Konqueror (file manager mode): tdeio URI, makes hard for other programs to work. #224

Basic information

TDE version: R14.0.10 (official repo)
Distribution: Devuan Beowulf (stable) x64
Hardware: amd64

Description

Extensive use of symbolic links, sometimes makes hard for other programs to properly work.

For me, VLC was unable to work, at almost all cases.
Eg. I wanted to play one beep file (the /opt/trinity/share/sounds/KDE_Beep_Beep.wav.that comes with TDE), so I pointed Konqueror ro the /opt/trinity/share/sounds directory and double clicked the WAV file.
VLC opened and threw an error message, that couldn't find the file.

This happens to almost every media file.

After activating VLC's logging, I could see (at the log file) this message:
"filesystem error: cannot open file /home/giorgos/media:/sda6/opt/trinity/share/sounds/KDE_Beep_Beep.wav (No such file or directory)".

The problem is the ":" character.
I think, the path sould be "/opt/trinity/share/sounds/KDE_Beep_Beep.wav" instead.

Not all programs have this problem, but some relying on the absolute path (in order to work), and refuse to accept symlinks (of the form "/home/giorgos/media:").

I couldn't find a way to fix it, so I installed Dolphin (which works with absolute paths (no symlinks)).

My personal opinion is, that sould be an option, Konqueror (at file manager mode) to deactivate symlinks (and the symbol ":").

Steps to reproduce

Right click a media file -> open with VLC.

Screenshots

AFAICS, the problem is not related to any sort of symlinks, but to the usage of media:// IO slave (which is only supported by TDE).

Probably the media:// URL is passed to VLC (andnot the one of the mountpoint) and VLC unknowingly assumes it is a filename in the current dirrectory.

@Giorgos, what was the address in Konqueror's location bar? Did it begin with "media:"?

Hi Giorgos,
as Philippe (@blu.256) pointed out, media:/ is not a symlink, it's a tdeio-slave protocol handled by tdeio media and mediamanager.
If I understand things correctly, you are not running a full TDE session but rather TDE applications within another session. This is the likely reason why you are seeing such errors.

In Konqueror, if you go to Storage Media do you get a list of the disks in your system? If so, try right clicking your sda6 partition and choose "
Open Media System folder" if available in your installation. This will open the absolute path of the media, without the "media:/" shortcut. Not sure if it will work on a non-TDE system though because it depends on mediamanager being running if my memory is right. Again this may be a limit cause by your hybrid installation.

Hi guys! :-)

@blu.256 blu.256
No! Location bar is normal. No "media:..." part there.

@MicheleC
Ehm...I'm not quite sure, what do you mean about hybrid install.
I'm inside a TDE seesion and there are no other desktops here.
I install (both software stable, x64) Devuan without any desktops (command prompt only).
Then (apt, from the root terminal) installed the inimum package (tdebase-trinity).
I attached a screenshsot. One can see there, VLC running inside TDE.

From now on, I'm installing software, os soon, as I need it. Eg. I felt the need of watching a local video file, so I installed VLC.

I admit that I'm not very familiar, with the internals of free desktop. I'm more in the mood of command prompt. That being said, It seems to me, that some package related to desktop full functionallity, accidentaly (or on purpose), left out of tdebase package.
Just an opinion! :-)
G.

Screenshot.png

995 KiB

There seems to be mismatch between:

No! Location bar is normal. No "media:..." part there.

…and the screenshot, where it is seen a minimized Konqueror window with an open address media:/sda3.

This confirms that this is an attempt to open tdeio address starting with media:/ in a program that is not familiar with tdeio protocols. You can try to open the real mount point address in Konqueror, instead of media:/ protocol.

Oh,...I didn't even notice!

If I can do something, in order to reveal any details, please tell me.

@MicheleC
Ehm...I'm not quite sure, what do you mean about hybrid install.

Hi Giorgos,
my apologies, from various bugs and mail I had the impression you were running another DE + additional TDE applications in it. My bad.
In that case the problem should only show with apps which are not "TDE-native".

In Konqueror, if you go to Storage Media do you get a list of the disks in your system? If so, try right clicking your sda6 partition and choose "Open Media System folder". This will open the absolute path of the media, without the "media:/" shortcut.

