Gnome integration

Gnome integration

I know Opera is QT based under Linux. Still I would like to ask for better Gnome integration. Especially when it comes to default applications and opening downloaded files. The default seem to use kfmclient which is a native KDE application. The problem is that when you run kfmclient it will launch lots of KDE libraries, including the aRts daemon. It uses unnessesary memory in addition to take a long time to open.

Would it not be possible to use the Gnome settings when Opera run under Gnome?

Gnome is developing very quickly, adopting lots of new open standards (many which have been centered on freedesktop.org) like D-BUS which new Gnome is using. Also QT4 will use D-BUS.

Another open standard (which Gnome has adopted, and KDE will adopt in next major release) is shared-mine-info: http://www.freedesktop.org/software/shared-mime-info

These freedesktop.org standards are supported and will be supported by most Linux desktops, not only by Gnome or KDE, also by xfce, rox and others. They aim to be desktop-independant so applications using these standards will work on all desktop that support them.

The obvious answer at the moment would be for you to have some enviroment variable or alias in your startup for your desktop and tell Opera to use that. You can change the default program Opera uses to open files. if you make it depend on an environment variable or alias then it could adjust to your current desktop automatically.

Good post andewid,

As a fellow Gnome/XFCE user, i second your thoughts and hope that Opera is slowly moved towards FreeDesktop.org specs.

What is Gnome? I would say that Opera prolly dev'd Opera toward KDE @ most use KDE. I tried Gnome once and liked it, so I second your wish, imtheguru.

My point wasn't specifically about Gnome (although that desktop is used by lots of people), but about trying to make Opera support more standards so it is usable on more desktops and not only on KDE.

he obvious answer at the moment would be for you to have some enviroment variable or alias in your startup for your desktop and tell Opera to use that. You can change the default program Opera uses to open files. if you make it depend on an environment variable or alias then it could adjust to your current desktop automatically.

Do you mean it is currently possible to do this, or was it a feature you wish existed?

The problem isn't to use one single application to launch files (as Opera currently do with KDE). How about being able to right-click (quick-)downloaded files and see a list of applications, or be able to use "open with"?

Until there is a standard method to do so, they can't.

My suggestion will work currently, provided that your desktop does have some utility that can decide how to open the file. Using a file manager like kfmclient or even rox is an obvious answer, though someone has posted a different answer for Gnome previously.

If you use some other desktop though ...

Could you post an example on what these variables should contain? I am sure I could easilly put them in a launcher script for Opera, but I'd need to know what variables to use.

Just remember that you can use "gnome-open" instead of "kfmclient exec"

Originally posted by tribaldor
Just remember that you can use "gnome-open" instead of "kfmclient exec"

I didn't know this! Maybe Opera should check which desktop is running and then switch command?

If you always use Gnome, just change it yourself. Preferences, Advanced, Downloads (in Opera 8, in 7.5 it was Preferences, Programs and paths), Handlers for saved files.

Originally posted by sgunhouse
If you always use Gnome, just change it yourself. Preferences, Advanced, Downloads (in Opera 8, in 7.5 it was Preferences, Programs and paths), Handlers for saved files.

Sure I can do that now I know it can be done. What about all the other users?

Originally posted by andewid
I didn't know this! Maybe Opera should check which desktop is running and then switch command?

Good point. i would also like to see the online help updated to include the file handlers and show the options (kfmclient & gnome-open).

I dunno if any browser switches commands though? With FF I had to change the prefs as well to get it to open files with KDE applications.

Originally posted by Sanguinemoon
I dunno if any browser switches commands though? With FF I had to change the prefs as well to get it to open files with KDE applications.

Is this a reason for Opera not doing this?

If Opera can identify which desktop you use ...

When I install a version of Linux, I install every desktop and window manager that is available - and inevitably end up using KDE most of the time anyway. But since I have both KDE and Gnome installed (and Enlightenment, and Fluxbox, and IceWM and XFCE4 and Sawfish and ...) then how could they guess which one to use at any given time?

That's why I said that the various desktops should have some system variable, let's call it $OPEN, so that a running program can know which file opener to use now. If KDE is not running, you don't really want to use KDE applications to open your files - KDE has too much overhead if it isn't already running. But if KDE is running, then you might prefer to use KDE apps.

How about ask the user?

On first run, recommend the major file-open programs for the major desktop. Let user pick from list, enter their own value, or use the DEFAULT. Mention that this setup is optional, as files can be launched independant of Opera by going to the download directory in a file browser.

The preferences page can carry more detail like:

"1. Opera can use your desktop environment's file-open service to open downloaded files with the associated program. Note that different environments may use different default programs for each filetype.

2. If you do not wish to use the file-open feature, you can set associations for individual filetypes in Opera itself.

3. If you do not set any file associations, Opera will not be able to launch downloaded files with the correct program. You can still launch the downloaded file manually by using a file browser (independant of Opera)."

Options for condition 1:
KDE --> 'kfmclient'
Gnome --> 'gnome-open'
xxx --> 'yyy'
Other --> [Let user enter string]

Options for condition 2:
[Checkbox] Do not use file-open service, I will set up launchers for my downloaded filetypes.
(present some suggestions to user)

Options for condition 3:
(if #2 checkbox is enabled, but the the user has not entered any file association info for a specific filetype, condition 3 is in effect).

Now that seems to make sense, unless somebody more techicall then me can think of a reason why not.

I can think of 1 reason though and it gets beaten to death all over D&D......giving the user the option will confuse some 70 year old librarian somewhere

Originally posted by Sanguinemoon
I can think of 1 reason though and it gets beaten to death all over D&D......giving the user the option will confuse some 70 year old librarian somewhere

How many 70 year old librarians use Opera on Linux?

this is probly the most informative post i've ever read

i've been having this exact problem for a while and this solved it.

note to open folders in gnome you can also use 'nautilus --no-desktop -browser'
i find it much more useful. minus the '' of course

Originally posted by Sanguinemoon
I can think of 1 reason though and it gets beaten to death all over D&D......giving the user the option will confuse some 70 year old librarian somewhere

Thats what defaults are for, no?

Non-issue

It seems that Opera can recognize when it is running under KDE (see attachment). I presume a similar test can be designed to check for Gnome and other Desktop Environments.

Suitable defaults for the major Desktop Environments (KDE, Gnome, XFCE) can then be loaded at startup and user can be informed that they can alter the defaults if required.

Hope the devels take notice of this thread and its recommendations.

Cheers,

ksnapshot.png