other systems behaved regarding this issue.

On MacOS X "Snow Leopard", you can't do such a thing, actually you don't have the option to open a folder with another program, which is somehow disappointing because I like to open a folder with baobab or picard, but I'd rather have to drag and drop a folder than having my desktop completely broken. It is to be noted that the "Always Open With" option is unchecked by default.

On Microsoft Windows 7, it is not possible to change the way a folder is opened, you don't have the "Open with <some program> [Change...]" option you chan have on regular files. Once a again, this is a limitation, but it's not possible to break the way you open a folder.

On KDE, it's possible to break things, and change program associations on folders, but it's less likely to happen by accident since the "remember" option is unchecked by default.

I hope that everyone acknowledge this is a valid bug now, and a quite severe one.

I propose the following fixes.
 - Leave the "remember" option unchecked by default, it's what everyone else does
 - Leave the option to open a folder with another program but make it independent from nautilus / gnome-panel. Open always open with nautilus, even if you have many other software in the "open with" menu
 - So, what if you don't like nautilus and want to changed your file browser ? The default file browser should go in Preferred Applications, most likely in the "System" tab along with the default Terminal Emulator

Ok, will someone from the bugsquad reopen this for me please ?

And by BugSquad, I actually meant Bug Control Team ;)

What seems to be the upstream bug : https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=637264

Good point; it is insane to allow changing the default handler for directories and doubly so to have it on by default.

It looks like this has been fixed already in Ubuntu. See bug #662194. I will leave this report open for now to continue to serve as a metabug.

since this bug has been sent to GNOME I am marking it as triaged.

Glad to see that POSSIBLY thru the effort of Phillip Susi that this may be sru'd for maverick and lucid (though it doesn't affect all on lucid for some reason) and finally be put to bed.
There are actually 2 bugs in play -
First that the default folder handler can be changed in nautilus to something other than nautilus thru the 'remember this.." option. ( can't see any reason why at this late date will ever be changed.
Second that because of the above that the remember option is default enabled.
The second 'bug' was addressed in natty, hopefully now for maverick/lucid.

The bugfix (2nd) does not prevent this from happening, only makes it less likely to.

The first bug would need to be fixed to make it not possible to happen, but the behavior of the 'remember' option is tied to both files and folders, has some value for files, and again can't see it being seperated and fixed for folders only.

unfortunately this orig. bug on maverick during dev had less than stellar handling, (myself included), otherwise this already could have been dealt with (as far as 10.10
bug #603833

This bug has NOT been fixed
AND the work-around at the top of this thread does NOT work
 - at least not in 11.4 :
it's not possible to check "remember this...", because that check-box is not there in the pop-up "Open with".

BTW : I never changed what program should open at folder; it simply appeared after one of the updates under 10.10

@gerti:try to edit the mime types : gedit ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list
and change vlc or totem or whatever program opens instead of nautilus by nautilus :
[Added Associations]
inode/directory=nautilus-folder-handler.desktop;mirage.desktop;

@hornblende : thanks, that will probably fix the bug.
"probably" as I in the meantime have done a completely new installation.
Where do one find the info, you gave here ?

BTW : in my newly installed 11.4 there is no possibility to check/uncheck for "Remember this...".
So, in my opinion, this is still an open bug.

On 5/11/2011 9:11 AM, gerti wrote:
> BTW : in my newly installed 11.4 there is no possibility to check/uncheck for "Remember this...".
> So, in my opinion, this is still an open bug.

That IS the fix. You can no longer accidentally screw it up by checking
the remember this box.

@Phillip Susi
excuse me, have you by any chance been many-years employee at Microsoft ?

This answer is so snotty and shitty, that I have to assume.
Nahh, maybe IBM-employee ?