Have you tried this? This will open the file with the absolute path, so later you should be able to play from VLC without problem. If you try to open the media:/ path instead, you will end up with the problem you originally reported.

@MicheleC A tgought: wouldn't it be better if absolute, mount-point paths were passed to applications from Konqueror instead of media:// and such, not supported by non-TDE apps? This would prevent such issues from arising with non-TDE apps. From what I can tell this is not the case right now?

In Konqueror, if you go to Storage Media do you get a list of the disks in your system?

Yes.

If so, try right clicking your sda6 partition and choose "
Open Media System folder" if available in your installation.

Not available!
I can't see such an option, on right-click. :-(

In Konqueror, if you go to Storage Media do you get a list of the disks in your system?

Yes.

If so, try right clicking your sda6 partition and choose "
Open Media System folder" if available in your installation.

Not available!
I can't see such an option, on right-click. :-(

Uhm... do you have tdebase-tdeio-plugins-trinity installed in your system? Specifically tdeio media is what is required. As mediamanager running? You can type "dcop kded" from CLI and see if mediamanager shows up in the reply.

@MicheleC A tgought: wouldn't it be better if absolute, mount-point paths were passed to applications from Konqueror instead of media:// and such, not supported by non-TDE apps? This would prevent such issues from arising with non-TDE apps. From what I can tell this is not the case right now?

Hi Philippe, good question. I do prefer absolute paths, but others may prefer/be used to the media:/ protocol. I had a similar discussion with @SlavekB long ago and the result of that was to have the ability to use both both media:/ and absolute paths. Perhaps we could add a config flag in TCC that allows the user to select the default behavior for opening a media:

use media protocol: works as it is now
use absolute path: open media using absolute path. In right-click menu we will need to add a command "Open media protocol folder".

What does everyone think?

@MicheleC

@MicheleC A tgought: wouldn't it be better if absolute, mount-point paths were passed to applications from Konqueror instead of media:// and such, not supported by non-TDE apps? This would prevent such issues from arising with non-TDE apps. From what I can tell this is not the case right now?

Hi Philippe, good question. I do prefer absolute paths, but others may prefer/be used to the media:/ protocol. I had a similar discussion with @SlavekB long ago and the result of that was to have the ability to use both both media:/ and absolute paths. Perhaps we could add a config flag in TCC that allows the user to select the default behavior for opening a media:

use media protocol: works as it is now

use absolute path: open media using absolute path. In right-click menu we will need to add a command "Open media protocol folder".

What does everyone think?

I was referring not to replace media:/ with absolute paths globally, but only when opening files in an external app (e.g. single/double-click in Konqueror, or " Open in..." in Konqueror context menu)

Uhm... do you have tdebase-tdeio-plugins-trinity installed in your system? Specifically tdeio media is what is required. As mediamanager running? You can type "dcop kded" from CLI and see if mediamanager shows up in the reply.

Yes.
"Tdebase-tdeio-plugins-trinity" and "tdemultimedia-tdeio-plugins-trinity", are installed.

Also:

>dcop kded
KDirNotify-1
KDirNotify-2
KDirNotify-3
MainApplication-Interface
homedirnotify
kded
kwrited
mediamanager
medianotifier
qt/kded
systemdirnotify
tdebuildsycoca
tdesycoca
>

"Tdebase-tdeio-plugins-trinity" and "tdemultimedia-tdeio-plugins-trinity", are installed.

Ok, mediamanager seems to be running.
Do you have the file /opt/trinity/share/apps/konqueror/servicemenus/realfolder.desktop in your system?
Can you also post a screenshot of the popup menu when you right click your sda6 disk in Konqueror from Storage Media?

I was referring not to replace media:/ with absolute paths globally, but only when opening files in an external app (e.g. single/double-click in Konqueror, or " Open in..." in Konqueror context menu)

Hi Philippe,
the idea is good but it's implementation may not be as simple as you think. When opening a media:/ URL, tdeio media slave will take care of it. It know nothing about whether the request is coming from, whether it is from Konqueror, another TDE app or a non-TDE app, so it may be challenging to implement what you suggested. It is not too difficult to switch between media:/ and absolute path, the difficulty is to have a context on when to use one or the other. Hence the suggestion for Giorgos to use the "real folder" when he wants to use the file in a non TDE application.

