Ep. 173 - Opening files with other programs in GNOME

[woodsb02]

It is actually really easy to configure which application certain filetypes should be opened with in GNOME... and its done completely with GUI:

Clearly if you want to open an ogg with mplayer, you could right click on the ogg and select "Open with other application..." and then select the application. However, how can you make mplayer the DEFAULT application for example?

Simple: right click on the ogg, and select "Properties", go to the "Open With" tab and click the radio button next to the application you wish to make the default (in this case mplayer). If it's not there, click "add" or first do the manual "Open with other application..." method and it will then be in that menu when you next goto the "Open with" tab. Simple!

In fact... probably easier than having it in some control centre really... context sensitive options! The reason KDE users may find it hard (or not find it at all) is because they are simply not used to it... which is fair enough! I found this more intuitive, but it clearly wasn't for yourself so perhaps not.

[dann]

Thanks woodsb02. I have to admit, I find myself posting this in many different places (email, my blog and now the forum). I do stand corrected and using nautilus like this is so much easier.

What threw me was that when you click on a file in nautilus you are presented with an"open with" option and this is where I expected to find a check box to make my choice the default app (which seems to be the case in other desktop's and OS's I use). In Gnome, this is not so. I never expected to find this option under the properties of the file; but there it is. Alas, now I know and knowing is half the battle! Yo Joe!

[NaOH]

A downside is that when you change the default application numerous times then the right click menu can fill up with unnecessary applications to open the file. Just remember that the same menu can remove items to.