[xubuntu-users] Why does Firefox persist as default browser in some contexts...

[Len Philpot]

On 01/05/2017 05:14 PM, Peter Flynn wrote:
> 1. The arrogance of Thunderbird in making it virtually impossible to
> force links to open in Chrome instead of FF. I have no idea why they do
> this (except of course FF is "their" browser). Their config option
> simply does not work (gets ignored).
So far, it's working for me. I don't recall where I found it, but I 
think it was directly from Mozilla themselves.

> 2. The equal stupidity of Chrome in refusing to open mailto: links by
> passing them to Thunderbird or your nominated mailer: instead it takes
> no action, and if you try to open a mailto: link in a new window, it
> opens a new Chrome window on the same page and does nothing. This is
> because it uses a deeply unwise little utility called xdg-open, which is
I've not investigated how it's doing it but this also works for me. 
Chrome 55.0.2883.87, T-bird 43.5.1, Xubuntu  16.04.

> Yes Dan, "it's hard for a programmer to know how to look up the user's
> favorite browser", but only because no-one is prepared to take the first
> step and enforce global definition of $BROWSER, $MAILER, $EDITOR,
> $TERMINAL, $FILEMANAGER, and maybe a few others.
>
> Maybe one day someone will clean up this mess...it's unnecessary, and
> very embarrassing when you try to explain to new users how wonderful
> Linux is, and especially [X]Ubuntu, and then have it fall flat on its
> face when they click on a link.
>
Don't really disagree, but as long as everyone has a horse in the race, 
who's gonna let someone else 'win'? Cooperation and standards will come 
largely through market pressure, not altruism, methinks. Free / open, 
commercial / proprietary - We're all still humans, for better and worse 
unfortunately.

*Len Philpot*
lphilpot01 at gmail.com <mailto:lphilpot01 at gmail.com>
/Sent from Thunderbird on Xubuntu Linux/

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