[SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

JmaCWQ · 2026-02-26 21:28:01

Hello All,

I've set Xfe as default file manager in Settings > Default Applications, and adjusted any custom Panel launcher's properties to suit, which works fine except when opening folders on the Desktop.
Any folders or folder links launched from the Desktop still open with Thunar.
Newly created folders or folder links on the Desktop open with Thunar.
I also noticed that any folder containing subfolders that is open in Thunar, if I right click one of the subfolders and Open With > File Manager it opens with Xfe.

How do I get Xfe to open any folders or folder links on the Desktop instead of Thunar?

Thanks

Snapshot created on: 20260220_2302
System:
  Kernel: 6.12.73+deb13-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.2.0 clocksource: tsc
    avail: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12.73+deb13-amd64 root=UUID=<filter>
    ro
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.48 wm: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 with: xfce4-panel tools:
    avail: xfce4-screensaver,xscreensaver vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: MX-25.1_x64 Infinity
    Nov 9 2025 base: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Dell product: OptiPlex 9020 v: 01 serial: <superuser required> Chassis:
    type: 15 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 00V62H v: A01 serial: <superuser required> part-nu: OptiPlex 9020
    uuid: <superuser required> BIOS: Dell v: A09 date: 11/20/2014
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-4590 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Haswell gen: core 4 level: v3
    note: check built: 2013-15 process: Intel 22nm family: 6 model-id: 0x3C (60) stepping: 3
    microcode: 0x28
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 4 cores: 4 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 798 min/max: 800/3700 scaling: driver: intel_cpufreq governor: schedutil
    cores: 1: 798 2: 798 3: 798 4: 798 bogomips: 26340
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT disabled
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT disabled
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines; IBPB: conditional; IBRS_FW; STIBP: disabled; RSB
    filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
  Type: vmscape mitigation: IBPB before exit to userspace
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-7.5 process: Intel 22nm built: 2013 ports: active: VGA-1
    empty: DP-1, DP-2, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.16 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 509x286mm (20.04x11.26") s-diag: 584mm (22.99")
  Monitor-1: VGA-1 model: AOC 22B2WG5 serial: <filter> built: 2023 res: mode: 1920x1080 hz: 60
    scale: 100% (1) dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2 size: 477x268mm (18.78x10.55") diag: 547mm (21.5")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel crocus platforms: device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: crocus
    surfaceless: drv: swrast x11: drv: crocus inactive: wayland,device-0
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.0.7-2 glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes
    renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HSW GT2) device-ID: 8086:0412 memory: 1.46 GiB
    unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.309 layers: 3 device: 0 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM 19.1.7 256 bits)
    driver: mesa llvmpipe v: 25.0.7-2 (LLVM 19.1.7) device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: xcb,xlib
  Info: Tools: api: eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo de: xfce4-display-settings x11: xdriinfo,
    xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio vendor: Dell
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:03.0 chip-ID: 8086:0c0c class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:8c20 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.73+deb13-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.4.5 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I217-LM vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: kernel port: f060 bus-ID: 00:19.0
    chip-ID: 8086:153a class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager,smbd
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 410.16 GiB (44.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Western Digital model: WD10EZEX-75M2NA0 size: 931.51 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter>
    fw-rev: 1A01 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 931.51 GiB size: 915.81 GiB (98.31%) used: 410.16 GiB (44.8%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 6 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 3192 libs: 1762 tools: apt, apt-get, aptitude, nala, synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main  contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security/ trixie-security main  contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    3: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie-updates  main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.sources
    1: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ trixie main  non-free
Info:
  Memory: total: 32 GiB available: 31.26 GiB used: 1.86 GiB (5.9%)
  Processes: 221 Power: uptime: 1h 33m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep avail: s2idle
    wakeups: 0 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot, suspend, test_resume image: 12.45 GiB
    services: upowerd,xfce4-power-manager Init: SysVinit v: 3.14 runlevel: 5 default: 5
    tool: service
  Compilers: clang: 18 gcc: 14.2.0 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.37-release inxi: 3.3.38
Boot Mode: BIOS (legacy, CSM, MBR)

Last edited by JmaCWQ (Yesterday 03:17:21)

eriefisher · 2026-02-26 21:39:56

If you right click >>open with>>set default application, a window will open. Select xfe and check off "Use As Default.......".

JmaCWQ · 2026-02-26 22:09:54

Thanks for the reply, I just tried that but unfortunately it doesn't work.
There's no option to 'open with' when right clicking on a folder on the Desktop, and setting as default application (when right clicking in an open Thunar window) which does add Xfe to the top of the 'open with' list, only works that one time.
Close Thunar and click to open a folder on the Desktop and it still opens with Thunar.
Logged out and back in again, same happens.

eriefisher · 2026-02-26 22:30:39

Do you use Thunar at all? Try and kill Thunar and test again.

thunar -q

JmaCWQ · 2026-02-26 22:58:03

Sometimes I use it but prefer Xfe to be the default.
If I 'thunar -q' then open a folder on the Desktop it still opens with Thunar.
Tried having a Thunar window open and using xkill, also with no success.

I know I can just open Xfe then navigate to whatever the desired folder but it's much quicker and easier to open a folder or folder link straight from the Desktop and have it open in the desired file manager.
I recently stopped using MX-21 which I believe used Xfce 4.18 and switched to MX-25 which uses 4.20.1, and what I'm having difficulty getting working used to work fine for me with MX-21, 4.18.

eriefisher · 2026-02-26 23:01:43

It is possible that the folks at MX have some sort of config somewhere. I would check with them.

JmaCWQ · 2026-02-26 23:15:52

Yeah I tried there first a few days ago - https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=88007
Couldn't find anything relevant in any of the config files I looked at, but also don't want to break things not knowing what I'm doing with regards to that.
I'm guessing it'll be something simple needs changing but I have no idea what that might be.

JmaCWQ · Yesterday 03:13:50

Got it sorted with some help from the MX forum.
Apparently it's not an MX thing, but a Thunar/Xfce thing, something happened/was changed that prevents any non-Thunar set as default file manager from opening folders or folder links on the Desktop.

There's a few different ways to go about it, I chose a combination of two.
First way with the original folders or folder links is adding a custom action in Thunar's right click menu, with the command:

xfe %f

Appearance Conditions tab check Directories** only.

Second way which I prefer is to right click the Desktop > Create Launcher.

Name: Folder Name
Comment: whatever desired
Command: xfe /path/to/folder

Change icon to desired icon then Save.
Then double clicking (or single click if set that way) the icon on the Desktop opens the desired folder in Xfe.
If the folder name itself has spaces it must be between quotation marks.
And using the second method one loses the right click 'Paste into Folder' function, though in my situation I left a folder link to my Backup folder so I can still use that function, and open it with Xfe with a right click > 'Open with Xfe' custom action or double click to open with Thunar cool

Last edited by JmaCWQ (Yesterday 03:15:50)

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#1 2026-02-26 21:28:01

[SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#2 2026-02-26 21:39:56

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#3 2026-02-26 22:09:54

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#4 2026-02-26 22:30:39

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#5 2026-02-26 22:58:03

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#6 2026-02-26 23:01:43

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#7 2026-02-26 23:15:52

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

#8 Yesterday 03:13:50

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong File Manager Opening Desktop Folders

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