Panel apps try to launch in xterm, even though it isn't installed

Question

I have some panel applications that launch terminals, but when I click on them, they say xterm failed. Well yeah, xterm isn't installed, nor do I want it.

I want mate-terminal to come up instead. How do I configure that to happen?

This is Ubuntu server 12.04 with a mate desktop. I have MATE Terminal 1.6.1 installed.

Here is the error:

UPDATE:

$ echo $TERM
xterm

I tried :

export TERM=mate-terminal

But the change was not lasting, nor did it effect the panel launcher.

---

UPDATE2:

~$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-terminal-emulator  
There is only one alternative in link group x-terminal-emulator: /usr/bin/mate-terminal
Nothing to configure.

Not sure what list it is, but this doesn't seem to work. Ok, so Ill try this command:

$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator x-terminal-emulator mate-terminal /usr/bin/mate-terminal 50
update-alternatives: priority must be an integer

Usage: update-alternatives [<option> ...] <command>

Commands:
  --install <link> <name> <path> <priority>
    [--slave <link> <name> <path>] ...
                           add a group of alternatives to the system.
  --remove <name> <path>   remove <path> from the <name> group alternative.
  --remove-all <name>      remove <name> group from the alternatives system.
  --auto <name>            switch the master link <name> to automatic mode.
  --display <name>         display information about the <name> group.
  --query <name>           machine parseable version of --display <name>.
  --list <name>            display all targets of the <name> group.
  --get-selections         list master alternative names and their status.
  --set-selections         read alternative status from standard input.
  --config <name>          show alternatives for the <name> group and ask the
                           user to select which one to use.
  --set <name> <path>      set <path> as alternative for <name>.
  --all                    call --config on all alternatives.

<link> is the symlink pointing to /etc/alternatives/<name>.
  (e.g. /usr/bin/pager)
<name> is the master name for this link group.
  (e.g. pager)
<path> is the location of one of the alternative target files.
  (e.g. /usr/bin/less)
<priority> is an integer; options with higher numbers have higher priority in
  automatic mode.

Options:
  --altdir <directory>     change the alternatives directory.
  --admindir <directory>   change the administrative directory.
  --log <file>             change the log file.
  --force                  allow replacing files with alternative links.
  --skip-auto              skip prompt for alternatives correctly configured
                           in automatic mode (relevant for --config only)
  --verbose                verbose operation, more output.
  --quiet                  quiet operation, minimal output.
  --help                   show this help message.
  --version                show the version.
~$ sudo update-alternatives --set /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator x-terminal-emulator mate-terminal /usr/bin/mate-terminal 50

So then, "--install" doesnt seem to be an option. ok, maybe "--set" is what was meant... but that doesnt work right.

I also looked in system>preferences>preferred applications where mate terminal is listed as the default terminal.

here is uname -a to confirm my Ubuntu usage:

Linux X 3.11.0-15-generic #25~precise1-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 30 17:42:40 UTC 2014 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

Answer 1

I was tooling around in synaptic, which I installed later to help me figure this out.

I noticed GNOME-terminal wasn't installed, so I installed it. Suddenly my links work properly now.

To be certain, I uninstalled it, and deleted the link I made recommended by Sneetsher

Once uninstalled I was getting the same errors. When I install GNOME-terminal again, it works as expected.

Answer 2

Try running:

sudo update-alternatives --config x-terminal-emulator  

Find mate-terminal in the list and enter the number beside it.

If mate-terminal is not in the list you can add it with:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator x-terminal-emulator mate-terminal /path/to/executable 50

Where /path/to/executable is the path where mate-terminal resides.

The $TERM variable doesn't tell you what terminal emulator you're using, it just tells you what type of emulator you are using. Most emulators are xterm type.

Answer 3

Old Non Working answer, Make a link:

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/mate-terminal /usr/bin/xterm

---

It didn't work because mate-terminal is not a drop-in replacement for xterm it needs an xterm wrapper. I think is the same problem with x-terminal-emulator solution, which should point to xterm replacement terminal (or an xterm wrapper).

What it seems happening here, if x-terminal-emulator is not set, windows manager look for xterm which is the standard terminal for Xorg (in this case, not installed).

A bug report report was already filled against Mint 14 for missing wrapper, lp-bug#1238964 . Also upstream bug report Mint 13 github-issue#9, stated as fixed.

I could confirm that Mint 16 contains mate-terminal.wrapper.

For earlier releases:

• mate-terminal.wrapper could be downloaded from source repository of mate-terminal, set it up using update-alternatives as mentioned in Seth's solution

• Or just install other alternative desktops terminal which have a wrapper like gnome-terminal, xfce4-terminal,.. as j0h's answer. Any of them will configure the x-terminal-emulator to its own wrapper.

Answer 4

This fixed it for me in Mate 15.05:

sudo apt-get install GNOME-terminal