I want to make Open Office Writer the default app for rtf documents. If I double click an rtf, it asks me what app I want to use to open it and allows me to search the file system for the right executable. I thought it was Writer, but I don't see an executable file of that name. So what executable do I need?

I think if I click an unknown file type, the system ought to offer me a list of applications to choose from rather than a view of the filesystem. Is there a way to make my system do that?

TIA
Stuart

Did you try (in the file manager)

Select the file
in the menu bar click FILE --> Open with Other Application then select the application you wish to use to open it.. that should set that action as the default for that particular file type. (GNOME)

Are you using KDE?
If so, it might be simplest to use konqueror's file associations.
I am assuming *.doc already opens in OO.
Konqueror - settings -Config. Konq -File associations.
Put doc in the "find filename pattern" box.
Click next to application in the box below.
Click MSword.
You'll see the filename patterns *.doc and *.DOC cause Oo to open.
So click Add, and add the patterns *.rtf and *.RTF
Click Apply, OK
Better?

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1. The executable file for Open office Writer (the word processor) is SWriter. The executable for Calc (spreadsheet) is SCalc, and for the database, SBase. The Executable to open OpenOffice in general and then open your individual application inside OOo is SOffice.

2., If you did a defaults installation of Open Office, you should find your Open Office installation in your /opt directory, it should be in /opt/program.

3. Search for the executable you want (if you did not do a defaults installation, you may need to run updatedb from terminal first while logged in as root) and once found, right click on the file you want to open, select "open with," and then browse to the appropriate executable.

helpful hint of the day:
The .odt file format used by OOo Writer is a compressed HTML format. If you are in a real pinch, you can unzip the .odt file with WinZip, select the content.html file from the unzipped results, and open that with a browser or text editor. There will be no formatting, and there will be a LOT of formatting garbage in the content.html file, but you will be able to read what was in the file.

Good luck

Thanks to you all for your help. I'm sorted now.

Stuart