OF COURSE its not a fix :
Taking away user rights to manipulate his own machine/OS/interface is
NOT, I repeat NOT, a "solution"; only a cop-out for a very, seriously
lazy developer.

regards gerti
----

> On 5/11/2011 9:11 AM, gerti wrote:
>> BTW : in my newly installed 11.4 there is no possibility to
>> check/uncheck for "Remember this...".
>> So, in my opinion, this is still an open bug.
>
> That IS the fix. You can no longer accidentally screw it up by checking
> the remember this box.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of a duplicate bug (772460).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/667071
>
> Title:
> Folders opened by wrong application
>
> Status in Nautilus:
> Expired
> Status in “nautilus” package in Ubuntu:
> Triaged
>
> Bug description:
> Right clicking on a folder and choosing open with, then selecting
> another application has the "remember this application" box checked by
> default. If you proceed, that application will be remembered and used
> to open folders in the future, which can cause confusion.
>
> Changing the default handler for folders either should not be allowed
> at all, or at the very least, the option should not be enabled by
> default.
>
> To fix it, do the following:
>
> * Open the Computer from the Places menu
> * open a partition, which does have some folders in it
> * right click on any folder
> * select Open with Other application from the context menu
> * select the File browser as the app to open with
> * make sure the "remember this application for 'folder' files" is checked
> * click OK
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus/+bug/667071/+subscribe
>

I don`t have the problem any more , i rebooted 10.04 it has everything i need & it works GREAT. Hope you all get it solved.

@RGreen
gracious I hope you thought to write 11.4, NOT the obsolete (and now completely uninteresting) 10.4 - - ?

I installed 11.4 from scratch and it DOESn't show a check-box to "Remember this..." for folders.

This is a serious bug.

regards gerti

Hi,

This may be a new bug, or just a nuisance...

I was a subscriber to the original bug; the workaround was OK.

I upgraded to 11.04, earlier this year.

Recently, something seems to have changed:

when I click on a photo (.jpg), I expect it to open with image viewer, as it has "always" done (I have been using Ubuntu since 2005).

However, it now opens with movie player, showing a blank window, as the file is not a movie.

I did have some short .avi videos mixed in with the set of photos, so I suspect that one of these has triggered the open-with movie player.

However, now that there is no way to change the default application, I seem to be stuck with having to individually use the open-with feature whenever I want to look at photos.

Any suggestions?

Regards, Garry.

Hi,

I just did a little more testing. It seems to remember the last used application for .jpg & .avi, but in an inconsistent way.

If try to open a .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.

If I change it to open with image viewer, it opens OK, but if I close that window, then select another .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.

If I try to open a .avi, it fails to open (with an error message), but has image viewer set as the default.

Regards, Garry.

On 11-10-30 04:28 PM, Garry Leach wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just did a little more testing. It seems to remember the last used
> application for .jpg& .avi, but in an inconsistent way.
>
> If try to open a .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.
>
> If I change it to open with image viewer, it opens OK, but if I close
> that window, then select another .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.
>
> If I try to open a .avi, it fails to open (with an error message), but
> has image viewer set as the default.
>
> Regards, Garry.
>
Right click on the file, click on "open with other application" and
choose the application you want to use. Check mark "Remember this
application........." and all applications of that type will open with
that application.

Jack

Hi Jack,

Thanks for pushing me to look at this again.

Yesterday, I went through the "open with other applications" a dozen
times, but I am sure that the "remember..." check box was not there.

it was this time!

And with the "remember this application for XYZ files" check box
pre-ticked!

This pre-ticking was the start of this bug earlier this year; I thought
that the plan was to remove the default tick, but I seem to remember a
discussion that the developers removed the "remember..." facility
completely...

Although I am confused now as to why or what, I will look out for the
tick in future!

Regards, Garry.

On Mon, 2011-10-31 at 01:03 +0000, John Hagerman wrote:
> On 11-10-30 04:28 PM, Garry Leach wrote:
> > Hi,use th

> >
> > I just did a little more testing. It seems to remember the last used
> > application for .jpg& .avi, but in an inconsistent way.
> >
> > If try to open a .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.
> >
> > If I change it to open with image viewer, it opens OK, but if I close
> > that window, then select another .jpg, it "opens" with movie player.
> >
> > If I try to open a .avi, it fails to open (with an error message), but
> > has image viewer set as the default.
> >
> > Regards, Garry.
> >
> Right click on the file, click on "open with other application" and
> choose the application you want to use. Check mark "Remember this
> application........." and all applications of that type will open with
> that application.
>
> Jack
>