Getting GroupWise to Recognize the Default Linux Web Browser

Novell Cool Solutions: Tip
By Randy Wilson

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 13 Mar 2007

Problem

I am running SUSE Linux 10.2, and I have Firefox set as my default web browser in the system. And yet GroupWise still sends URLs to "kfmclient". How can I get GroupWise to recognize my default Linux browser?

Solution

GroupWise for Linux does not have an option for setting the default web browser. I have read that it is supposed to use the system's default web browser, but that is not true.

After exhausting all of the more reasonable paths, I finally came up with this hack:

1. Go to where kfmclient is found (which I found using "which kfmclient"):
cd /opt/kde3/bin

2. Change the name of kfmclient in case you ever want to use it again:
sudo mv kfmclient kfmclient.bak

3. Create a new kfmclient file with the following text in it:
sudo vi kfmclient

4. Type the following into the new kfmclient:

  # Strip 'exec' off the front of the URL since GroupWise tacks that on
  if [ $1 == "exec" ]; then
    shift
  fi
  # Send the remaining arguments to firefox
  /usr/bin/firefox $@

5. Make the new file executable:
sudo chmod +x kfmclient

After I did that, the URLs I clicked on in GroupWise came up in Firefox just fine!

Environment

• SUSE Linux 10.2
• GroupWise 6.5

Reader Comments

• There is an option in the Groupwise 6.5 client for Linux to select the web browser.

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