"Tdebase-tdeio-plugins-trinity" and "tdemultimedia-tdeio-plugins-trinity", are installed.

Ok, mediamanager seems to be running.
Do you have the file /opt/trinity/share/apps/konqueror/servicemenus/realfolder.desktop in your system?

No, there isn't! :-(

>ls /opt/trinity/share/apps/konqueror/servicemenus/realfolder.desktop
ls: cannot access '/opt/trinity/share/apps/konqueror/servicemenus/realfolder.desktop': No such file or directory
>

Can you also post a screenshot of the popup menu when you right click your sda6 disk in Konqueror from Storage Media?

Done! :-)

Konqueror.png

91 KiB

Small notice: realfolder.desktop is not a part of R14.0.x branch, it is part of master branch == upcoming R14.1.0.

Ok, mediamanager seems to be running.
Do you have the file /opt/trinity/share/apps/konqueror/servicemenus/realfolder.desktop in your system?
No, there isn't! :-(

Small notice: realfolder.desktop is not a part of R14.0.x branch, it is part of master branch == upcoming R14.1.0.

ah yes! My bad. In R14.0.x that is under tdeaddons konq plugin, but I am not sure whether it works or not. In R14.1.x it wasn't working due to changes made to other parts of the code and that is why it was fixed and moved into tdeio media itself. In R14.0.x I am not sure whether the plugin would work or not.
@Giorgos: you can try installing the package konq-plugins-trinity from tdeaddons. This will add the "open medium system folder" to the drive popup menu. Not sure if it works, but if it does it will open konqueror using the absolute path of the medium, instead of the media:/ URL. It does work well in R14.1.0-dev in case you want to consider upgrading to it.

you can try installing the package konq-plugins-trinity from tdeaddons. This will add the "open medium system folder" to the drive popup menu. Not sure if it works, but if it does it will open konqueror using the absolute path of the medium, instead of the media:/ URL. It does work well in R14.1.0-dev in case you want to consider upgrading to it.

Nope. Still can't see this entry. :-(
(Attaching a screenshot).

Konqueror1.png

96 KiB

you can try installing the package konq-plugins-trinity from tdeaddons. This will add the "open medium system folder" to the drive popup menu. Not sure if it works, but if it does it will open konqueror using the absolute path of the medium, instead of the media:/ URL. It does work well in R14.1.0-dev in case you want to consider upgrading to it.

Nope. Still can't see this entry. :-(
(Attaching a screenshot).

Indeed, you are right. I checked the packaging files of Debian (Devuan uses the same packages). tdeio_media_realfolder script is installed but media_realfolder.desktop is excluded from the package. There is a note that specifically mention a difference between debian and ubuntu package. I will need to discuss with @SlavekB to see if he knows of any reason why this was done this way. If not, we can add it to R14.0.x in debian too.
In the mean while could you try running the following command and let us know if it works fine?

/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder sda6

or

/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder media:/sda6

/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder sda6

or

/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder media:/sda6

At both cases, I'm getting:

Use of uninitialized value $prop[6] in pattern match (m//) at /opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder line 14.

/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder sda6
/opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder media:/sda6

At both cases, I'm getting:

Use of uninitialized value $prop[6] in pattern match (m//) at /opt/trinity/bin/tdeio_media_realfolder line 14.

Thanks Giorgos, that confirms the perl script does not work anyway, regardless or whether you had the desktop file installed or not, it would not work...

On the IRC channel was a good note related to this problem:
http://www.trinitydesktop.org/irc/logs/trinity-desktop/2021/11/29/#28

It seems that we could also use this variable in TDE code.

Hello, I was experiencing this problem and wanted to share what worked for me.

Depending on where the ".desktop" file of the program having issues is located, "/usr/share/applications/" or "/home/isliendo/.local/share/applications/" I edited the file (with a text editor) so that the "%U" string (in the "Exec" tag) changes to "%F". The program then can open files on external drives.

I found some programs that had ".desktop" files on both locations so I edited both files just to be sure.

Unfortunately, this solution is not universal and can only be used in some cases. As a handy solution, it seems to use the X-KDE-Protocols, as mentioned on the link to IRC log above.

Fixed by TDE/tdelibs#157.