25

I'm running an Arch Linux machine with the cinnamon-git desktop from the Arch User Repository.

The default filemanager is Nautilus, is there any way to change the default filemanager to thunar?

Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
  • 807,993
  • 194
  • 1,674
  • 2,175
febLey
  • 353
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4

4 Answers4

18

To change the default filemanager you can edit the file ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

Don't know how to specify thunar but to use nemo over nautilus I do this:

thomas@localhost ~> cat .local/share/applications/mimeapps.list 
[Added Associations]
inode/directory=nemo.desktop;

Also if you are curious why the wrong filemanager is started if you click on a folder icon check the actual command the starter launches.

After resolving the issues (see comments) you also have to look in the file

/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache

there you can change the filemanager also:

inode/directory=nautilus.desktop
inode/directory=nemo.desktop
Thomas
  • 296
  • 3
  • 7
  • This does not work on Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle". Any idea what causes this? – aef Dec 17 '12 at 04:12
  • @aef Do you have nemo installed, does the file exist? – Thomas Dec 17 '12 at 08:51
  • Definitely yes. – aef Dec 17 '12 at 16:46
  • @aef How are you starting the filemanager and which desktop are you using? – Thomas Dec 17 '12 at 16:52
  • I'm using Cinnamon 1.6.7 and I start it using the "Home" directory on the desktop. When I remove the `nautilus` executable from `$PATH`, `nemo` is used. But that's not an update-proof solution. – aef Dec 17 '12 at 16:55
  • I'm not using starters on the desktop. You can try doing a right click on it and check what it actually starts. And you can check your local user configuration directory with `cat ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list` – Thomas Dec 17 '12 at 16:58
  • There is no `mimeapps.list` if I don't create one manually. I tried this. This thing on the Desktop is not a normal launcher, it automatically changes when I remove the `nautilus` executable. – aef Dec 17 '12 at 17:02
  • 3
    Got some last ideas: `update-alternatives`, `/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache` – Thomas Dec 17 '12 at 17:13
  • 3
    `/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache` did the trick. I changed the line `inode/directory=nautilus.desktop` to `inode/directory=nemo.desktop` and now Nemo is opened by default. – aef Dec 17 '12 at 17:55
8

From the Gnome section of the Arch Linux Wiki:

You can trick GNOME into using another file browser by editing the Exec line in /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop. See the correct parameters in the .desktop file of the file manager of your choice, e.g.:

/usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop

[...]
Exec=thunar %F
OR
Exec=pcmanfm %U
[...]
Jeff Schaller
  • 66,199
  • 35
  • 114
  • 250
Dan
  • 81
  • 1
  • 2
2

The accepted answer did not work for me. I had to run:

exo-preferred-applications

On Utilities tab, there is a selection for File Manager.

user1338062
  • 583
  • 4
  • 5
0

/usr/share/applications/nemo.desktop

find the exec line that tells it what file manager you want to use instead and change it.

so:

 Exec=nemo

becomes:

 Exec=thunar

for Thunar to be you default file manager for cinnamon desktop.

Community
  • 1
Eric Sebasta
  • 131
  • 4
  • Would you mind explaining what to do with that file? Please keep in mind that answers on this site are expected to be as self-containing and self-explanatory as possible since we want them to benefit as wide an audience as possible, including those with limited U&L admin experience. – AdminBee Dec 15 '20 at 08:08