Default browser

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Revision as of 13:47, 19 March 2007 by Alice Wyman (talk | contribs) (added back related bug 246078 removed in earlier edit)
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The term "default browser" is used to describe the URL and file associations that determine which web browser opens when hyperlinks are clicked in a standalone mail client like Outlook Express or Thunderbird, or when certain files such as HTM and HTML are opened. Note that some applications are "hard-coded" to open a particular browser, often Internet Explorer, no matter which browser is set as the default. Examples include the internet connection software furnished by PeoplePC Online, Juno and NetZero.

All systems

You would normally set a default browser using the the options or preference settings within the web browser. For example,

  • Firefox 2: "Tools -> Options -> Main / System Defaults -> (checkmark) Always check to see if Firefox is the default browser on startup -> Check Now"
  • Firefox 1.5: " Tools -> Options -> General -> Default Browser -> Check Now"
  • Mozilla Suite and SeaMonkey: "Edit -> Preferences -> Navigator -> Set Default Browser"

If those settings don't work, try setting another browser as the default browser, then reset Firefox, Mozilla Suite or SeaMonkey as the default. Other suggestions are listed below.

Windows

Open Firefox and go to "Tools -> Options ->General -> Default Browser -> "Check Now" (or "Edit -> Preferences -> Navigator -> Set Default Browser" on Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey). If that doesn't work, try the following:

If IE7 is installed

In some pre-release versions of Internet Explorer 7, hyperlinks in Outlook or Outlook Express mail messages do not to work unless IE7 is the default browser [1]. Uninstall IE7 (which restores IE6) or update IE7 to resolve the problem.

Force Firefox to make itself the default

If Firefox already thinks that it is default, exit Firefox completely, go to "Start Menu -> Run" and enter this into the text box: 

firefox.exe -silent -nosplash -setDefaultBrowser

Setting default browser manually

  • Windows Vista: "Start -> Default Programs -> Set Program Access and Computer Defaults -> Custom" [2]
  • Windows XP: "Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Set Program Access and Defaults (on the left) -> Custom" [3]).

After expanding the "Custom" category, you will see Internet Explorer and other installed browsers listed under "Choose a default Web browser". Select "Mozilla" (Suite), "SeaMonkey" or "Mozilla Firefox" (in some cases, "Mozilla Firefox" may not be listed; to add it back, reinstall Firefox [4]).

If the above doesn't work:

  • In Windows Control Panel and if Windows XP is using the Control Panel "Classic View":
    • Click on "Folder Options -> File Types".
  • In Windows XP using the Control Panel "Category View":
    • Click on "Performance and Maintenance". Then, click on "File Types" in the left column under the heading "See Also".

Assign the following filetypes to the browser you wish to set as default:

  • URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
  • URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy
  • URL:File Transfer Protocol
  • HTML File
  • HTM File (optional)

Note that you may find the URL file types above under extension "N/A" or "(none)".

Using a third-party utility

A third-party utility to set the default browser will save you a lot of work by automating the steps for you. The freeware utilities DefaultBrowser and SetBrowser will work for Firefox and Mozilla Suite as well as other installed browsers.

Linux

Gnome

This may be slightly different, depending on which distribution you are using.

  • Go to "Applications -> Desktop Preferences -> Advanced -> Preferred Applications".
  • Select "Custom Web Browser", and type "firefox %s" in the box ("mozilla %s" for Mozilla). Note that a symlink of the "firefox" or the "mozilla" script must be placed in one of the default PATHs (for example, a symlink of the "firefox" script to "/usr/bin/" is common).

KDE

  • Open kcontrol (KDE configuration center).
  • Go to "Components -> Components chooser -> Web browser".
  • Check "The following browser", and type in "firefox" ("mozilla" for Mozilla).

If you don't notice the "Web browser" component:

  • Go to "Components -> File association -> text -> html".
  • Select "Add..." under "Application Preference Order".
  • Write the command firefox %U (mozilla %U for Mozilla) and select OK. You need "%U" so you can load URLs that are non-local files.

Distribution Specific

Fedora Core 3

If you want the URLs to open in a new tab instead of new window, you need to modify different script:

  • Edit the /usr/bin/firefox or the /usr/bin/mozilla startup script.
  • Search for a line containing "openURL".
  • Replace
exec $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM_PARAM "openurl($opt,new-window)" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null

with 

exec $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM_PARAM "openurl($opt,new-tab)" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null

Debian

If you want to make Mozilla Firefox your default browser, point the symlink /etc/alternatives/x-www-browser to /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox or other path where Mozilla Firefox is installed. One easy way to do this is to execute the following command as root: 

update-alternatives --config x-www-browser

Doing so will present you with a list of installed browsers from which you can select Firefox.

Mac OS X

  1. Download Safari if you do not already have it.
  2. In Safari, choose "Preferences" from the menu.
  3. Click the "General" icon, and choose Mozilla from the default web browser pop-up menu. If you don't see Mozilla in the list, make sure it is in the "Applications" folder.
  4. If you don't want to use Safari, there's RCDefaultApp, a system preference panel which lets you set default browser, e-mail client, MIME types, and other options.

Related bug reports

External links

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