I first noticed this when in the remote:/ folder and clicked on the 'add network folder' icon - this opened as a file in Kate rather than opening the Add Network Folder wizard. In searching for a solution I found this http://askubuntu.com/questions/694809/add-network-folder-in-dolphin-opens-libreoffice I have since noticed that any .desktop file does this rather than open the program it is for (Abiword or Xine for example) Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Browse to a folder in Dolphin 2. Left click on any desktop application file 3. Actual Results: Kate opens with the content of the .desktop file Expected Results: the program specified in the file under Exec= ..... should open rather than Kate I have compared the settings in Dolphin and in File Associations for the application group and application/x-desktop and can see no difference between my Kubuntu 15.10 and a Mint17 system that works as expected. On both my Kubuntu and Mint set up Kate is the first option available to open desktop files from a right click
By default when an executable file (*.desktop) is opened a popup is displayed: "What do you wish to do with this executable file?" "Open" "Execute" "Cancel" This popup window has a "Don't ask again" checkbox. I think that on your sistem (or Kubuntu) the "Open" selection is chosen by default. I'm not sure how can you reset the way behaviour.
Ah that is a good avenue to pursue - my touch pad is a bit over enthusiastic and I find the mouse pointer jumps about rather too easily. I did not notice such a pop up but it is possible that one popped and and was gone before I noticed as brushing the touch pad accepted the default option. So just need to find where that setting is saved. Thanks for the info, that is very useful
having been stumped by this I ignored it until today - Under Dolphin preferences, on the general section there is a confirmations tab. Here, under 'ask for confirmation in all KDE applications when:' selecting 'executing scripts or desktop files' restores the default functionality of asking 'what do you want to do with this executable?' when you click a desktop icon in Dolphin. I presume I have inadvertently selected open and somehow ticked the don't ask again box. So, not a bug but a config setting that I could not find - I actually found it by accident while trying to some something else entirely. :-) Issue resolved.
Judging by the "Issue resolved" in the last line you might want to change the status of this bug to resolved ;-)