Libreoffice opening text files by default instead of Kate

[Nayar]

Libreoffice is launched when clicked on txt files as .txt or .php files. It would be cool if we could make Kate open these files by default ASAP after installation.

[james147]

I would file a bug report or talk to the devs on #kubuntu-devel on the freenode irc channels, they are more likely to hear you there.

[kubicle]

It's already reported...and apparently fixed in raring. Don't know the status for quantal.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...e/+bug/1062086

[oshunluvr]

Likely no one bothered to notice that the LibreOffice package would do this if installed after kate. IMO, it's so easy to fix that it's not worth complaining about. This happens almost everytime you install a new program that uses a specific file type. I always remove LibreOffice and install OpenOffice. Then, the next time I edit a text file I have to adjust the file properties default back to kate.

Personally, I think a better default operating practice would be for any newly installed software to go to the bottom of the list rather than the top.

[james147]

IMO, it's so easy to fix that it's not worth complaining about.

But if you don't complain [read: file a bug report] about the small easy to fix things then they wont get fixed and you will have 100 small easy to fix things to do every new install

Personally, I think a better default operating practice would be for any newly installed software to go to the bottom of the list rather than the top.

Not always, quite often you do want the newly installed programs to be at the top (I do want libreoffice to open .docs, not kate...) The problem is libreoffice is set to open files it has no business opening, ie plain text files. It really should only be added to the top of rich text document lists and not to plain text lists at all.

[oshunluvr]

@James:

True. Another example - Handbrake puts itself at the top for all most (all?) video files and so does VLC and xml files are opened by Konqueror instead of kate. Although I agree with your assessment for Office software, who decides for all the other programs and users? This is the real "bug" IMO. AFAIK, there are a large group of people who prefer libreoffice to edit their plain text files.

While I agree that all bugs no matter how small need to be reported (fixing software bugs is primarily what my job is!), sometimes an annoyance is not a bug and is a matter of choice (sometimes called a feature ) set by a developer. It was not my intent to advocate silence, but rather to point out that the expectation that all things in a system as large as KDE, Kubuntu, Linux, etc. will fall out as I want them to is a highly unlikely occurrence. Again IMO, this particular item falls under the catagory of annoyance rather than a true malfunction or broken piece of software.

In this case and as in your excellent example, a report may help a developer see a more user-friendly option. By all means - report the issue.

[Nayar]

This is definitely a convenience thing. One does not simply use a word processor to edit codes. Tried to write this code in php: echo "lol";
and the browser outputed: "lol". The parser got confused by the quotes and included it as a string.

I installed Kubuntu about 5 times in the recent week. I've been observing how much time and effort it takes me to get into production mode.

Anyways, this thread can be closed since the devs already fixed it in raring

[Spadge]

The correct default behaviour is: ask.

Install handbrake ... "Do you want handbrake to open every video type file ever?" Yes, No, Select from list.

There, problem solved.

[Snowhog]

And if you don't like the 'default' application selection, change it.

System Settings > File Associations and click the > next to text and click on plain. In the General tab in Application Preference Order click on Kate and move it to the top of the list. In my case here, I removed all but Kate, as I rarely use LibreOffice. Click Apply and you're done. Now, when you click/double-click on a 'plain' text file it will open with Kate.

In Filename Patterns you can add other file extensions that consists of plain text.