PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

VinzC · 2021-06-03 12:08:38

Hi.

I have a bunch of desktop files, which I use for documentation purposes with my electronics components datasheet. Typically I run a script to find the datasheet for a given component and run thunar with the found desktop file as an argument. All of those desktop files are of "Type=Link" and the "URL" is that of the PDF.

I am running Manjaro (Arch) and Thunar no longer works as expected since the latest upgrade (a few days ago). I have no idea what thunar version was before, just now it is version 4.16.8 (2020). Now all Thunar does is open the directory, which the desktop file is located in and selects the latter.

So how can I execute the desktop file instead?

Thanks in advance.

ToZ · 2021-06-03 12:20:21

See https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/-/issues/590 for an explanation.

You can still execute the file from within Thunar from the Desktop folder, if that helps. Or use exo-open. Or maybe look at creating a set of Custom Actions (which can now be sub-menued) to run those scripts.

VinzC · 2021-06-03 22:28:35

ToZ wrote:

See https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/-/issues/590 for an explanation.
You can still execute the file from within Thunar from the Desktop folder, if that helps. Or use exo-open. Or maybe look at creating a set of Custom Actions (which can now be sub-menued) to run those scripts.

Ok, thanks for the explanation.

Well, I used exo-open but the thing is my desktop files are opened in a text editor, the "URL" is not taken into account... unless I screwed up something, which is also possible. I do for instance

exo-open <desktop file>

Is that correct?

EDIT: FTR here's how my desktop files look

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Link
Name=ATmega640/1280/2560
GenericName=8-bit AVR® Microcontroller with 16/32/64KB Flash
Categories=MCU;8-bit;
URL=datasheet/ATmega640-1280-2560.pdf
Icon=/usr/local/share/electronics/icons/ATmega1280.jpg
X-Manufacturers=Atmel Corporation;Microchip;

Last edited by VinzC (2021-06-03 22:33:01)

ToZ · 2021-06-03 23:38:18

It doesn't work for me either with the link. Simply:

exo-open datasheet/ATmega640-1280-2560.pdf

...works for me though, but its not a link.

Maybe you can post in that same bug report or create a new one regarding this use-case regression.

VinzC · 2021-06-04 08:41:26

ToZ wrote:

It doesn't work for me either with the link. Simply:
exo-open datasheet/ATmega640-1280-2560.pdf
...works for me though, but its not a link.

Well, I sure can but that totally defeats the purpose I foresaw for using (running) desktop files from the command line, i.e. I would structure my desktop files the way I wanted (within the supported specs, of course) and the GUI tool would just spare me the burden of implementing the .desktop specs. Looks like now I have to.

FTR I chose desktop files on purpose because I wanted to avoid building up a database for just that, so I saw in desktop files the attributes and flexibility I just needed to make my component searches a little more fancy.

ToZ wrote:

Maybe you can post in that same bug report or create a new one regarding this use-case regression.

I suppose the feature was retired on valid grounds. I wonder if my personal needs would have enough weight to revert the change...

ToZ · 2021-06-04 14:59:06

VinzC wrote:

I wonder if my personal needs would have enough weight to revert the change...

If its a regression, it should be. Try creating a bug report and see what the developer says.

Xfce Forum

Sub domains

#1 2021-06-03 12:08:38

PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

#2 2021-06-03 12:20:21

Re: PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

#3 2021-06-03 22:28:35

Re: PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

#4 2021-06-03 23:38:18

Re: PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

#5 2021-06-04 08:41:26

Re: PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

#6 2021-06-04 14:59:06

Re: PBM: Thunar no longer executes desktop files from the command line?

Board footer