Bug 424970

Summary: If the browser set as Default Browser is uninstalled, automatically set one of the remaining browsers (if present) as the new default one
Product: [Applications] systemsettings Reporter: The Feren OS Dev <ferenosdev>
Component: kcm_componentchooserAssignee: David Edmundson <kde>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: normal CC: nate, plasma-bugs-null
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: 5.19.4   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Other   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description The Feren OS Dev 2020-08-03 19:20:12 UTC 
SUMMARY
If you remove the browser currently set as the Default Browser, e.g.: by uninstalling the browser, any links via preferred://browser in menus and Task Managers then become broken shortcuts.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Install a browser, such as google-chrome-stable
2. Set Google Chrome (in this case) as the default browser
3. Make sure preferred://browser is favorited or pinned in a widget in Plasma
4. Uninstall Google Chrome (in this case) and restart Plasma

OBSERVED RESULT
preferred://browser mentions are now broken links

EXPECTED RESULT
preferred://browser should fall back to linking to a remaining internet browser (or the first available browser in the html file application associations).

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 
macOS: 
Linux/KDE Plasma: Feren OS (KDE neon 18.04)
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.19.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.72.0
Qt Version: 5.14.2

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2021-03-19 20:58:14 UTC 
Yeah.  Not sure what we could really do about it though. Removing it automatically wouldn't be very nice. Maybe we could fall back to the next-most-preferred browser? Or just the next one in alphabetical order?
Comment 2 The Feren OS Dev 2023-05-18 12:20:22 UTC 
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> Yeah.  Not sure what we could really do about it though. Removing it
> automatically wouldn't be very nice. Maybe we could fall back to the
> next-most-preferred browser? Or just the next one in alphabetical order?

Next most preferred browser would be best, if that's possible, but if not, alphabetical order would definitely work too, I would think.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2025-10-24 18:45:15 UTC 
I think this isn't a Plasma issue; the icon is reflecting the reality that there is no longer a preferred browser.

If we want to automatically fall back to another preferred browser, then something has to take care of changing the preferred browser to one of the remaining ones, or else lots of other things are going to break too.

And in fact, this is exactly what happens now! Closing.