osr-mono/packages/osr-code-bot/kbot-extensions/docs/shell-ext/ubuntu.md

Custom "Open With" Menu Integration in Ubuntu

Method 1: Using .desktop Files

To add a custom application to the "Open With" context menu, you can create a .desktop file.

1. Create a .desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications or /usr/share/applications:

# Example: CustomEditor.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Custom Editor
Comment=Open files with my custom editor
Exec=/usr/local/bin/my-editor %f
Icon=/usr/share/icons/my-editor.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
MimeType=text/plain;text/markdown;
Categories=Utility;TextEditor;

Method 2: Using XDG Mime Database

You can also modify the XDG MIME database to associate file types with your application:

# Update the MIME by association
xdg-mime --default-apps my-editor.desktop text/plain

# Update the database
update-desktop-database

Method 3: Using Filemanager Actions (Nautilus)

You can add custom actions to Nautilus by creating a script in ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Save this as ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/custom-opener

for f in "$@"; do
    my-editor "$f"
done

Make the script executable:

chmod +x ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/custom-opener

Method 4: mimeapps.list Configuration

You can modify the ~/.config/mimeapps.list file:

# Add lines like this:
text/plain=my-editor.desktop;vim.desktop;gedit.desktop

Key File Locations

• System-wide applications: /usr/share/applications
• User-specific applications: ~/.local/share/applications
• MIME type definitions: /usr/share/mime/packages
• User-specific MIME overrides: ~/.config/mimeapps.list
• Nautilus scripts: ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts

Important Notes

1. After making changes, you may need to:

   • Run update-desktop-database
   • Log out and back in
   • Restart Nautilus with killall nautilus

2. For .desktop files, make sure:

   • The file has execute permissions (u+x)
   • The Exec path is correct
   • The MimeType list is appropriate for your application