None1975 wrote: debiman wrote:
xfe does not comply with all those newfangled freedesktop standards, and is not bothered by MATE's prefered applications.
Yes, really. You're right.
Yes, and no. That Xfe isn't "bothered" by the freedesktop standards means that its purpose of being light on resources can be achieved more easily, but, in the case of MATE, Caja does much more as do other file managers that come with other desktops. Xfe is not a replacement in that sense, but is certainly very good to use for everyday file management - moving, copying, pasting and deleting.
That it isn't "bothered" by MATE's Preferred Applications is irrelevant. What Preferred Applications does is redirect a call for system file manager to the "preferred" application. Thus, applications which are intended for use under any or multiple desktops can ask the system for a file manager and the preferred application will be delivered by starting Xfe. The problem that OP experienced occurred because the panel application called the system file manager and Caja was delivered in stead of Xfe.
None1975 wrote: debiman wrote:
anyhow, in preferred applications, you can look in the dropdown if it lets you choose Xfe instead.
That's it!
Unfortunately, no, it's not. When Xfe is installed with Audacious as a dependency it is Audacious which is registered as a file manager, not Xfe. I said this earlier. So, going to the dropdown in Preferred Applications gave (me) a choice of Caja, Dolphin and Audacious.
So, the problem is in the installation and how the executables are registered. This is something that is the responsibility of the developer, hence my suggestion to take it there as a bug.
debiman wrote:asking others to contact the developer for something that you perceive to be a bug, but do not want to explore further is not only arrogant and lazy but also plain [redacted]
I qualified my original response with my reasons and posted to point OP in the direction that my research indicated. That way OP at least has a line to follow in resolving a problem that, up until my response had been an unanswered thread. For me, personally, it's not an issue. Although I like Xfe it lacks features that I want/need in my file manager and which are largely satisfied by Dolphin, not least of which is that Xfe won't/can't/doesn't see my network. I installed Xfe in order to have another look at it, found it wanting and uninstalled it, passing along my observations along the way.
If someone was to stop me in the street and ask directions to, say, the nearest railway station, I wouldn't take them there and buy their ticket for them. I'd give them directions so they can make their own way there. That's exactly what I did for OP. I'd think polite and generous rather than the adjectives you used. Arrogant would have been to tell OP to work it out for themselves and lazy would have been to not bother replying, neither of which I did.