Make OSX default web browser (Linux) Firefox

Discussion in 'Linux Virtual Machine' started by ClausA, Aug 23, 2017.

  1. ClausA

    ClausA Junior Member

    Messages:
    11
    I have updated to the latest Parallels 13, hoping that I can make the Lubuntu Linux Firefox (VM) the default browser on my Mac. However, the Mac's System Preferences would not let me chose Lubuntu's Firefox as the default browser. (I could pick MS Edge, which also runs in a Parallels VM.)
    Is there a way to make Lubuntu Firefox (running inside a Parallels VM) my default browser on my Mac?
    Thanks for any hint.
    C.
     
  2. rkulikov

    rkulikov Parallels Developers

    Messages:
    313
    Is Linux applications sharing enabled in VM configuration (Options -> Applications -> Share Linux applications with Mac)?
     
  3. ClausA

    ClausA Junior Member

    Messages:
    11
    App sharing is switched on and I can start Firefox (Linux Guest) by clicking on the Firefox icon at macOS (~/Applications (Parallels)/Lubuntu/Firefox Web Browser).
    The problem is that Firefox (Linux Guest) does not appear in the default browser list in macOS System Preferences -> General tab. The default browser popup list shows Internet Explorer and Edge (Windows 10 guest) as options, but not Linux browsers.
     
  4. rkulikov

    rkulikov Parallels Developers

    Messages:
    313
    Sorry, yes. This feature is not implemented for Linux guests.

    But I may suggest a "manual" workaround. This is not an official way, no guarantee that it functions always properly.
    0. Open file ~/Applications (Parallels)/{$VM_ID} Applications.localized/Firefox Web Browser.app/Contents/Info.plist in your text editor and add these keys there:
    <key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
    <array>
    <dict>
    <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
    <array>
    <string>http</string>
    <string>https</string>
    </array>
    </dict>
    </array>

    1. Unregister Firefox guest app from LaunchServices database first:
    $ /System/Library/Frameworks//CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -u ~/Applications\ \(Parallels\)/\{VM_ID\}\ Applications.localized/Firefox\ Web\ Browser.app/
    2. Reregister Firefox app:
    $ /System/Library/Frameworks//CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -v ~/Applications\ \(Parallels\)/\{VM_ID\}\ Applications.localized/Firefox\ Web\ Browser.app
     
  5. ClausA

    ClausA Junior Member

    Messages:
    11
    Thanks for your reply. I have tried to add CFBundleURLSchemes already a couple of days ago. It would let me pick Firefox (Linux guest) as the default browser. When clicking on a link Firefox opens as expected, however, Firefox open file:///home/parallels/ independent of the clicked link.
    Obviously, the URL is not being passed to Firefox. This makes it useless.
    Is there another way or are there any plans to add this feature again to Parallels? (I remember using Firefox on Linux guest in Parallels 10 or so.) You do offer this feature for Windows, so why not for Linux (since it has worked in previous versions)?
     
  6. AS_8

    AS_8 Bit poster

    Messages:
    1

    Any updates on this functionality? I would like to be able to target a browser in my Ubuntu VM when clicking a web link within macOS host. Is that possible?

    for a quick test I tried to target both Cromium and Firefox, but neither worked. Chromium simply opens an empty tab, and Firefox opens the local user home folder like ClausA reports above
     

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