Bug 508039

Summary:	Notify user when the default application for something is changed
Product:	[Applications] systemsettings	Reporter:	Fernando M. Muniz <fernandommuniz>
Component:	kcm_filetypes	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	faure, kdedev, nate
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	usability
Version First Reported In:	6.4.4
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments:	Issue on Plasma 6.4.4

Description Fernando M. Muniz 2025-08-09 05:55:03 UTC

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Have a browser as default.
2. Install another browser.

OBSERVED RESULT
The default app is changed without even noticing the user.

EXPECTED RESULT
The default apps should never change to the newest app without asking the user if that what they want.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: Arch Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.17.0
Qt Version: 6.9.1
Kernel Version: 6.15.9-arch1-1 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 8 × 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz
Memory: 9 GB of RAM (8.1 GB usable)
Graphics Processor 1: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Graphics Processor 2: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Manufacturer: LENOVO
Product Name: 82MG
System Version: IdeaPad Gaming 3 15IHU6

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Firefox AUR, and Zen Flatpak

Comment 1 Fernando M. Muniz 2025-08-09 05:56:37 UTC

Created attachment 183898 [details]
Issue on Plasma 6.4.4

Comment 2 David Faure 2025-08-09 19:26:10 UTC

Tell that to the people making the "Zen Browser", they must be the ones forcing their browser as having more priority.

Comment 3 Fernando M. Muniz 2025-08-09 20:04:55 UTC

So this can't be stopped on KDE's end?

Comment 4 David Faure 2025-08-10 23:35:19 UTC

No, I don't think so.
Either they ship a .desktop file with a high InitialPreference key (that's the most likely scenario - this mechanism is based on people being reasonable...) or they edit ~/.config/mimeapps.list (I'm not sure how, though).

Comment 5 Fernando M. Muniz 2025-08-10 23:38:31 UTC

Then can a notification be made for whenever a default app change? That would be the next best thing.

Comment 6 TraceyC 2025-08-11 22:43:44 UTC

Creating a notification when default app choices are switched may be something we can do.

Comment 7 Nate Graham 2025-08-12 20:16:07 UTC

> The default apps should never change to the newest app without asking the user if that what they want.

That's a "be careful what you wish for" situation. There are cases where you do want the default app to change automatically. Some trivial ones I can think of are having an unsuitable app installed for a file type and then installing a suitable one, or having a suitable one installed and then installing a new one to test it out.

Notifying the user that this is happening every time would drive people slowly mad, I suspect. So I'm not sure we should do this, sorry.

Comment 8 Fernando M. Muniz 2025-08-12 20:33:50 UTC

Currently the user would have to guess which app changes the default and which doesn't.
My suggestion could still work as an deactivatible setting.