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I want to set Chromium my default internet browser i.e. Chromium is being launched as the primary internet browser from other applications and that I do not receive the notification about Chromium not being the default internet browser at its startups. I think changing the priority to the highest and set it default internet browser can be the ways to do it. I am not sure what manual/auto are about in update-alternatives of internet browsers.

Fig. 1 My view when starting each time Chromium where it asks each time if it can be the default browser (Yes, I want it), but Chrome keeps being the default internet browser despite of the following attempts in update-alternatives

enter image description here

Before

root@masi:/home/masi# update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser There are 3 choices for the alternative gnome-www-browser (providing /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ 0 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 auto mode * 1 /usr/bin/chromium 40 manual mode 2 /usr/bin/firefox-esr 70 manual mode 3 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 manual mode Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: ^C

I do unsuccessfully where I try to increase Chromium's priority to 250

# http://askubuntu.com/a/620983/25388 root@masi:/home/masi# update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser chromium 250

update-alternatives: error: alternative path is not absolute as it should be: chromium

After (= Before)

root@masi:/home/masi# update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser There are 3 choices for the alternative gnome-www-browser (providing /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ 0 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 auto mode * 1 /usr/bin/chromium 40 manual mode 2 /usr/bin/firefox-esr 70 manual mode 3 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 manual mode

Testing Grochmal's proposal

I run

root@masi:/home/masi# update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser /usr/bin/chromium 250

update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/chromium to provide /usr/bin/x-www-browser (x-www-browser) in auto mode

Privous log seems to be ok but not the output when seeing the priority

root@masi:/home/masi# update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser There are 3 choices for the alternative gnome-www-browser (providing /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ 0 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 auto mode * 1 /usr/bin/chromium 40 manual mode 2 /usr/bin/firefox-esr 70 manual mode 3 /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable 200 manual mode Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: ^C

OS: Debian 8.5 64 bit
Hardware: Asus Zenbook UX303UA
Linux kernel 4.6

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    update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser /usr/bin/chromium 250 ? Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 1:59
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    What exactly do you mean by Chrome overwrites my decision ? Chromium is set as your default browser in Debian alternatives as shown above. No need to change priorities as they are only used when in auto mode, and not in manual mode which you use to explicitely force chromium (the entry marked with asterisk is one selected, which is cromium). You should explain in detail what you want to happen when you click on what, and what happens instead, and then maybe someone can help. Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 9:47
  • @Masi I have seen the body (three times now), and still it is not clear to me what you want. You will have to be way more verbose, that is why I have bolded in my previous comment three things that are the least you have to explain in detail, as we can't read your mind what you mean by "default" (there are at least dozen different things what it can mean to you), "overwrite" etc. Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 11:24
  • @Masi that is not what I asked. Please clarify what default means to you in this case. Preferably in easy-to-uderstand form of "what you want to happen when you click on what, and what happens instead". See catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#beprecise for details. Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 12:11
  • @MatijaNalis Please, see the body: I want to set Chromium my default internet browser i.e. Chromium is being launched as the primary internet browser from other applications and that I do not receive the notification about Chromium not being the default internet browser at its startups. - - I think the default internet browser is common term used in many Linux distributions so it should be clear to the reader what it means. Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 13:29

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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There are several (unrelated) questions in this, depending on definition of default; and each of those has its own solutions.

  • for launching in Desktop Environment, browser which will be started is usually specified in Debian alternatives system as stated in question (and is already set to Chromium!).

  • of course if user has created shortcut to specific app instead of x-www-browser then alternatives won't be used and shortcut need to changed manually according to that DE

  • for opening from certain programs (like MUAs), attachments will be opened according to mailcap(5), see that manual page how to override for example text/html etc. (See also /etc/mime.types for maping local extensions to MIME types)

  • some apps will use xdg-open(1) for determining with what to open files.

  • other apps yet will have its own lists (for example, in Firefox you'll have about:preferences#content URL to configure with what to open some MIME type, in mc you'll have Menu / Command / Edit extension file to determune what happens when you click on .html file etc)

  • For the Chromium not being the default internet browser message, disable broken check in Menu / Settings / Settings / Default browser or see this question

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  • MUA = Mail User Agent. - - Great work flow for the question! So I just disabled the notice by the way your last point describes. Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 15:48

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