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I'm unable to make Thunderbird open the default browser.

In the browser preferences, Chromium is selected as the default browser. It's also selected in "Default Applications" in System Settings.

In Thunderbird, I read "Chrome (Default)" which is wrong on all levels:

  1. Chrome itself complains that it's not the default browser when I click a link inside Thunderbird.

  2. In all other places, that I could find, Chromium is the default

Here is what I tried:

  1. I used update-alternatives --config x-www-browser to select chromium-browser as well (see How do I change the default browser?).

  2. And even when I select a different browser from the list in the Thunderbird preferences, it still opens Chrome.

My current solution is to create a link from /usr/bin/google-chrome to chromium-browser.

How can I force Thunderbird to use the browser I want???

EDIT I also updated gnome-www-browser (update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser) after feedback from roadmr but that didn't help. At least sensible-browser opens Chromium, now, but Thunderbird is stubborn.

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2 Answers

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A stab in the dark: did you use the update-alternatives procedure to update gnome-www-browser?

update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser
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Took me a moment to see the difference (gnome-www-browser instead of x-www-browser) but no game. At least sensible-browser now opens chromium, too. What worries me is that Thunderbird ignores its own preferences :-( – Aaron Digulla Mar 26 '12 at 10:15
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I found the last step missing. You have to go to Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Config Editor and change options

  • network.protocol-handler.warn-external.http
  • network.protocol-handler.warn-external.https

to user-defined. Next time when you open a link it will ask you about which browser do you want, and then type /usr/bin/x-www-browser.

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As I said in my question, I already changed the preferences you mentioned but this had no effect. For some reason, Thunderbird ignores those settings :-( – Aaron Digulla Jun 8 '12 at 17:58
That was the only option that worked for me. Placing the network.protocol-handler.app.http doesnt do anything. You essentially have to ask it to prompt it for you when you open a link... :S – bruno.braga Apr 28 at 23:42

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