Is there a way to make portable apps like Pidign or other apps that have clickable support links default to the portable browser like Firefox?
Case in point was I went to launch Skype from Portable apps, forgot password clicked forgot password and it opened the computers default browser not the PA browser.
Same when I clicked on the Pidgin help defaulted to the computers browser.
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thats normal behaviour, when a program is coded to open a site etc it uses winapi or the equivalent (based on the toolkit the program is developed under) and it will call the host pc's default browser.
your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau
so there is no way to change it? As I imagine it leaves behind tracks on the host computer which IMHO sort of was one of the cool aspects of Portableapps not affecting the host computer?
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seuss
I am not positive on it, and the others can correct me if I am wrong, but if the program was able to change the default, then it _would_ be affecting the host computer more than desired.
The tracks it leaves are minimal and don't affect the host, which is also the goal, it's not supposed to be stealth. Stealth is a benefit but not a requirement.
Don't be an uberPr∅. They are stinky.
Well, if it were to alter the default settings, yes, that would be an issue, but work is being done on portable software that changes the affiliations of extensions and calls to integrate portable applications with the host computer. When the program quits or is forced closed, the changes will be restored, rolled back.
The greater problem is the lack, by lack of design, of interoperability between portable apps. If portable applications contacted the menu and the menu pointed them toward the correct portable helper app, that would be ideal. But that wouldn't affect files loaded in Windows Explorer. The real ideal solution would be a portable shell with its own file manager, but that hasn't been done yet, and none of the free, open source, or even paid shell replacements have a very big fan following. So cloning the Windows shell would be ideal, but problematic legally.
I've been working on this for the past few months; it's very, very far from complete (pre-alpha), and it'll probably take several more months to even make it to alpha, but it's likely to be exactly what people have been looking for for a long time now.
Here's some screenshots of my portable shell, FileMaster, as well as a feature list.
Features:
Screenshots:
The FileMaster desktop, complete with icons and a custom background color: http://i41.tinypic.com/13zq1b7.png
The FileMaster Start Menu: http://i41.tinypic.com/2q3bplf.png
Half-a-dozen clocks, showing the time around the world: http://i44.tinypic.com/2ilyjih.png
A custom theme & desktop backdrop: http://i39.tinypic.com/e64sxk.png
Like I said, FileMaster is far from done; I haven't even gotten drag-and-drop implemented on the Desktop yet, let alone a custom file browser, but I'm working on it.
"It'll be ready when it's ready." ™
EDIT: added a line stating that FileMaster is FOSS to avoid my post being misconstrued as self-promotion
"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."
Need any help testing it?
"It's just an online installer. It's not going to mug you.", JTH
"The shell is the key to unlock Linux's greatest advantages."
Not yet, thanks anyway.
It's still deep in development, and crashes are almost a normal part of dev life. I'm not posting anything other than those screenshots until it at least reaches alpha (that involves emptying the very full bug tracker, too).
I'll give you a holler once I bring out the first public build, though.
"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."
Instead, change from using the default system browser to using the portable browser of the user's choice.
I recently saw a bookmarks manager that lets the user input the path of the browser they want to use when opening bookmarks. That seems ideal to me!
I realize that implementation would be a problem. It should become normal practice to make software work that way in general, not something tacked on by people wanting to portablize apps.