Default use of Calibre

Agathyllus · 02-27-2021, 05:37 AM

Hi one and all,

I have been using Calibre, an excellent piece of software, for quite a while on both Windows 10 and Ubuntu.

The latest version of Calibre, 5.12.0, opens as default application on virtually all applications on Ubuntu 20.

As example, I downloaded a .brd file, a type of cad file, and when I click on it, Calibre tries to open it. It also tries to open .flac files etc

I could of course go into the system settings and remove all calibre entries except those for epub, mobi etc which in iteslf is quite an undertaking, but why should it do this?

Any ideas?

kovidgoyal · 02-27-2021, 10:52 AM

calibre does not register itself as the default handler for *any* filetypes. It informs the operating system of what filetypes it is *capable* of handling. After that what happens is entirely out of its hands.

BetterRed · 02-27-2021, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agathyllus

. . .
As example, I downloaded a .brd file, a type of cad file, and when I click on it, Calibre tries to open it. It also tries to open .flac files etc.

Curious: which calibre program - library manager, viewer or editor? Or one of calibre's command line utilities.

BR

JSWolf · 02-27-2021, 04:51 PM

How did you manage to associate Calibre with file types it doesn't even know about?

PeterT · 02-27-2021, 07:42 PM

Also was calibre from kovid's site or from a repository?

Agathyllus · 02-28-2021, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

calibre does not register itself as the default handler for *any* filetypes. It informs the operating system of what filetypes it is *capable* of handling. After that what happens is entirely out of its hands.

Thank you all for the replies and may I carry on what I found.
Good, Calibre tells the OS what file types it can handle, and yes it does that admirably.

But as I said for some reason it seems to tell the OS that it can open every file type I click on, except those for which I have taken the type endings from the system settings,

I completely removed Calibre from the system. I hunted through the complete OS and wherever I found an entry mentioning Calibre I removed it.
It is gone. Now I reinstall Calibre from the official site.
Bingo, it does it again.

Calibre even tries to load as a book a link on an app such as Balena Etcher.

I attach a random file association screen capture that say it all

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2021, 01:27 AM

Nope, calibre doesnt do that. If it is happening on your OS then something in your OS is broken. Most probably the typical linux desktop lanf pile of hacks that is xdg-utils.

Sarmat89 · 02-28-2021, 01:28 AM

Does it happen with a real desktop environment instead of KDE?

kovidgoyal · 02-28-2021, 01:38 AM

In fact I actually went to the trouble of writing a whole bunch of code to work around the brokenness of xdg-utils, precisely for this problem, that it would change default associations even when simply told of the existence of a new rogram. https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...e/linux.py#L57

02-27-2021, 05:37 AM	#1
Agathyllus Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2021 Device: laptop	Default use of Calibre Hi one and all, I have been using Calibre, an excellent piece of software, for quite a while on both Windows 10 and Ubuntu. The latest version of Calibre, 5.12.0, opens as default application on virtually all applications on Ubuntu 20. As example, I downloaded a .brd file, a type of cad file, and when I click on it, Calibre tries to open it. It also tries to open .flac files etc I could of course go into the system settings and remove all calibre entries except those for epub, mobi etc which in iteslf is quite an undertaking, but why should it do this? Any ideas?

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02-27-2021, 10:52 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,267 Karma: 27111060 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre does not register itself as the default handler for any filetypes. It informs the operating system of what filetypes it is capable of handling. After that what happens is entirely out of its hands.

02-27-2021, 04:51 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,505 Karma: 145863177 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	How did you manage to associate Calibre with file types it doesn't even know about?

02-27-2021, 07:42 PM	#5
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,399 Karma: 78880114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Also was calibre from kovid's site or from a repository?

02-28-2021, 01:27 AM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,267 Karma: 27111060 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Nope, calibre doesnt do that. If it is happening on your OS then something in your OS is broken. Most probably the typical linux desktop lanf pile of hacks that is xdg-utils.

02-28-2021, 01:28 AM	#8
Sarmat89 Fanatic Posts: 515 Karma: 2268308 Join Date: Nov 2015 Device: none	Does it happen with a real desktop environment instead of KDE?

02-28-2021, 01:38 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,267 Karma: 27111060 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	In fact I actually went to the trouble of writing a whole bunch of code to work around the brokenness of xdg-utils, precisely for this problem, that it would change default associations even when simply told of the existence of a new rogram. https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...e/linux.py#L57

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