Debian 9 default browser

[uthappam]

I have Firefox Quantum in /opt in Debian 9 XFCE and want it to be the default browser. I tried

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 update-alternatives --config x-www-browser 

but Firefox Quantum is not shown as an option.

[arzgi]

I have Firefox Quantum in /opt in Debian 9 XFCE and want it to be the default browser. I tried

Code: Select all

 update-alternatives --config x-www-browser 

but Firefox Quantum is not shown as an option.

update-alternatives works only with Debian packages .

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man update-alternatives

How did you install Firefox Quantum?

[uthappam]

I unpacked the downloaded bz2 file and moved the directory which it created to /opt.

[arzgi]

I unpacked the downloaded bz2 file and moved the directory which it created to /opt.

It is not a Debian package, which are all installed by apt from Debian repos, so I see no solution to your problem.

[uthappam]

Thank you.

[arochester]

https://www.linuxbabe.com/debian/instal ... -9-stretch

[uthappam]

Thank you. The second procedure is the one I followed, and Firefox Quantum 61.0.1 is installed and running. But when I click on a URL in an e-mail message, Chromium is what starts up.

[arochester]

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-ch ... lto-links/ ???

[kingocounty]

If you make a Desktop entry for the new Firefox, you should be able to see it in your list of default choices. This works for me:

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# name this file firefox-quantum.desktop and place it in /usr/share/applications

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Firefox Quantum
Comment=Browse the Web
GenericName=Web Browser
X-GNOME-FullName=Firefox Quantum Web Browser
### make sure the next line matches your executable path ###
Exec=/opt/firefox/firefox %u 
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=/opt/firefox/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-quantum
StartupNotify=true

You may need to adjust it a bit to match your installation location. Take note of the line starting with 'Exec'.

edit: I just noticed you use XFCE (I shouldn't be trying to answer stuff before morning coffee ). You can probably exclude the line 'X-GNOME-FullName='. You should be able to get some details at the XFCE Wiki.

[uthappam]

@arochester, mailto: links are not what troubles me: they are working well in Thunderbird, the default.

Thank you, kingocounty. I shall follow your instructions and tell you what happens.

[uthappam]

@kingocounty, I copied your instructions carefully and acted on them: but they did not solve my problem.

In the end I used these two commands

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sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser /opt/firefox/firefox 200
sudo update-alternatives --set x-www-browser /opt/firefox/firefox

and all is right with my small world.

[kingocounty]

Glad you got it sorted. As you can tell, I'm a Gnome user . After adding a Desktop entry in Gnome, you can then select it under Settings->Details->Default Applications. I'm just adding this note in case any Gnome users stumble across this post. Thanks for posting your solution!

[uthappam]

In XFCE, Settings -> Preferred Applications -> Internet -> Web Browser appears to be meant for the same thing, but I do not know if it works for
executables in places other than /usr/bin.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

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sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser /opt/firefox/firefox 200
sudo update-alternatives --set x-www-browser /opt/firefox/firefox

^ Be very careful with that command, I've broken my alternatives system more than once that way.

I would recommend galternatives instead.

[uthappam]

I shall do that. Thank you. [addition] I installed galternatives: but it does not accept my root password.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Try

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 # apt install gksu
gksu galternatives

pkexec() would be better but the program doesn't seem to allow that (yet).

[uthappam]

Thank you.

[Bulkley]

With all due respect all of the above looks like way too much trouble. The whole idea is to make Firefox Quantum the default browser. Right? Just download the latest firefox tarball, open it and run it in user space. It does not need to be installed. Then use your WM's autostart.sh to open it when booting. Done.

My apologies if I have misunderstood the problem.

[uthappam]

Before Firefox was added to the alternatives list, clicking on a link in an e-mail message would call up the Chromium browser -- even when Firefox was open and running.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

The whole idea is to make Firefox Quantum the default browser. Right? Just download the latest firefox tarball, open it and run it in user space. It does not need to be installed. Then use your WM's autostart.sh to open it when booting. Done.

But that method won't solve the problem because Debian systems are configured to call /usr/bin/x-www-browser rather than FF or Chromium or whatever so changing the alternative is the correct approach.