How to add a custom program to "Open With" list of programs in Xubuntu 13.04? How to associate a file with a program to open it with?

Question

How to associate file types with Sublime Text 2? have downloaded Sublime Text 2. I've unpacked it in /opt/Sublime Text 2/ directory.

Now I want to open all .conf files with ST2. But I can't set this easily. Xubuntu doesn't offer ST2 in the list of Open With programs.

I do:

right-click on the fonts.conf >> Properties... >> Open With >> Other Application.

And an Open With window appears. And it doesn't have ST2 application.

How either to add ST2 to the Open With list or how to associate a file with ST2?

UPD:

Similar questions and are not answered:

why are simple things getting hard in Ubuntu (Xubuntu)?

Very similar question: http://askubuntu.com/questions/115113/change-all-associations-from-gedit-to-another-application/115117#115117 — RobotHumans, Jul 07 '13 at 13:43
Good article on adding programs to the "open with" list at [https://ubuntugenius.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/ubuntu-fix-add-program-to-list-of-applications-in-open-with-when-right-clicking-files-in-nautilus/#comment-2353] — James, Nov 11 '13 at 02:03
To open all files with given program I have defined custom dialog command using nautilus-actions, so I have something like "Open with NotepadQQ" — Rav, Sep 12 '16 at 13:09

score 31 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

31

You must create/edit a .desktop file located in ~/.local/share/applications/ or /usr/share/applications/

Locate the Exec= parameter and at the end of the line add %U - it will be replaced with the filename to be opened.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

Community

answered Oct 23 '13 at 19:03

Goghard

You can add %f to the end of the line instead of %U. Example: Exec=ProgramName %f – James Nov 11 '13 at 02:00
1

Working on ubuntu 18.04 – Vitor Abella May 04 '19 at 17:17

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 08 '13 at 10:56

4

I found this way. And without any command line typing, which is good.

In "File Manager" right click on a file (e.g. file.conf) you want to be opened by Sublime Text 2 (or any other application).
Choose "Properties". A window titled file.conf - Properties should appear.
In its tab "General" click "Open With:" and then choose "Other Application...". A window titled Open With should appear.
At the bottom of this window select "Use a custom command:" option and then "Browse...".
Browse to the necessary executable, Sublime Text 2, for example.

The most important part now: before click Ok put the selected path into double quotes, e.g.:

"/opt/Sublime Text 2/sublime_text"

because otherwise it cannot accept the path .

answered Jul 08 '13 at 10:56

Green

10

I don't have the option user a custom command :( – vishal Aug 07 '13 at 20:10
1

"Use a custom command" was removed some time ago, I believe before GNOME 3.0. – Waldir Leoncio Oct 27 '15 at 20:03
I suspect the quotes are needed only because there's a space in the path. – Keith Thompson Jun 07 '16 at 19:55
3

Still not possible with ubuntu 17. Possible with ubuntu 7. – user3653831 Jan 17 '18 at 18:29

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 23 '16 at 16:46

This is what I've just tried:

Go to /usr/share/applications or ~/.local/share/applications/
Create a new file appName.desktop (appName is the name of the app you want to use)
Copy content of any other *.desktop file (I used gedit.desktop)
Update the content: Name = , Exec = , ..., with %U being the filename to be opened.
Save it.
Right click on the file you want to be opened with the appName
Go to Properties/Open With and click on 'Show Other applications' 8 Your appName should be there, just select it.

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:25

1

Download and install deb file for sublime text Eg: from https://www.sublimetext.com/3
After installation Check that file sublime_text.desktop exists in /usr/share/applications/
Fire terminal and type:

$ sudo gedit ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list Add the following lines at the end: [Default Applications]

: (some existing association mappings)

[Added Associations]

: (some existing association mappings)

text/plain=sublime_text.desktop;

Save and Exit.

This file overrides the /etc/gnome/defaults.list, so all file association goes in to mimeapps.list file.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:25

Community

answered Jun 10 '16 at 21:56

Shubham Verma

1

It's an answer to a different question. Each time you want to add sublime as owner of a file extension, you have to re-do this hacking. The proper answer is to add a /usr/share/applications/*.desktop file, such that whenever you want to open a file with Sublime, it'll be an option in the open file dialog. – rektide Sep 23 '16 at 15:39

4 Answers4