bug#26558: Opening URLs with xdg-open fails (eg. Gajim, Pumpa)

[Ben Sturmfels]

Hi Folks,

When I click an embedded URL within Gajim or Pumpa, I'm expecting a
browser window to pop up, but nothing happens and I get an error on the
command line:

  /home/ben/.guix-profile/bin/xdg-open: line 341: gnome-open: command
  not found

The same error shows up if you attempt try the URL with xdg-open
directly:

  $ xdg-open https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/
  /home/ben/.guix-profile/bin/xdg-open: line 341: gnome-open: command not
  found

As this message suggests, "gnome-open" is hard-coded into the "xdg-open"
script on line 341.

In Trisquel 7 and Debian Unstable the "gnome-open" executable is
included in the "libgnome2-bin" package, which I gather is deprecated.
Some quick searching around suggests that "gvfs-open" might be the the
appropriate replacement for "gnome-open":

  
https://askubuntu.com/questions/101965/what-is-the-replacement-for-gnome-open-in-gnome
  
https://wiki.gnome.org/Initiatives/GnomeGoals/RemoveGnomeOpenGnomeHelp?highlight=%28gnome-open%29
  https://wiki.gnome.org/Attic/LibgnomeMustDie?highlight=%28gnome-open%29

I assume that means either:

  a. packaging the deprecated gnome-open,
  b. modifying xdg-open to use gvfs-open instead of gnome-open, or
  c. in Gajim's case, possibly using "gtk_show_uri"?

Cheers,
Ben