How to change the default filemanager of the Cinnamon desktop?

Question

I'm running an Arch Linux machine with the cinnamon-git desktop from the Arch User Repository.

The default filemanager is Nautilus, is there any way to change the default filemanager to thunar?

Solution 1

To change the default filemanager you can edit the file ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

Don't know how to specify thunar but to use nemo over nautilus I do this:

thomas@localhost ~> cat .local/share/applications/mimeapps.list 
[Added Associations]
inode/directory=nemo.desktop;

Also if you are curious why the wrong filemanager is started if you click on a folder icon check the actual command the starter launches.

After resolving the issues (see comments) you also have to look in the file

/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache

there you can change the filemanager also:

inode/directory=nautilus.desktop
inode/directory=nemo.desktop

Solution 2

From the Gnome section of the Arch Linux Wiki:

You can trick GNOME into using another file browser by editing the Exec line in /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop. See the correct parameters in the .desktop file of the file manager of your choice, e.g.:

/usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop

[...]
Exec=thunar %F
OR
Exec=pcmanfm %U
[...]

Solution 3

The accepted answer did not work for me. I had to run:

exo-preferred-applications

On Utilities tab, there is a selection for File Manager.

Comments

[aef]

This does not work on Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle". Any idea what causes this?

[user285oo6]

@aef Do you have nemo installed, does the file exist?

[aef]

Definitely yes.

[user285oo6]

@aef How are you starting the filemanager and which desktop are you using?

[user285oo6]

I'm not using starters on the desktop. You can try doing a right click on it and check what it actually starts. And you can check your local user configuration directory with cat ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

[aef]

There is no mimeapps.list if I don't create one manually. I tried this. This thing on the Desktop is not a normal launcher, it automatically changes when I remove the nautilus executable.

[user285oo6]

Got some last ideas: update-alternatives, /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache

[aef]

/usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache did the trick. I changed the line inode/directory=nautilus.desktop to inode/directory=nemo.desktop and now Nemo is opened by default.

[AdminBee]

Would you mind explaining what to do with that file? Please keep in mind that answers on this site are expected to be as self-containing and self-explanatory as possible since we want them to benefit as wide an audience as possible, including those with limited U&L admin experience.