Re: Browsing dirs from Dired with graphical explorer

[Richard Riley]

Tassilo Horn <tassilo@member.fsf.org> writes:

> Sébastien Vauban <zthjwsqqafhv@spammotel.com>
> writes:
>
> Hi Sébastien,
>
>> I would like some help with a snippet of code I've merged from
>> different sources:
>>
>> (defun my-browse-dir (dir-as-string)
>>   "Open the current directory in your OS's file manager."
>>   (interactive)
>>   (let ((file-manager
>>          (cond (running-ms-windows "explorer")
>>                (t "/usr/lib/kde4/bin/dolphin"))))
>>                   ;; `nautilus --no-desktop' or `gnome-open'
>>     (start-process-shell-command "browse"
>>                                  "*scratch*"
>>                                  (concat file-manager " " dir-as-string))))
>>
>> I'd like to use that when in Dired mode: to be able to launch
>> the graphical file browser from the underlying OS.
>>
>> My problem is: how to pass the current directory argument?
>
> If you're inside dired, you can use `dired-current-directory'.  So maybe
> this (untested) version does what you want:
>
> (defun my-browse-dir ()
>   "Open the current directory in your OS's file manager."
>   (interactive)
>   (let ((dir-as-string (dired-current-directory))
>         (file-manager
>          (cond (running-ms-windows "explorer")
>                (t "/usr/lib/kde4/bin/dolphin"))))
>     (start-process "browse" nil file-manager dir-as-string)))
>
> In should open the directory point is on.  If it's on a file, it depends
> on what the file manager does when it gets a file argument.  Most will
> open it with an appropriate application.
>
> You might want to bind the function so some key in dired.
>
>   (define-key dired-mode-map (kbd "e") 'my-browse-dir)
>
>> Next question: is there somehow a way not to be forced to explicitly
>> give the path to all possible executables under Linux?
>
> Normally something like (start-process "file-browser" nil "dolphin")
> should work.  If not, then the PATH emacs sees is not setup correctly.
>
>> Some way to launch the file browser like with a `start' or `open'
>> command?
>
> There's `xdg-open' which given a directory or file argument should open
> it with the system's default application.

Where is this defined? It does not exist on my debian system.

Also would you know how to make "e" open the directory/file under the
cursor? Your comments above indicate you thought this to be the case -
it actually opens the current dir.

e.g If I am in dired in ~, and the cursor is on .adobe (a dir) then
hitting e should open .adobe in nautilus in my case

,----
| (defun my-browse-dir ()
|   "Open the current directory in your OS's file manager."
|   (interactive)
|   (let ((dir-as-string (dired-current-directory))
|         (file-manager "nautilus"))
|     (message "Dir is %s" dir-as-string)
|     (start-process "browse" nil file-manager dir-as-string)
|     )
|   )
| 
|   (define-key dired-mode-map (kbd "e") 'my-browse-dir)
`----


>
> Bye,
> Tassilo

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