NOTE: Using Ubuntu 7.04, but should be a Gnome-specific issue.

I want to move from using Evolution to web-based email at inbox.com. I have a mail notification applet running that checks my inbox.com account. When I get a new email, I can click on the applet to have it load up my preferred email application (as specified in the System->Preferences->Preferred Applications setting). Now, instead of having Evolution pop up, I want it to load inbox.com on Firefox.

So what I've done so far is go into that Preferred Applications setting and added a custom command: firefox www.inbox.com

When I click my notifier applet, it runs Firefox. Unfortunately, it ignores the url I attached. I've tried all variations that I can think of. The kicker? This works perfectly from the terminal, but not when it's loading as the "preferred application".

Any ideas?

Thanks!

You could try putting quotes around the Firefox setting in the preferred applications.

"firefox www.inbox.com"

Or you could try the reverse apostrophe instead of quotes.

`firefox www.inbox.com`

Note that the reverse apostrophe is on the same key as the tilde.

I think it depends on how either the mail checker or the Gnome preferred application calls Firefox. You might be able to do something like this in the preferred settings.

firefox %s

or

firefox %u

I don't know exactly what those parameters do but I see them on KDE icons that call applications.

Or you could just put Firefox in the preferred application without the URL. Maybe the URL will be automatically passed to Firefox by Gnome.

Thanks for the response!

I tried both of your suggestions, but nothing works.

It's not too big a deal, since as it is now, clicking to open my mail client opens up Firefox's home page - I just have a bookmark on the toolbar pointing to inbox.com. I'd just like to remove that one step if possible.

Two more "alternatives": #1: start up Firefox, go to inbox.com, now go to preferences and set "current page" as your homepage. This will cause the URL to appear everytime you open a browser which is kind of rigid. #2: Look where firefox is installed (the "which" command should show something like say /usr/local/bin/firefox) and move it to /usr/local/bin/firefox.bin. Now make a shell script /usr/local/bin/firefox and fill it with this, which will cause Firefox to be started with the Inbox URL unless there's an URL given:
This modification is more rigid compared to #1 because you're changing the location of a binary (instead of changing personal preferences) so if Firefox gets upgraded and ends up in another spot you'll have to edit the script.