Re: Browsing dirs from Dired with graphical explorer

[Tassilo Horn]

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:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(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)))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

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.

Bye,
Tassilo
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