Ubuntu 22.04 links don't use default chrome browser

Bug graveyard
1

There have been previous answers which still don’t address this bug in the core obsidian for linux (namely ubuntu 22.04, gnome 42)

Repro

  • Set the default browser to chrome in the system settings
  • Open obsidian and follow an external link
  • Firefox launches instead of chrome (or google-chrome)
2

This likely is not a bug in Obsidian as it is not hard-coded to use a specific browser. It is the configuration of the operating system that determines what application is used.

3

I’ve detected the cause, and use symlink as a workaround:

Condition

  • OS: Ubuntu 22.04
  • Obsidian: 1.5.12 SNAP installed via Ubuntu Software
  • Default browser: Chrome set default for current $USER
  • Link destination opened from Obsidian: Firefox

Detection

  • Install obsidian-open-link-with plugin to manually open link in Chrome.
    • A strange looking browser appear
      => It must use different profile from $USER!
    • I checked profiles used in these 2 browser instances with the following results.
  • chrome://version/: Profile Path:
    • Normal browser used by $USER: $HOME/.config/google-chrome/Default
    • Strange browser used by Obsidian: $HOME/snap/obsidian/current/.config/google-chrome/Default
  • Conclusion: The Obsidian app uses a separate home dir placed in side SNAP ($HOME/snap/obsidian/current/), so all settings like .config/ and .local/ are separated from the $USER’s settings at $HOME.

Solution (workaround)

  • Remove the Chrome config (.config/google-chrome/) inside SNAP, if anny, then create a symlink to the normal Chrome config of $USER:
    ln -s ~/.config/google-chrome ~/snap/obsidian/current/.config/google-chrome
4

Additional info about the time I opened Chrome from Obsidian:

  • A strange looking browser appear and ask to set Chrome as default again
    => Seems like Obsidian’s invoking a brand new user different from the current $USER!
    => It must use different profile from current $USER!
5

duplicate of